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Robert Hass' mild lament in "The Problem of Describing Trees" is direct and simple. He is writing poetry on how difficult it is to write about trees, and his argument would appear to be that the actions of a tree supersede the English language and possibly any language. He emphasizes that certain slices of nature are above description. Though people are tempted to write about trees and other aspects of nature, they probably shouldn't, because it is not possible to do so with entire success. The rather quirky tone of the piece is established by the fact that there is a poet proclaiming that his occupation and presumed life's focus is rendered nearly useless by the fundamental simplicity of a tree.

Hass could be addressing two different audiences here. I initially believed he was speaking to the tree, since italics and a separate line would seem to indicate a sense of detachment from the rest of the piece, and that he was really mocking the way many writers and poets try to talk about nature. It did not occur to me that the author could be invoking the reader into a dance, emphasizing his earlier claim that "it is good sometimes for poetry to disenchant us." I suppose that is poetry in the hands of a talented poet-confusing and enlightening readers by tossing up multiple concepts, like a menu with too many choices on it.

Four Letter Word

My four letter word is "fall" because I believe it has many different connotations that can highlight both fantastic and terrible things. I am fascinated by this word because something must be somewhere to fall.

Notecard

Bolton makes an insightful point in Writing Space when he highlights a critical and often overlooked aspect of media-the creator's focus on providing as clear a subject as possible or the opposing side, which tries to make the form of media the true subject of the text. I see this most vividly on television, where blustery political analysts (who shall remain unnamed) magnetize the viewer's focus on themselves. It is interesting that our main media outlet is driven by a ceaseless attempt to sneak across opinions. Now instead of clear points being objectively presented to the audience, there is an unknowing inundation into the presentation itself. This sort of detraction is not necessarily a good thing. If the audience puts their view mainly on the politician, the audience will often forget about the points being made. In reality the points made are the most important part. It is all about the political image.

Coney Island of the Mind

The video on Coney Island of the Mind is very well written. I enjoyed the placement of a decaying obsolete land that arose to stimulate the imagination, and the emphasis on realism laid side to side. The reader's voice actually detracted from the piece a little bit because of the extremely heavy accent, which bordered on parody. He was a very good reader, but unfortunately nearly too native to be taken with full seriousness. The total presentation of the piece was very strong and the writer did an excellent job of employing a variety of stupendous verbs. Sometimes I felt like the language became slightly too sentimental and overdone but for the vast majority of the piece I appreciated the writing.

Another group prezi

This group is claiming that digital text does a better job than tangible text. Their argument is very persuasive and they do a great job of presenting their argument in the form of persuasive digital text, making the argument all the stronger.

Derrida on Writing

Jacques Derrida says he is sometimes afraid to write. I do my best to never be afraid of my writing. I will always try to do my best to convey my point, no matter how the audience may receive my work. If I am intimidated by a reader's reaction my writing will falter. Confidence is the key to strong writing, and I certainly attempt to remain confident.

Visual vs. Writing

Visual images can be as effective as writing, but it is very, very difficult to explain anything in as much detail when you are using a lone image or even a group of images. I will concede that images can occasionally be more emotional and powerful than an essay, but on the whole an essay is substantially more useful.

Our Prezi

http://prezi.com/fqaln2v3vswr/evolution-of-the-writing-machine/

Boy and Girl Terms

Guy-Dude, lad, bro, brother, man, bloke, gent, gentleman, fellow, male, amigo, chum, friend, buddy, chap, dude, chief.

Girl-Gal, lass, sis, sister, female, lady, damsel, chick, dame, broad, miss, doll.