Monday, September 28, 2009

CONNECTIONS WITH SHANTARAM

REYNOLDS- HORIZON SENIOR ASSIGNMENT

SHANTARAM
A Novel By Gregory David Roberts

About the Author

"Gregory David Roberts, like the hero of his novel, spent many years as a fugitive.  In 1978, after his divorce, losing custody of his daughter, and being convicted of a series of robberies committed to support his heroin habit, he was jailed in an Australian maximum security prison and sentenced to nineteen years.  In 1980, he escaped over the prison's front wall, and for the next ten years eluded authorities, living in New Zealand, Asia, Africa, and Europe- but for most of that time in Bombay, where he established a free medical clinic for slum-dwellers, and worked as a counterfeiter, smuggler, gunrunner, and street soldier for the Bombay mafia.  He was finally captured in Germany and served out his sentence there and in Australia, during which time he role Shantaram.  He is now a full-time writer and lives in Bombay."  

Chapter One

"It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured.  I realized, somehow, through the screaming in my mind, that even in that shackled, bloody helplessness, I was still free:  free to hate the men who were torturing me, or to forgive them.  It doesn't sound like much, I know.  But in the flinch and bite of the chain, when it's all you've got, that freedom is a universe of possibility.  And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving, can become the story of your life."

Website:   http://www.shantaram.com/

FIRST ASSIGNMENT:  Go to the website for Shantaram.  Read through all of the different poems written by Roberts.  Choose one poem to analyze.  Copy and paste the poem below, and write a 100 word response to the poem you chose. 

SECOND ASSIGNMENT:  Read the section about the author.  As you can see, Roberts has lived a wild life and has been convicted of many crimes which put him behind bars for years.  As a reader, do you think an incarcerated person should have the freedom to write and have their work be published?  Explain your thoughts in 100+ words.

THRIRD ASSIGNMENT:  Read the first paragraph of the first chapter of Shantaram.  The author mentions love, fate, hating, forgiving, and freedom.  What point do you think the author is trying to make?  Do you agree or disagree with the author and what he is saying in this paragraph?  Explain your thoughts in 100+ words.  

FOURTH ASSIGNMENT:  Please review posts written by your peers and write responses to their posts.  Make sure you clearly indicate which peer post you are responding to, and state whether you agree or disagree with the peer response while respectfully adding your opinion below their post.  

DIRECTIONS:  When adding a post, you need to title your post with your first and last name, indicate which assignment you are responding to, and then post your response to the assignment.  

Example:

Breanna Reynolds
Second Assignment
100+ word response

THANK YOU!  :)

124 comments:

  1. Rachael Poh

    Second Assignment



    Yes, I think someone who is incarcerated can write and publish a book. Writing is a personal freedom. No one can tell you that you can't write a book in prison. People who are incarcerated write all the time. Writing is how they escape. It is how they talk to their families and how they share their feelings. I think that writing a book is a great way to escape such a horrible place. Writing takes you away in to a whole new world where you can be someone else and where you are not trapped behind bars.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jimmy Adamec
    Second Assignment

    Someone in jail should be allowed to write a book only if the laws of the country he is being held in allow him to. In this case, in Germany (and to a lesser extent, Australia) the right to free speech is protected, so the author was well within his right to write a book in jail. However, this depends on the situation. The author happened to be held in prison in countries where it is legal to say what you want. If the same situation was duplicated in a country where freedom of speech is not protected, it would be up to that government to decide if writing a book in prison is ok.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jess Rairdan
    first assignment
    100+word response

    The Walls of Night

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I wake
    your kisses
    drench my dry lips
    but I am lost,
    and alone,
    and midnight
    has pressed her palms of stars
    against the walls of night.

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I hear
    your clear voice
    in the waters
    of the deep well
    and I drink
    until drunk,
    sweet whispers, your laughter,
    as restless as the wind.

    As a sudden storm
    wrenches the leaves from winter trees,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a leopard's cry
    shatters the silences of night,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a falling hawk
    closes its claws upon the hare,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    Every star in the sky
    is another grain of salt in my eyes.

    Every hour that passes
    is another twist of the spear in my chest

    My mind is screaming for you,
    my body trembles
    like the strings of a lute,
    and as midnight
    presses her palms
    of aching stars
    against the walls of night,
    another night without you,
    my heart is torn up with love.


    In the poem The Walls of Night it sounds like Roberts is portraying a time of loss in love. I’m guessing it was either from the love of a woman or someone close to him. He talks about how this love was ripped away from him like a storm wrenches leaves from a winter tree. It is a possibility that this person has died or fell from his life rapidly. Roberts also talks about how “midnight has pressed her palms of stars against the walls of night” and how “every star is another grain of salt in my eyes”. Apparently nighttime and stars is a hard time for this character and brings him much sorrow and always will. Every night this person’s heart aches and is torn up with love.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rachael Poh
    Third Assignment

    The point that Roberts is making is that you can beat him, you can torture him, and you can break him down but, you can never control the way he feels. Roberts says that love, hate, and forgiveness are feelings that can't be taken away from you no matter how hard someone tries. In Roberts’ last sentence he talks about how hating or forgiving can make or break you, and I think that is true. Hating someone is easy, but forgiving them for what they have done to you is the hard part. I think that Roberts made the decision to open his heart and forgive those men for what they did instead of hating them. He showed that no matter what's going on around you, no one can control your mind and how you feel.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jimmy Adamec
    Third Assignment

    The author is saying that no matter what happens, you always have control over what you think. In his case, the author describes how he was being chained up and tortured yet still able to think what he wanted about his captors. To a larger extent, this paragraph can be applied to any situation where you have to make a decision. No matter what someone thinks about you or does to you, you always have the power to decide how you react.

    In addition, when the author ends his paragraph with "And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving, can become the story of your life," he is saying how important each of your decisions are. How you choose to respond to a situation can change and define your life, for better or worse. He is almost cautioning the reader to take care when making choices, because each one is important.

    All in all, I think the author is correct. No matter the circumstances around us, I alone have the ability to control how I think about people.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jess Rairdan
    Second response
    100+word response

    Just because you have a dark past does not mean you are incapable of having a bright future. Writing is a freedom that can’t be taken away from you. Although publishing this writing may be based on a different outlook. Gregory Roberts made many mistakes, this we can all see. But after he was set straight he became an amazing and successful writer. This shows that everyone may be aloud to chase his or her dreams, no matter how small of a chance it may be. Incarcerated or not, everyone deserves a second chance. Even if the situation fails at least it was the right thing to do. If we didn’t give Roberts a chance we would have been exploiting his freedom as a person

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jess Rairdan
    Third assignment
    100+word response

    I feel the author is trying to make a point that even through all the terrible things we go through we can always find a way to cling on to some tiny fragment of hope. A hope to be free and to control your own mind and let no one else posses it. It’s the freedom of feeling and believing what you would like to, the freedom of being your own person. I agree with what Roberts is saying completely. Although we may be getting every inch of respect and sanity taken from us we are still able to feel and think for our own. You never know what good things may become of your own thoughts, then again what bad things may also come from them too. The way we carry ourselves is our own. No one can take that away from you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jess Rairdan
    Fourth assignment
    100+word response

    I am commenting on Rachael Poh’s second assignment.

    I agree with what she has said one hundred percent. Writing is an escape to a new world and it’s something we as free people take for granted. We write in our everyday routines but we never explore the fact that for some people that’s all they have to rely on.

    Now on Jimmy Adamec’s third assignment.

    As teenagers we don’t really understand how important every one of our decisions are. They could impact our lives in huge ways, and some may just tweak them a little. But it reflects what kind of person you are, we may choose to hate people for no reason or we may choose to get over it and accept them as a comrade. All in all the choice is our own.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dean Parker
    First Assignment
    100+ word response

    The Walls of Night

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I wake
    your kisses
    drench my dry lips
    but I am lost,
    and alone,
    and midnight
    has pressed her palms of stars
    against the walls of night.

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I hear
    your clear voice
    in the waters
    of the deep well
    and I drink
    until drunk,
    sweet whispers, your laughter,
    as restless as the wind.

    As a sudden storm
    wrenches the leaves from winter trees,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a leopard's cry
    shatters the silences of night,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a falling hawk
    closes its claws upon the hare,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    Every star in the sky
    is another grain of salt in my eyes.

