Casabianca

· Burning deck

· A creature of heroic blood

· A proud, though childlike form

· Chieftain

There are many symbols and images used in Felicia Dorothea Heman’s Casabianca. The child is certainly a main symbol in the poem. He is a “creature of heroic blood” (7) who is “proud, though childlike (in) form” (7). He is seen as “born to rule the storm” (6), giving off the feeling of a ruler at sea. This boy was a master of the sea and had it in the palm of his hand. Although this is true, the boy only got to this point with the help of his father. This is shown when “he would not go without his father’s word” (6-7). The ship is burning and if he does not leave he will surely die, yet he stays on because his father does not say otherwise. It seems like Heman is pointing out that hubris leads to downfall. The child is proud of himself and what he has accomplished, but is too proud to leave a ship that is about to sink. However, it can be the pride in himself, but it can also be the pride the child has in his father and his choices. The father tends to make the choices for the child and nothing but greatness has followed the son because of it. If the child does not listen now, his greatness could leave him in an instant. So throughout the poem, the child waits for an answer that will not come which leads to his death.

The ship is the boy’s life. He is the master of it because it is his life. The father is there as a helping hand that guides the boy through his life as a parent does. The ship catches fire which could symbolize a life changing problem the boy has run into. The boy naturally turns to his father as he has for his whole life. However, the father is unconscious, which may symbolize an illness or something of that nature, and cannot help the boy. The boy who has listened to his parents his whole life must now make decisions of his own, but cannot muster the courage to take action. He asks his father for answers that will never come. Because the child does not take action, he dies a horrible death which can symbolize the death of his future.

"music and love?"

When looking at the space for the title of my blog, I contemplated what would best describe myself and my blog. So I chose two very influential but somewhat new subjects in my life. Music is a language in itself and I have been studying it for most of my life. I still do not understand every aspect of it, and my view is also narrow. I have experimented with other genres and styles, but I tend to lean towards the type of music that I enjoy listening to as everyone most likely does. In the future, I would like to be able to open myself to other types of music and be able to enjoy them as much as I enjoy R&B or the other types of music I enjoy.

Now on to love. In my life, I do not believe that I have experienced love. I am currently in a relationship, but since I do not know what love is like I do not know if I love my girlfriend. I know for sure that i like her a lot, but love is still new to me. I have asked countless people what it feels like to love, and the answer have varied to pages and pages of information to being unexplainable.

I hope that I can learn more about them as the year goes on.