    Every hour that passes
    is another twist of the spear in my chest

    My mind is screaming for you,
    my body trembles
    like the strings of a lute,
    and as midnight
    presses her palms
    of aching stars
    against the walls of night,
    another night without you,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    This poem like the others was very deep, and although I don't know exactly why he wrote " The Walls of Night" I really enjoy the meaning of it. I can assume it is because he lost a loved one suddenly and lost them in a sad way. I can relate to the poem because I lost the person I loved once in sudden event, and haven't seen her since. Some verses that make a lot of sense to me "and midnight
    has pressed her palms of stars
    against the walls of night" and "Every star in the sky
    is another grain of salt in my eyes." I like these verses because it is so true when you lose someone so close every little thing reminds you of them, and somehow the universe just brings them to the front of your mind.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dean Parker
    Second Assignment
    100+ response

    Gregory David Roberts has done many illegal, illicit, and wrong things in his life, but that made him who he is. I think this novel and all his success exposes the truth that some choices may appear bad to people but that is just and opinion,and people shouldn't be predjudice because of this. People can accompliosh anything if they put their mind to it. Freedom of speech is the reason he was allowed to write his opinions and I think it is a good right to protect. Otherwise this great novel wouldn't have been written.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rachel Davis
    First Assignment
    100+ Response

    The Walls of Night

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I wake
    your kisses
    drench my dry lips
    but I am lost,
    and alone,
    and midnight
    has pressed her palms of stars
    against the walls of night.

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I hear
    your clear voice
    in the waters
    of the deep well
    and I drink
    until drunk,
    sweet whispers, your laughter,
    as restless as the wind.

    As a sudden storm
    wrenches the leaves from winter trees,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a leopard's cry
    shatters the silences of night,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a falling hawk
    closes its claws upon the hare,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    Every star in the sky
    is another grain of salt in my eyes.

    Every hour that passes
    is another twist of the spear in my chest

    My mind is screaming for you,
    my body trembles
    like the strings of a lute,
    and as midnight
    presses her palms
    of aching stars
    against the walls of night,
    another night without you,
    my heart is torn up with love.



    I think this poem is very deep and meaningful. It is obvious that Gregory David Roberts is spilling his heart out in the form of poetry. The message seems to be a little bitter-sweet, as he finds himself so in love yet so lost and confused. I find it very easy to relate to the author in this poem because I, too, have lost someone very close to me. Many of the verses in this poem make complete sense to me, for example, "every star in the sky is another grain of salt in my eyes." I understand this verse because its as if he is describing the intense pain he feels countless times a day.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Rachel Davis
    Second Assignment
    100+ Words

    I think that Gregory David Roberts is a very outspoken and strong person. Even though he has committed many crimes and wrongdoings in his life, that is what makes him who he is today. As a reader, I believe that he and anyone else has the right to express their thoughts and emotions through literature, no matter what their past may hold. Many stories and poems written by people with painful and troublesome pasts are today considered masterpieces.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Rachel Davis
    Third Assignment
    100+ Words

    This is a very powerful introduction to a chapter. The author is talking about the freedom every person has to choose between hating someone and forgiving someone. The choice you make can mold the type of person you are. If you choose to hate someone, then you hold lots of anger and resent within you. You do not consider the positive side of things and you will forever hold a grudge within you. However if you choose to forgive someone, then you are allowing yourself to be a stronger and more positive person. You are considering the feelings and emotions of the enemy, and are therefore proving yourself a compassionate and caring person.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Rachel Davis
    Fourth Assignment
    100+ Words

    I am responding to Jess Rairdan's second assignment.

    I agree with Jess when she said that having a dark past does not hold you back from having a bright future. This is very true because anyone is able to look at their past and decide they want to turn things around and end on a positive note. Jess also said that writing is a freedom that cannot be taken away. I agree with this statement entirely. This is because no one is capable of controlling the thoughts that flow throughout your brain. People can tell you what to think or attempt to brainwash you, but in the end, your thoughts will remain your choice. Putting your thoughts down on paper is one of the kindest things a person can do, because you are sharing your personal emotions with others and helping them see the world through your eyes. Gregory David Roberts does this in a very talented and artistic way.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jordan Waitt
    Assignment #1
    100 word response

    The Cave of My Desire
    What angels ride the heaven
    in my lover's eyes.
    What dreams are born there
    in the double-Venus,
    the twin planets of love.
    What islands of sanctuary are those eyes,
    islands in the storming sea of my life.
    What gardens of delight,
    my lover's eyes,
    what sweet refreshment,
    in the desert of days and nights
    What cool rain falls there
    in the summer of those eyes.
    What deep wells of pure water,
    those eyes,
    what bliss for my dry and thirsting soul.
    And in the night,
    when the light is put out,
    I come to you, breathing shadows of love,
    And find your eyes glittering like jewels
    in the cave of my desire.

    I believe this poem is about someone the author is deeply in love with. He talks about the love in their eyes and about different things he sees in them. He says how he sees angels in their eyes and how they are sweet refreshments to him. The author says he sees an island of sanctuary in their eyes meaning that he finds peace and a place to relax. From this poem I get that he loves this person very much and he sees many different things in their eyes.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jordan Waitt
    Assignment #2
    100 word response

    Yes, I think an incarcerated person should have the freedom to write and have their work published. Why not let someone who has gone through hard times that not a lot of people have? I believe that when people write, they write about their own person experiences and their life stories. The reason most people read books is to be entertained. Most people don’t just want to hear stories about people’s lives that are exactly the same as theirs. That would get very boring. They want to hear about other people’s struggles and hardships. If we banned criminals from freedom of writing, then there would be no stories of those people’s lives and struggles.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Jordan Waitt
    Assignment #3
    100 word response

    I do agree with what the author is saying in the first paragraph. It sounds like he has learned a lot since his time in jail. I would definitely agree that though time and your mistakes, you learn so much more than if you never tried to do anything and never made any mistakes. I think that is one of the main points the author is trying to get across to his audience. He wants people to understand that no matter what, you will always have some kind of freedom and some kind of rights. He is also trying to say that life is a way of learning and as you go through it, you become more knowledgeable in things like love and fate.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Jordan Waitt
    Assinment #4
    100 word response

    I agree with most of my peers that have responded. I agree with what Rachael and Jimmy said about assignment 2. That people in jail should be allowed to right and that it is a way for them to release their feelings. I also agree with Rachael in her response to assignment 3 about him being tortured. I agree with how she said the author was saying that no one can take away his feelings of love and hate. No matter how hard anyone tries, they cannot take away your feelings.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Robert Sheber
    First Assignment

    The Iron Of My Eyes

    This poem is about the author waking up to find his lover crying by the window. When he asks her what's wrong she replies that she is weeping out of happiness. I can relate to this poem very much. I too, often find myself weeping at the window of happiness. Life is joyous and it is necessary to periodically reflect on how fortunate we are. If you take the time to weep at the window of happiness, you will realize what is important in life and you will not take as much for granted.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Robert Sheber
    Second Assignment

    Yes I think it is important for people to be allowed to write while imprisoned. It gives them a chance to blow off steam and reflect on their past. Writing can lead to a change in a persons character. They can reach their inner voice and express it on paper. It can also lead to new ideas and goals. Writing can help with the restoration of the persons morale as they try to change and get out of prison.

    A bad example of being allowed to write in prison was when Hitler wrote "Mein Kampf" where he basically planned to take over the world. But nothing tragic came out of that...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Josh Velez
    Assignment #1

    The Iron of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.

    My belief on what this poem is about is very similar to that of Roberts. The poem starts off with the author waking up and noticing his lover weeping by a window. Although they were real tears they were not tears of sadness nor tears of fear they were tears of joy. Tears of joy are a way of expressing how one truly feels like in the poem the authors lover is crying because of the love she feels for the author. Its easy to connect with because to be honest I to reminisce on certain aspects in my life that truly make me happy enough to shed simple tears of joy.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Josh Velez
    Assignment #2

    I honestly see know harm in allowing an incarcerated individual to write and be published. Writing is a great way to express many emotions without phisical action. Its a great way for the writer to reflect on ones past aswell and possiby change the writers total aspect on life.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Carl Jones
    First Assignment
    100+ word response

    The Iron of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.


    It is clear that he was worried when his beloved was standing at the dawn-eyed window silent shedding tears. He showed he cared about his beloved. His beloveds face looked ruined as he describes it looked like a flower the sky bruised with summer rain. When he woke up his beloved noticed and came to him to make him feel less concerned. The tears were actually tears of joy, something most of us if not all of us feel like shedding sometimes when something great happens to us. Sometimes we do not know why we shed tears of joy, all we know is that sometimes it is what makes us feel good about a moment.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Carl Jones
    Second Assignment
    100+ word response

    I think a person who is incarcerated should have the freedom to do certain harmless things such as write and have their work published. As long as you do not abuse your right then you should be able to write about any sort of thing you want to write about. If an incarcerated person was a really bad person who will write out plans for their next crime then that is when you limit the person and take away their freedom to write. If the person only wants to write about how they made a mistake then they should be free to write about all their mistakes.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Carl Jones
    Third Assignment
    100+ word response

    The point is that no matter how much people try to limit us from doing things we would want to do, no matter how many of our rights they take away from us, with in our own minds we are as free as we imagine our selves to be. You may think you lost your freedom but when you are in your mind you are free to do anything you want to do. I would have to agree with the author your mind is a great place to escape to when you feel you need a break it can relax you because you can picture your self as free as you can be to do whatever you want.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Michelle Wu
    First Assignment
    100+ word response

    The Iron of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.

    In this poem, the narrator wakes up in the middle of the night to find his beloved crying at the window. He is at first alarmed at the sight of her tears, but is soon reassured by the smile on her face that the tears could not have been caused by hurt or sadness. The narrator is confounded as to what, other than these feelings, could be causing his beloved's tears. She explains to him that she is living in the moment, so happy and in love, feelings that she wants to hold on to. She thinks about what she has and smiles, as we sometimes do, too. I see this poem almost as a reminder to look at what we have and, as Robert said, not take so much for granted.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Sydney Etzler
    first assignment

    Iron of My Eyes
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.

    In this poem I believe he is talking about happiness and protection. There love is based off of this, he tells her that he will always be here for her and will always try and keep her happy and he is woken with confusion when he sees her crying because all he does is love her. What she is saying is she isn’t crying because he has hurt her but because he has made her happy in many ways and loves him very much. There care for each other is very deep and in my opinion rare. This is a strong message for two people in love.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Sydney Etzler
    Second assignment

    I believe an incarcerated person still has the same rights as anyone else. They have been through more and have most likely seen more, so they can help us see a different view on things that they may be writing about. Gregory David Roberts isn’t a bad man he made a few mistakes but now he is able to write about them and the experiences he has gone through, taking a reader on a new path of types of writings. He is also a deep man as you can see from his poetry, and writing like that are not from a man you is horrible and should be in jail.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Sydney Etzler
    Third assignment

    I believe that the author is telling us that we can live life hating everyone and everything in it, or we can move on from the bad things that may happen to us. Grow from them, and forgive them so we could move on and live a better life. If more people viewed the way he did there wouldn’t be so much negativity towards each other and a lot more peace in the world. Though there are not a lot of people who could even imagine living this way; they all would be a lot happier and a lot more things could work out in people’s lives like marriage, friendships, jobs, etc. What he is saying is that it took him some time to figure this out himself, but he did and he wished a lot more people could come to the realization of this, like he did.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sydney Etzler
    Fourth assignment

    I agree with Robert Sheber in his second assignment talking about people being allowed to write in prison. It does allow the person to write about what they are feeling at that time and allows them to “blow of steam”. I also agree that writing can help change a person because when you write your ideas down on paper it can help you also discover new thoughts and goals that you may have never fully been interested in.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Rylee French
    First assignment
    100+ word response


    The Walls of Night

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I wake
    your kisses
    drench my dry lips
    but I am lost,
    and alone,
    and midnight
    has pressed her palms of stars
    against the walls of night.

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I hear
    your clear voice
    in the waters
    of the deep well
    and I drink
    until drunk,
    sweet whispers, your laughter,
    as restless as the wind.

    As a sudden storm
    wrenches the leaves from winter trees,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a leopard's cry
    shatters the silences of night,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a falling hawk
    closes its claws upon the hare,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    Every star in the sky
    is another grain of salt in my eyes.

    Every hour that passes
    is another twist of the spear in my chest

    My mind is screaming for you,
    my body trembles
    like the strings of a lute,
    and as midnight
    presses her palms
    of aching stars
    against the walls of night,
    another night without you,
    my heart is torn up with love.


    In this poem Robert sounds like he is talking about how he is in love with someone, possibly a girlfriend who he is no longer with. It seems like he has a broken heart and that he doesn’t know exactly what to do. In the poem The Walls of Night he talks about being lost and alone and how his heart is torn up with love.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Robert Sheber
    Third Assignment

    I think the author is correct in chapter one. As long as you are still capable of thinking your own thoughts in your head, you have a form of freedom. This freedom can be very powerful. You are in control of your own emotions. No one can make you feel angry, sad, or down. It is your self that decides if your going to allow another person's actions influence your life. No one makes you feel a certain way, in opposite, it's your choice if you're going to let it affect you. This is the freedom I believe the author is talking about.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Rylee French
    Second assignment
    100+ word response


    Yes, I think a person who is incarcerated has the freedom to write and have their work be published. Everyone has a freedom of speech and a freedom of press. There is nothing wrong with someone no matter what they have been threw be able to publish their work. It makes it seem like they are or have turned there life around and are trying to make a better ending to there life. Lots of people that are incarcerated write about there thoughts, feelings and what they may be going through.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Robert Sheber
    Fourth Assignment

    I agree with Sydney's third assignment. If people were more forgiving there would be a lot less troubles in the world. I also agree with her that there are a lot of people out there that are not forgiving. I think if a majority of the world WERE forgiving, the non forgivers would take advantage of the forgivers and the system would once again be corrupt. It seems only wishful thinking that the human race would be more forgiving and respective of each other.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Rylee French
    Third assignment
    100+ word response


    The author is trying to say that people can still do those bad things to him. They can whip him, hit him and try to hurt him as much as they want but no matter what they do or how they torture him nothing they do can change his thoughts. He can still hate them no matter what, he can still think whatever he wants to think about and they can beat him all they want but nothing will be able to change what is on the inside

    ReplyDelete
  36. Rylee French
    Fourth assignment
    100+ word response


    I agree with Rachael Poh’s second Assignment. Writing is a really good way to escape the bad things you are going through in life. If the only thing he could basically do all day was write then let him try and release some built up emotion. I also agree with Jimmy Adamec’s second assignment. If a countries law system stated that you can not write a book if you are in prison then no, he shouldn’t have been able to write a book. But where he was said it was okay then why not.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Trevor Halt
    First Assignment
    The Iron Of My Eyes

    When he wakes up he finds his lover crying at the window and he is confused about why she is so upset."when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,..."
    He soon realizes she is crying because she is so happy and in love with him."It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,"...He then goes on to say that this love will always be a mystery to him but if pleasure makes you cry then break your heart agianst me over and over again.
    "It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,"...

    ReplyDelete
  38. Trevor Halt
    Second Assignment

    Yes, I believe people in prison should have the privilige to write. Writting is a very theraputic and healthy way to vent and sort through emotions and feelings. Many people in rehabilitation are encouraged if not required to keep a journal and write in it everyday and even soldiers keep journals to deal with the stresses of war and the boredom. So, yes writing should be encouraged in prison not threatened.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Trevor Halt
    Third Ass.

    I think what he is saying is that no matter what a person does to you it will always be your choice and your decision to give them that power or control over you. Just like what he said, you can either forgive them or hate them but ultimatley no one can make that desicion but you. No one can ever take that from you. They can influence you with pain and suffering or money or whatever but in the end it is still your desicion. I completly agree with the author.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Trevor Halt
    Fourth Ass.
    Response to Jimmy's 3rd

    I think what Jimmy said about having the power to decide how to react is exactly what I was trying to say but summed up better. No one can make you react a certain way or force you to respond. It will always be your choice wheather to react or not and it will always be your desicion how to react to certain situations. That is the freedom the author is talking about. Good post Jimmy

    ReplyDelete
  41. Terri Rose
    First Assignment
    100+ word response



    The Cave of My Desire

    What angels ride the heaven
    in my lover's eyes.


    What dreams are born there
    in the double-Venus,
    the twin planets of love.


    What islands of sanctuary are those eyes,
    islands in the storming sea of my life.


    What gardens of delight,
    my lover's eyes,
    what sweet refreshment,
    in the desert of days and nights


    What cool rain falls there
    in the summer of those eyes.


    What deep wells of pure water,
    those eyes,
    what bliss for my dry and thirsting soul.


    And in the night,
    when the light is put out,
    I come to you, breathing shadows of love,
    And find your eyes glittering like jewels
    in the cave of my desire.





    In this poem, I feel as though the author is describing his deep love for someone. Throughout the poem, he mentions his lover's eyes; I believe he does this to describe what he sees and how he feels when with this person. In the first line of the poem the author says, "What angels ride the heaven in my lover's eyes," angles represent goodness, honesty, innocence, kindheartedness; which is what he sees in this person. In this poem, it was very clear that this lover is the author's everything in life.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Terri Rose
    Second assignment
    100+ word response


    Yes, I definitely believe that anyone should be able to write and publish their work. Although he has been incarcerated, he still has the same rites as anyone else. Because of what he has been through, he has seen more of this world than most people ever will in a lifetime, therefore his stories have much more meaning to them. He should write and tell the readers what kind of life he had, because it makes for a beautiful story.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Terri Rose
    Third assignment
    100+ word response


    I agree with the author. Freedom comes to you in many ways, and everyone is able to ubtain it. We are free to think our own thoughts and free to feel the way we do. No matter what, no one can take away your emotions. He talks about being chained to a wall, although it seems he has no freedom in this situation he still does. They had only taken away his freedom physically but not his free emotions. In my opinion, he looks at life as the "glass is half full," which he clearly states when he says, "But in the flinch and bite of the chain, when it's all you've got, that freedom is a universe of possibility." I agree with everything the author says.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Terri Rose
    Fourth Assignment



    I agree with Jordan Waitt's first assignment. Her and I both read the same poem, and I feel as though she interpreted the poem almost the same as I did. She believed that the poem was about the authors deep love for someone, which is what I also felt the poem was about.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I think the author is trying to make clear that even though he is locked away in a cell (all beat up helpless and bloody) he is still free in certain ways. Like the author mentions he is still free to hate or forgive the men who tortured him. Everyone has that type of freedom an I agree with what the author is stating because it is true that you have the choice to hate or forgive someone and that could easily become the story of your life.

    ReplyDelete
  46. ABOVE RESPONSE!!!
    Josh Velez
    Assignment #3

    ReplyDelete
  47. Josh Velez
    Assignment #4

    I agree with Terris response #3. Freedom does come in many different ways to people. We are able to freely think what we want and no one can tell you what you can and can not think about. I also like the analogy he uses is pretty similar to the analogy Terri uses which is the glass is half empty.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Marissa is a genius.

    -Reynolds

    ReplyDelete
  49. Justin Clemans
    second assingment

    I think that he should be allowed to write in jail and be published. The government has no right to take away the freedom of speech and/or press. Even though he has been incarcerated he still has the right to speech. Writing is a way for him to vent his feelings and the government can't stop him from doing that.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Justin Clemans
    third assignment

    I think he's saying that no matter what is happening to you you are free to make a choice. You can either choose to hate a person and let them have power or control over you or you can choose to forgive that person and not let it effect you on an emotional level. Which ever one you choose to do writes the story of your life.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Justin Clemans
    fourth assignment

    I agree with Josh's third assignment. He's right, everyone does have the right to hate or forgive someone. Even if that someone is beating you senseless. everyone has a type of freedom. some people more than others because of where they live.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Ryan Pane – First Assignment

    The Iron of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.


    From the poem the walls of night, Gregory David Roberts wakes up to the site of the one he loved crying, he feared that something terrible had happened but to his relief they were tears of joy. The woman who is crying says the joy is “tearful heartbreak” which Gregory says is even a mystery to him. But he says that if she cries for things that are pleasurable, and joyful heartbreak is what makes her cry these tears of joy, then he wants her to break her heart against his eyes.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Ryan Pane – Second Assignment

    An incarcerated person has every right to write and publish a book as anybody else in the United States, although in prison they are still living in America, and if you’re living in America you still have your rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Plus I’m sure publishing companies don’t mind publishing works of incarcerated persons because their stories seem to be a lot more interesting than the stories of those who haven’t lived through their book. When criminals decide to write books that should be seen as a positive thing because they are leaning away from crime.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Cale Nichols
    First Assignment

    The Iron of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.

    This poem is a pretty intense one about a couple in love. The author awakes to find his lover crying at the window and obviously he assumes the worst by the tears she sheds. Yet he is only to find that they are tears of joy. This poem is really just a love story that shows that tears aren’t always a bad thing. It seems like he wrote this poem when he was madly in love with this woman and wanted to express this deep love he had for her. It is a very emotional and expressive poem.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Cale Nichols
    Second Assignment

    I definitely believe that a person incarcerated should be allowed to write freely and have their work published. Just because they may have made some bad choices in their lives doesn’t mean they can’t express themselves in writing. I actually think they should be encouraged to write especially if they are a trained writer. I think that work from a prisoner could have a whole different perspective on life that would be greatly expressed in their writing. I would be very interested in the writings of a person who is incarcerated.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Ryan Pane – Third Assignment

    In the first paragraph of the first chapter, I think the point that the author is trying to make is that even when you are in tough situations, ex: being chained to a wall and tortured, you still have your freedom to hate the person who is torturing you, or to one day forgive them. The possibilities are endless. I wouldn’t say I necessarily agree with what the author is saying but I don’t know who else would agree because there’s only a select few of people who have been through and experienced the things that he has.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Cale Nichols
    Third Assignment

    I think there is a very moral point that the author is trying to make with the first chapter. He talks about the freedom to hate or to forgive the men torturing him. Now most of us may not think of being chained up to a wall being tortured as free, but the author isn’t talking about the physical freedom that most of us automatically think of when we hear the word freedom. He is talking about the freedom of mind; the freedom of being able to think and do whatever you want in your head. Everyone has this freedom but we usually take it for granted. While being chained up the author finally realized what this freedom really is and all it is worth.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Ryan Pane - Fourth Assignment

    I am commenting on the post made by Breanna Reynolds

    I agree, Marissa is a genius

    I am commenting on the post made by Justin Clemans

    Me and Justin both agree that even when you are in jail you still have your basic rights such as freedom of speech and press so it doesnt matter if he wants to write and publish a book.

    I am now commenting on the post made by Robert Sheber

    I agree with Robert that every once in a while we all need to spend a bit of time reflecting on the things in our lives and how fortunate we are. Crying with the window of happiness is a good thing.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Cale Nichols
    Fourth Assignment
    Response to Justin Clemans 3rd

    Justin says that no matter what is happening to you, you are free to make a choice to hate the person for what they are doing or to completely forgive them. I agree with that statement completely. No matter what someone does to you or someone else, you can always choose to hate or forgive. I do think the author is trying to say a little more than that though. I think Justin missed the bigger picture: that no matter what is happening or what kind of physical freedom you have, you will always have the freedom of your mind in itself to think whatever you want to think.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Angela Velazquez
    First assignment
    100+ response

    The Iron of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.


    The poem, “The Iron of My Eyes”, portrays Roberts as someone who appreciates the little things in life that show someone’s happiness. This poem, unlike the others, isn’t dark and saddening, but instead it is somewhat joyful. It talks about the love that a woman has for him and how she is so happy that it brings tears to her eyes. It seems to be confusing to him that a person cries when they are happy. However, he finds it to be heartwarming as you can tell in the following quote: “It is a mystery to me how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits, but if pleasure set your tears free then break your heart against the iron of my eyes, woman, and break it there again, and again, as often as you like.” There is irony in the poem when demonstrating the expression of tears while the emotion that is felt is happiness.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Angela Velazquez
    Second assignment
    100+ response

    I believe that Roberts, or anyone for that matter, who has been incarcerated should have the right and freedom to write whatever they want. Although Roberts was convicted of many things that he had done wrong, he served his time which means we shouldn’t hold his past against him. He deserves a second chance like everyone else does. Personally, I believe that his insane, adventurous, and criminal life made him who he is as a writer. The book would be much less exciting and intriguing if his life was any different because he wouldn’t have the experiences that define him as a person.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Angela Velazquez
    Third assignment
    100+ response

    Throughout the first paragraph of chapter one Roberts is explaining a different kind of freedom that most people don’t think about. The kind of freedom he is discussing is the one that only you can control. The point of the first paragraph is to help you realize that the thoughts and emotions that go through your head are completely your own, nobody is able to force you to think and believe what they want. Roberts talks about how the choice between hating and forgiving can destroy your life and that is so true. Hate can take up so much of your energy and overcome your mind that it becomes the one thing that drives you everyday. Forgiving is not easy either. It is incredibly difficult to forgive someone who has hurt you so badly that they will leave a permanent mark in your life. Either way, the choice of loving, forgiving, hating, hurting, and other emotions is completely your own no matter what you choose.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Angela Velazquez
    Fourth assignment
    100+ response

    I am commenting on Rachael Poh’s third assignment.

    I agree with what she said about what the point of the paragraph is. I believe that the point is that no matter what happens in our lives we are able to control the way we react and feel about the situation, which is what I think she was saying. The only part in her response that I don’t agree with is that she says, “Hating is easy.” I disagree with that very much because I believe that hating takes up too much time and uses a lot of energy. Besides that one part I think that Rachael was dead on with what she was saying!

    ReplyDelete
  64. Dean Parker
    Third Assignment
    100+ response

    Obviously the point Roberts is trying to make is that no matter what happens nobody can take away your freedom of opinion. The way you decide to feel about things you experience is a freedom. Sometimes it takes a lot to learn the importance of love, fate, hating, forgiving, and freedom. Choices relevant to these topics make you who you are. "And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving, can become the story of your life." Most of the time the hardest choices have the most meaning, and you know when you made the right one. I completely agree with the author.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Dean Parker
    4th assignment
    100+ response

    I completely agree with Jimmy's 3rd assignment. The power we hold to react in a certain way is ours alone, and it is very defining. Any choice we make can have rewards,or have huge consequences. Obviously this is a very strong power because some people make bad decisions and end up in jail because of it as Roberts did. I believe this is why he is cautioning people to make their decisions wisely.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Michelle Wu
    Second Assignment
    100+ word response

    I do believe that an incarcerated person should have the freedom to write and have their work published. Writing is a way for a person to express thoughts and feelings. The choices one makes does not make his or her words any less valuable than any one else's. Some even write for the mere purpose of keeping the rest of us from repeating their mistakes. Writing is also a form of escape for those locked behind bars, taking them away from their surroundings. Words in themselves have no harm. For the people who believe everything they read... well, that's more of a personal problem.

    ReplyDelete
  67. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Michelle Wu
    Third Assignment
    100+ word response

    I think what the author is trying to say is that though other people may have control over him, they can never control his thoughts and feelings. He may be confined within the prison walls, but he still retains the freedom to think for himself. I think that these are some of the best words a person could offer. No one can change the way we feel about something. It is in our hands to decide that for ourselves, whether to hate or to forgive. Only we can decide who and what to love. Our decisions may change our entire lives, but in the long run, fate seems to always take the wheel. I agree.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Michelle Wu
    Fourth Assignment
    100+ word response

    I am responding to Sydney Etzler's second assignment.

    I completely agree with what Sydney has to say about how the writings of incarcerated people can help us gain a new perspective. It can help us understand why they did the things they did and how it affected their lives. It is almost as if someone lived our mistakes for us, so that we would not have to live them ourselves. With this, we can obtain the same life lessons, without ever having to go through the pain that some people had to go through in order to learn them.

    On the other hand, I am confused about the last sentence, "He is also a deep man as you can see from his poetry, and writing like that are not from a man you is horrible and should be in jail."

    ReplyDelete
  70. Emily Hillyer
    First Assignment
    100+ response


    My heart is torn up with love.
    I wake
    your kisses
    drench my dry lips
    but I am lost,
    and alone,
    and midnight
    has pressed her palms of stars
    against the walls of night.

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I hear
    your clear voice
    in the waters
    of the deep well
    and I drink
    until drunk,
    sweet whispers, your laughter,
    as restless as the wind.

    As a sudden storm
    wrenches the leaves from winter trees,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a leopard's cry
    shatters the silences of night,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a falling hawk
    closes its claws upon the hare,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    Every star in the sky
    is another grain of salt in my eyes.

    Every hour that passes
    is another twist of the spear in my chest

    My mind is screaming for you,
    my body trembles
    like the strings of a lute,
    and as midnight
    presses her palms
    of aching stars
    against the walls of night,
    another night without you,
    my heart is torn up with love.



    In poem “The Walls of Night” by Gregory David Roberts, Robert sounds like he has lost someone very close to him from either a death or break up. In the part where he writes “I hear your clear voice in the waters of the deep well and I drink until drunk” it seems like wherever he goes there is something that reminds him of the one he lost and will try to do whatever he can possible do to keep the memories they had together alive. With every hour that passes it is just a reminder that she is no longer there. This poem is about just being lost in your own world when someone you love goes away.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Tori Lopez
    First Assignment
    100+ word response

    The Walls of Night

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I wake
    your kisses
    drench my dry lips
    but I am lost,
    and alone,
    and midnight
    has pressed her palms of stars
    against the walls of night.

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I hear
    your clear voice
    in the waters
    of the deep well
    and I drink
    until drunk,
    sweet whispers, your laughter,
    as restless as the wind.

    As a sudden storm
    wrenches the leaves from winter trees,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a leopard's cry
    shatters the silences of night,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a falling hawk
    closes its claws upon the hare,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    Every star in the sky
    is another grain of salt in my eyes.

    Every hour that passes
    is another twist of the spear in my chest

    My mind is screaming for you,
    my body trembles
    like the strings of a lute,
    and as midnight
    presses her palms
    of aching stars
    against the walls of night,
    another night without you,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    In this poem Roberts seems to be yearning over the loss of a loved one. It seems as though a women he loved who was once there for him is no longer. Roberts talks about how his heart is being torn up and about the intense pain he is feeling. I think this poem has a very strong meaning because it shows how much someone can be apart of you and once they are gone you are lost. I think we have all loved and have lost and it is a very hard thing to deal with and I think Roberts uses poetry to deal with his pain.

    ReplyDelete
  72. Tori Lopez
    Second Assignment
    100+ word assignment

    Yes, I think an incarcerated person should be able to write freely and have their work published. Just because they have done wrong in their life doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to share their thoughts with the world. I think it is our freedom of speech to be able to write what we want. Even though the person is behind bars it doesn't mean they have no thoughts or stories that they can share with the world. I think that anyone should be able to write freely.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Emily Hillyer
    Second Assignment
    100+ Response

    Yes, I think someone incarcerated should be able to write and publish a book. It is there right to express themselves and for them to escape. No one should ever be allowed to tell someone they cannot write for any reason. Writing can change a person by reflecting on their past and see where it got them. It is also a good way to let out everything which then they would get a lot off their chest.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Tori Lopez
    Third assignment
    100+ word response

    I think that Roberts is trying to say that you can take everything away from him except his feelings. You can beat him, strip him of every last possession he has but that he still has the power of his mind. Without your mind you have nothing, Roberts is trying to show that as long as you still have it you have a purpose for life. Whether you choose to love, hate, forgive, be happy or be sad, is all up to you and although some people might have an effect on that they can't control it. You are in control of your mind.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Marissa Desmarais
    1st Assignment
    100+ Response

    The Iron Of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.

    The poem " The Iron In My Eyes" is a poem of happiness and love. It talks about a woman sitting at a window early in the morning and watching her husband sleep. Meanwhile she is thinking about everything and starts crying. She is not crying of sadness or worry but tears of joy. She realizes how much that her husband means to her and how the small things in life mean so much! She knows that he protection and love that he has for her is rare and thats all she needs. In my opinion the bond and love they have for each other is rare and makes then so happy. This poem is happy unlike many.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Tanner Mitchell
    4th Assignment
    100 words

    I am responding to michelle's second assignment.

    With her comment i would have to fully agree with her responds and what she says. i also believe that any one who wants to write about there life and wants to share with people on how they got there lives back on track then by all means go for it.

    ReplyDelete
  77. Tanner Mitchell
    1st Assignment
    100 word responds

    In this assignment I chose to read “The cave of my Desire”. This poem was extremely deep and was no joke. I felt that this poem was a little like everyone else in how it was told. The person to who wrote this was deeply in love with his mistress or whoever he wrote this poem to. Once I read this I had to sit back and read it a couple more times till it actually set in and realized what all the wording meant. The poet of this book is more than a good writer he is amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  78. Tanner Mitchell
    2nd Assignment
    100 words respond

    In the summary of the author it shocked me a lot about all the crazy things this guy did and yet he writes the most complex poems and stories. His stories of when he was younger and before he went to India he had an insane life and then started a whole other life once he moved away from everyone and just about everything. After reading through all of his events that happened I would have to say that he did not get his act all straighten out till about 2001. The only reason why I say that is because he didn’t start to express himself on paper and try and get it published until he was done with the drug use and the running from the law.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Tanner Mitchell
    3rd Assignment
    100 word respond

    In the first little section where he talks about freedom and how he came to realize it was pretty strange. Also it does make sense on how he came about the idea and what that word really does mean. When I read that paragraph I would have to agree with the author and what he is saying about love and hate. The point I feel that the author is trying to tell people is that as soon as you as a person can figure all of what he is saying then you understand your point in life and goals.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Tori Lopez
    Fourth Assignment
    100 + word response

    This is a response to Robert's second assignment.

    I agree with Robert because I think it is a way for someone who hasn't had a great past change the path of their future. I think that Roberts shows a lot of courage to share the hardships of his life and all of the things he learned along the way. Even though he is in jail he can still change his future and writing is a good way to do that. I think Roberts writing this book shows to people that no matter what you have done you can still control the way your future unfolds.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Emily Hillyer
    Third Assignment
    100+ Response

    Roberts is proving the point that no matter who is trying to break you down and tear you to pieces it will never happen. You have the power to control how you feel and that is all that matters. He also mentions hating and forgiving. Hating someone is the easiest thing to do. Forgiving someone is on a whole other level, I think forgiving someone is one of the hardest things you can do. Roberts also mentioned whatever your choice is that will be the story of your life

    ReplyDelete
  82. Marissa Desmarais
    2nd Assignment
    100+ Response

    Even though Roberts has had a hard and confusing life that has led to wrongdoing decisions, he is still a person and should have the right just like anyone else to share whats on his mind. He could have learned many life lessons that others will not experience and have some encouraging words to those that might be going down the same path as him. Just because you were in jail doesn't mean you haven't changed your lifestyle. Everyone should be able to write or express how they feel in a proper manner.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Emily Hillyer
    Fourth Assignment
    100+ Response

    I am agreeing with Rachael Poh’s third assignment. Just like what Rachael said you can beat him and torture him but you can never change how he feels. He did forgive the men for torturing him and that was probably really hard for Roberts to do that.

    ReplyDelete
  84. The Iron Of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.

    I had to read a poem so I chose "The Iron Of My Eyes". In the poem it talked about how much one can love another and how they go about it. Either with a very sweet, or stockerish trait to go along with it by watching her sleep. The author realized what he has with his spouse, and cries tears of joy. This is because he still has his loved one. The person he should always treasure and never take for granted.

    ReplyDelete
  85. Darick Anderson
    Fourth assignment

    I am responding to Robert Shebers first assignment.

    I completely agree with your post, I find myself weeping nine times out of ten by a window. I thought I was alone, but now i have found a fellow friend to share my weeping with..

    ReplyDelete
  86. Marissa Desmarais
    3rd Assignment
    100+ Response

    I would have to agree with what Roberts said. During the hardest times in life there is always a light at the end of the dark tunnel that gives you hope. When he talks about being free by having the choice of loving or hating, forgiving or bitterness is a free choice that no one can take away from you. Making that decision can lead to two drastic different stories and either you will regret it or be happy with the decision. No matter what you have some freedoms that no one can take away from you.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Remzi Bahbah
    2nd Assignment
    100 word response

    Of course a previously imprisoned person should be able to freely write and publish a book. Robert may have done his share of bad thing, but most believe everyone has a good side so why can't he? The amazing things he, or others, can write about could be life changing to this who read it. To not allow someone to write due to being imprisoned sounds like something the Chinese Government would do.

    ReplyDelete
  88. Darick Anderson
    First assignment
    100+ words

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.


    This poem is about a single man sleeping in his bed when he is startled by a woman, his beloved, crying over him by the window. As concerned as this man was, he welcomes her into his arms. The woman was crying only because he had been asleep. I feel this woman might be mentally unstable. Crying over your partner because they are asleep is not a common occurrence. Although this man is not helping the situation, he states that he’s confused by the act, but yet he tells her it's ok to cry whenever she wants. It might just be the way I'm looking at this poem that makes me feel this way. Maybe I am too young to understand this crying taboo ritual, but, to each his own.

    Darick Anderson
    Second assignment
    100+ words


    I believe an author of this magnitude should be able to write and publish his poems. As long as he doesn’t encrypt a message to his gangster brotherhood about a hoodlum to take care of, I feel it’s pretty harmless. On that note, the prison keepers should read and decode any so- called poems written. He must realize writing, publishing and profiting from these poems at all is a privilege. Roberts and others like him are paying for the crimes they violated in the real world. Therefore, prison keepers should never trust them because they are still criminals.

    Darick Anderson
    Third assignment
    100+ words

    I do agree with what Roberts had to say. I can almost understand where he’s coming from. It’s like I’ve read a similar story. This is why I feel his words might have come right out of the holy Bible itself. He was tortured and hated, but he was free because he was able to forgive. He had a choice to free himself in his mind, and he apparently did that. All these words sound like they have been torn right from the pages of the Lord Jesus Christ’s scriptures. And that is not ok. Although it’s worded in a way that suits his writing style, I can’t give him full credit for the thought.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Steven Newell
    1st Assignment
    100 word response

    The Walls of Night

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I wake
    your kisses
    drench my dry lips
    but I am lost,
    and alone,
    and midnight
    has pressed her palms of stars
    against the walls of night.

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I hear
    your clear voice
    in the waters
    of the deep well
    and I drink
    until drunk,
    sweet whispers, your laughter,
    as restless as the wind.

    As a sudden storm
    wrenches the leaves from winter trees,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a leopard's cry
    shatters the silences of night,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a falling hawk
    closes its claws upon the hare,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    Every star in the sky
    is another grain of salt in my eyes.

    Every hour that passes
    is another twist of the spear in my chest

    My mind is screaming for you,
    my body trembles
    like the strings of a lute,
    and as midnight
    presses her palms
    of aching stars
    against the walls of night,
    another night without you,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    In the poem “The Walls of Night” by Gregory David Robert, it sounds like Roberts has lost someone who is very close to him and meant a great deal to him. It seems like nothing is normal without that person in his life. In one part he wrote “Every hour that passes is another twist of the spear in my chest” meaning that every second that goes by is harder and harder to deal with. Memories of this person has stayed with him for a long time which makes it even more difficult. This poem might be a way for him to express his sorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  90. Steven Newell
    2nd Assignment
    100 word response

    I feel that someone who is incarcerated should be allowed to write in prison. They have the right to express their feelings and emotions while in prison. It helps distract them from all of the negativity around them. Writing gives you a chance to talk about your hopes and desires in the real world and how you can change for the better. No matter what you did in the past, you still have the freedom of speech and the freedom to think whatever you like. You can also use the negative things in your past to help you move in a more positive direction in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  91. Remzi Bahbah
    3rd Assignment
    100 words

    Robert is absolutely right about his theory of being free. The paragraph would give hope to any person who read it. It shows that even when there is nothing left you can still make decision that can change everything. It tells people in other words "keep on keeping on". The choices we make are free to be made and this explains exactly how some make it and how some break it in the world today.

    ReplyDelete
  92. Steven Newell
    3rd Assignment
    100 word response

    I think that Roberts is trying to say that you can have all of your belongings taken from you and get beaten down physically, but no one can change the way you think or feel about things. Roberts brought up that love, hate, and forgiveness are feelings that no one can take away from you. The key is that you ultimately have the power to choose what you want to do, to hate or forgive, and that decision can become the story of your life. My gut feeling is that he decided to forgive the men that tortured him which I believe has helped make him successful after prison.

    ReplyDelete
  93. Steven Newell
    4th Assignment
    100 word response

    I am commenting on Rachael Poh’s second assignment:
    I agree with Rachael when she says writing takes you away into a whole new world where you can be someone else and where you are not trapped behind bars. You can be free in a sense when writing, because usually what you’re writing about makes you feel good or frees your mind. Sometimes, writing is the only thing that keeps people sane in prison. Expressing your thoughts can help you relax and deal with a terrible situation a little bit easier. I also think writing is a great way to escape such awful conditions.

    ReplyDelete
  94. Remzi Bahbah
    4th Assignment

    I agree with Terri in her 2nd assignment. Just because he was incarcerated doesn't mean he has any less of a right to write. His stories are probably more intriguing then those of a normal writer.

    ReplyDelete
  95. Marissa Desmarais
    4th Response

    I would have to agree with Reynolds on her statement of me being a genius. I am glad someone finally noticed my natural talents. I am now too weeping of joy by a window.
    Actually i would also have to agree with Ryan, There are endless possibilities on to wether or not you want to forgive someone or have hate towards them. You always will have the freedom to whatever thoughts and decisions you want.

    ReplyDelete
  96. Jimmy Adamec
    1st Response

    Afterwards
    when I am not with you
    and you are alone enough
    to count the nails in your heart,
    tough
    and studded like a treasure-house door,
    when you arrange your silences
    in the vase of an hour,
    balancing the bouquet with memories
    of hands held,
    a spike of laughter
    and the colour of my eyes,

    when you sit within the swell
    of your heartbeat
    and the purple tide of daydream
    laps at the shore of all your selves,
    and your skin sings, perfume-pierced,

    Afterwards,
    surrender to this thought of me:
    as the mimosas of Maharashtra in May
    long for monsoon
    I long for you;
    as the crimson cactus flowers of Thar
    long for full moon
    I long for you,
    and in all my afterwards,
    when I am not with you,
    my heart turns toward the window of my life
    and begs for rain.

    I think this poem is about a man who loves a woman, but she doesn't love him back. They're friends who spend time together, but she just doesn't feel the same way about him. The speaker says that after they have spent time together, she is alone to count the nails in her heart. To me, this implies that the woman is closed off. Her heart is "tough and studded", and all the speaker wants is for her to open up to him.

    In the ending stanzas, the man pleads with the woman that after he is gone she should think about how much he wants her. He tells he that after they are not together, he is miserable (turns toward the window of my life and beg for rain).

    ReplyDelete
  97. Kyle Crowley
    1st Assignment

    The Iron of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.


    In the poem The Iron in My Eyes, the author Gregory David Roberts wakes up and noticed that the person he truly loves is upset and crying. He goes towards her and tries to comfort her in a time of need. He couldn’t stand to watch her cry because it made him sad as well. She then informs him they’re tears of happiness so he is very relieved. It seems confused as in why she is crying by watching him sleep. He says he will do anything for her and seal everything for a kiss.

    ReplyDelete
  98. Kyle Crowley
    2nd Assignment

    I think if he’s a good writer of course he should be able to publish his poems. Roberts is obviously a fantastic writer and his stuff should be read. He’s probably a better writer because he was incarcerated. Roberts had a lot of time to reflect on life and write a bunch of great pieces. A lot of people in jail write to pass time and some write a lot of great stuff that ends up being very popular.

    ReplyDelete
  99. Kyle Crowley
    3rd Assignment

    Gregory David Roberts is trying to say even though he’s tied up and can barely move he still has the freedom to make a decision on weather to forgive or hate. I personally think if you’re being tortured and mocked that while most people would automatically hate but it takes a lot of strength to forgive that person. When your put in that situation to have the freedom of making a decision it almost always determines what kind of person you are.

    ReplyDelete
  100. Kyle Crowley
    4th Assignment

    I am commenting on the post made by Breanna Reynolds.

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    I am commenting on the post made by Ryan Pane.

    The way Ryan puts his thoughts into words makes me weep by my window. I seriously believe all of his ideas are very true and reasonable. We pretty much agreed on everything.

    ReplyDelete
  101. Ali Witthaus
    First Assignment

    The Walls of Night
    My heart is torn up with love.
    I wake
    your kisses
    drench my dry lips
    but I am lost,
    and alone,
    and midnight
    has pressed her palms of stars
    against the walls of night.
    My heart is torn up with love.
    I hear
    your clear voice
    in the waters
    of the deep well
    and I drink
    until drunk,
    sweet whispers, your laughter,
    as restless as the wind.
    As a sudden storm
    wrenches the leaves from winter trees,
    my heart is torn up with love.
    As a leopard’s cry
    shatters the leaves from winter trees,
    my heart is torn up with love.
    As a falling hawk
    closes its claws upon the hare,
    my heart is torn up with love.
    Every star in the sky
    is another grain of salt in my eyes.
    Every hour that passes
    is another twist of the spear in my chest
    My mind is screaming for you,
    my body trembles
    like the string of a lute,
    and as midnight
    presses her plams
    of aching stars
    against the walls of night,
    another night without you,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    Basically, in short, it is a love poem. The author had his heart broken and he wrote this about how he misses his lost love. The cover of night intensifies the pain he feels. The night is when he misses her the most. The author dreams about her and he tries to make the dreams last because it is the only way he can see her, talk to her, hear her laughter and kiss her. He is awoken suddenly and his dream was taken away from him. When he says “every star in the sky is another grain of salt in my eye” he is crying because he has lost her. His heart is broken and he portrays that when he writes “every hour that passes is another twist of the spear in my chest”. He is saying that he is in physical pain because he is not with her and every night spent without her breaks his heart more and more.

    ReplyDelete
  102. Ali Witthaus
    Second Assignment
    I think that even people that have been or are behind bars now should still have the freedom to write and have their work published. Their experiences and thoughts are just as valuable as anyone else’s are. Having the right to freedom of speech should not be taken away just because the person in question has committed a crime. The person might have a very unique lease on life and the world should be able to read about it if they so choose. Plus, what else are you supposed to do with all that free time you have in prison?

    ReplyDelete
  103. Ali Witthaus
    Third Assignment
    I think the point the author is trying to make is that no matter what limits other people put on you, they can never put limits on your thoughts, on where your minds wanders to. That is what he spent all his life trying to learn: why we make the choices we do. I agree with the author. Governments all around the world can put restrictions on religion, censorships on reading and television, but they cannot control your thoughts. They cannot tell you what to think. Your thoughts are all your own and the one place you can be truly free.

    ReplyDelete
  104. Ali Witthaus
    Fourth Assignment
    I am responding to Tori Lopez’s third assignment.
    That is exactly what I was trying to say but you did a lot better job than I did saying it.

    I am responding to Jimmy Adamec’s third assignment.
    I agree completely. Some of the things you mentioned did not even cross my mind and made me stop and think. In my opinion, that was the best response to that assignment posted. Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  105. Rachael Poh
    First Assignment

    The Iron of My Eyes

    In the poem The Iron in My Eyes, by Gregory David Roberts, the narrator was first awakened by his lover sobbing by the window. He assumed something was wrong, but in reality, it was just the opposite; she was overjoyed. I feel that the narrator was struck by confusion and an envy of sorts at how his significant other was so encompassed in the throes of their happiness and passion. In my mind, the narrator was almost content enough just to sit on the sidelines and observe this pure, magical thing so as to be in its presence, as if it could become contagious.

    ReplyDelete
  106. Rachael Poh
    fourth assignment

    I am commenting on Remzi Bahbah third assignment

    I think Remzi's point of view pertaining to the paragraph is interesting . Also, I heavily agree with his thoughts on Roberts. For instance, when he says, "This paragraph would give hope to any person who reads it." Also, when he says, "It shoes that even when there is nothing left, you can still make decisions that change everything", I was almost touched. Overall, I believe that Remzi did a grate job interpreting this section.

    ReplyDelete
  107. Jimmy Adamec
    4th Assignment

    I am commenting on Jess Rairdan's 1st assignment.

    I liked your interpretation of the poem. When I was reading it, it didn't cross my mind that the person he was writing about might be dead, but I can see that view easily now. I also like how you interpeted the salt in his eyes, since I didn't know what that was about either. You picked up on the more subtle things in this poem that made your view on it in depth and well written.

    ReplyDelete
  108. Alexa Deonise
    Assignment #1
    Iron of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.

    This poem is shows the love between this man and woman. The man wakes up to his love crying in the window and is concerned. She tells him they are tears of joy watching him sleep, and that they are tears of pure happiness. He loves everything about her, the way she laughs and cries. He tells her that if the way her tears are set free from pleasure and joy, look in the “iron of his eyes” and set them free whenever she pleases.

    ReplyDelete
  109. Alexa Deonise
    Assignment #2

    Besides being assigned to read this blog and get more of an idea about this book, I would absolutely love to read the entire story. Yes Roberts may have been convicted of crimes however he has served his time and it is harmless to share his adventure. Maybe he explains the many lessons of life he learns along the way, maybe not. Nevertheless he has every right to write his story, and let his life live throughout the book forever.

    ReplyDelete
  110. Alexa Deonise
    Assignment #3

    In the first paragraph of the author’s book he automatically draws you in with the four things every single person in this world share or experience. Love, Hate, Freedom, Fate, and Forgiveness. He explains that it took him his way around the world running from the law, he says was the only time he now appreciates love and fate. As he is chained to a wall and being tortured and beaten, he explains how he chose to feel free even as he is chained down and no where to go. How he has the freedom to hate these men hurting him, or too forgive them. No one can take that freedom from you.

    ReplyDelete
  111. Alexa Deonise
    Assignment #4

    Responding to Rachel Poh #2:

    I like the way you posted about how he has the freedom to write. While he is imprisoned for all of those years, everything that has just previously happened to him are being bottled up in his mind without anywhere to put them. No one to talk to, there is no other way to be so free as you are trapped behind bars than to write whatever you please.

    ReplyDelete
  112. Rachael Poh
    first assignment

    In the poem The Iron in My Eyes, by Gregory David Roberts, This poem talks about love and happiness for one another. In the beginning the narrator is waken by his lover sobbing by the window. He assumed something was wrong, but in reality, it was just the opposite; she was overjoyed. I feel that the narrator was confusion by her crying until she explained how much she truly loves him. I think he felt her happiness and passion. I feel that, the narrator was content enough just to sit there and observing his lover. I also believe that the narrator thinks being in her presence and happiness could become contagious.



    I didn't like the one I did. This is my new answer

    ReplyDelete
  113. Tanner Flatness
    Assingment#1

    The Iron of My Eyes

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    This poem is shows the love between this man and woman. The man wakes up to his love crying in the window and is concerned. She tells him they are tears of joy watching him sleep, and that they are tears of pure happiness. He loves everything about her, the way she laughs and cries. He tells her that if the way her tears are set free from pleasure and joy, look in the “iron of his eyes” and set them free whenever she pleases.

    ReplyDelete
  114. Assingment#2

    I think that Gregory David Roberts is a very strong person. Even though he has committed many crimes and wrongdoings in his life, that is what makes him who he is today. As a reader, I believe that he and anyone else has the right to express their thoughts and emotions through literature, no matter what their past may hold. Meaning that their stories could help people and teach lesson’s to others. Many poems and stories today that teach you something are about someone’s past no matter if it was good or bad you still learn a lesson

    ReplyDelete
  115. tanner flatnes ^^^^^^^ i forgot my name

    ReplyDelete
  116. Tanner Flatness
    Assingment #3



    The point that Roberts is making is that you can beat him, you can torture him, but you can never control the way he feels. Roberts says that love, hate, and forgiveness are feelings that can't be taken away from you no matter how hard someone tries. In Roberts’ last sentence he talks about how hating or forgiving can make or break you, I agree with it because it really can change your life if you choose to do one or the other. Hating someone is easy, but forgiving them for what they have done to you is the hard part. I think that Roberts made the decision to open his heart and forgive those men for what they did instead of hating them. No one can control how you feel, only you can choose what to do.

    ReplyDelete
  117. Tanner Flatness

    Assignment #4
    I am responding to trevor
    I agree with him. It is only up to you to make the decision to forgive someone or hate someone. We look at life through the windshield not the review mirror. If your looking out the windshield then your taking it as it comes and not dwelling on what’s in the past or what’s holding you back from making a decision.

    ReplyDelete
  118. George Deligiannis


    Assignment #1
    Every person should have the write the right to publish their work no matter what it is. Every person has the right to “freedom of speech” because that should be given to every person. People should be given opportunity to write poems, stories, and any other work that is good enough to be published. The United State has given the right to every citizen a freedom of speech and I think that is very key to a person life when it comes to writing.


    Assignment #2
    The author is saying that no matter what the circumstances are in your life. You have the power and the freedom to make your decisions. He also says that he loves to be close to the one he loves. Loves the way her lips her and the way they are together. He cries the times they are most happy together. He also points out that every smile she has makes him so happy with what he has with his life. Finally in the end he goes on to say that everyone has the right to make their own decision with their life.



    Assignment #3
    The Iron of My Eyes, to me means that, there are two people madly in love, and when he wakes up and sees her crying. He fears that she might think that he might hurt her or be scared of her. But she goes to him and they get together. Freedom should also be given to every person. Love is something that is very powerful, and that is should not be taken lightly. Fate is something that I do believe in and that every decision we make with our lives happens for a reason and that it does not just happen by luck or randomness.

    Assignment #4

    Tanner made a good point on what Trevor said that we should forgive what someone might have done to us and that it should not affect us on our decisions. Also if something if given to you and you do nothing with it, you should meditate on it and see what it does for your life.

    ReplyDelete
  119. George Deligiannis
    THE IRON OF MY EYES

    Oh my beloved,
    After dreaming night when I woke
    it was a strange and worrying thing
    to find you standing
    at the morning's dawn-eyed window
    silent,
    shedding tears,
    your face like a flower
    the sky has bruised with summer rain.


    The last teardrop crossed your lips.
    You turned slowly, came into my arms
    and sensed my concern,
    but your smile and answering kiss
    laughed,
    ringing clear,
    the sound like water
    splashing in an oasis well.


    It was not suffering, you said,
    nor some fear or hurt that made you weep.
    The tears that you shed
    as you watched me sleeping came from
    happiness,
    rising sheer,
    the joy like thunder
    trembling in drought's red river bed.


    Love-struck happiness broke your heart
    you said,
    with such sweet pleasure in the breaking
    that your very smile,
    radiant with soul-fired changes
    transformed,
    jewelling tears,
    your light like sunrise
    gleaming the dew-diamond desert.


    It is a mystery to me
    how this joy with tearful heartbreak sits,
    but if pleasure set your tears free
    then break your heart against the iron of my eyes,
    woman,
    and break it there again,
    and again,
    as often as you like.
    I will pick up all the shattered pieces
    one by one,
    and press them to my lips,
    to seal each precious fragment
    with adoration's kiss.

    ReplyDelete
  120. Connor Jennings
    Assignment #1

    The Walls of Night

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I wake
    your kisses
    drench my dry lips
    but I am lost,
    and alone,
    and midnight
    has pressed her palms of stars
    against the walls of night.

    My heart is torn up with love.
    I hear
    your clear voice
    in the waters
    of the deep well
    and I drink
    until drunk,
    sweet whispers, your laughter,
    as restless as the wind.

    As a sudden storm
    wrenches the leaves from winter trees,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a leopard's cry
    shatters the silences of night,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    As a falling hawk
    closes its claws upon the hare,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    Every star in the sky
    is another grain of salt in my eyes.

    Every hour that passes
    is another twist of the spear in my chest

    My mind is screaming for you,
    my body trembles
    like the strings of a lute,
    and as midnight
    presses her palms
    of aching stars
    against the walls of night,
    another night without you,
    my heart is torn up with love.

    It sounds to me like this guy is in love and is being heart broken by his lover. He is reminiscing on his memories of them together and all the things that made him love her so much. He is describing how love hurts. Yet he is so in love he can't help but be with her.

    Assignment #2

    I personally believe that an incarcerated person definately has the liberty to write poetry and make it public. Just because they made mistakes in their past doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to express themselves once they have changed and been through all their troubles. The author is reflecting his pain and hurt and love in his poetry and he is good at it. If it is enjoyable for people to read, then he abolutely has no problem being a professional poet.

    Assignment #3

    Robert's theory of being free is abolutely correct. Any person who read this paragraph would have hope. It shows that you can still make decisions that can change everything even when there is nothing left to hold on to or to hope for. In other words it is telling people to strive for what is best and never give up. The choices we make are free to be made and this explains exactly how some make it and how some break it in the world today.

    Assignment #4

    This is to Rachael Poh's response. I agree with her when she says writing takes you away into a whole new world where you can be someone else and where you are not trapped behind bars. In a sense you can be free when writing, because usually what you’re writing about makes you feel good or frees your mind. Sometimes, writing is the only thing that keeps people sane in prison. Expressing your thoughts can help you relax and deal with a terrible situation in a bit of an easier way. I also think writing is a great way to escape such awful conditions.

    ReplyDelete
  121. Casey Statler
    Assignment 1 Iron of my eyes
    Its early morning when the boyfriend/husband wakes up to find his girlfriend/wife standing in the window crying. She turns to her lover and explains that she is shedding tears of happiness, he turned to her and kissed her. She was crying cause she had realized she was in love with him she was not sad or anything. She is so happy cause she fell in love with this guy. Her lover says if your so in love with me then cry and let your feelings out ad remember this feeling forever and ever. This poem shows the love for this relationship.

    ReplyDelete
  122. Casey Statler
    Assignment 2
    I believe anyone can write about there life I mean this guy did so many cool things like, he commited robberies with a toy pistol thats pretty funny. He was also imprisoned in several places which I am sure many people would like to hear about it. I would personally like to hear about being imprisoned in India for four months like what were the living conditions like. It's really awesome how he escaped from New Zealand twice not sure what he did there but i bet it was crazy. He was recruited by bombay mafia and framed in a currency crime and gold smuggling.

    ReplyDelete
  123. Casey Statler
    Assignment 3
    I think true freedom is when you can wake up and just relax and you dont have a worry in the world. I think fate is definately real to a point cause you do shape your destiny. Now in this guys case it took him getting shackled for him to see his life in perspective but I know whats important and it's living with the least amount of stress and worry as possible. Now the choice between hating and forgiving is difficult cause its easy to hate but hard to forgive.

    ReplyDelete
  124. Casey Statler
    Assignment 4
    Response to jimmy adamec second assingment. I totally agree with what he says here cause depending on where you are restricts what you can or cant say.

    ReplyDelete