Literature

In this presentation I am first of all going to read to you the text I have written for a picture book story. After I have read this story to you, I am going to talk about how I would divide the text among the pages, and then I am going to describe the illustrations I would like for each page of the book. The story is called, The Superhero Twirly Twins and it is written for children aged from about 3 to 6 years old.
The Superhero Twirly Twins
The twins, Tim and Jim Twirl, were in the gardenand both of them were sitting really, really, still
Tim was kneeling next to the pond, staring at a frog in front of him, and Jim was crouched near some bushes, watching a spider spinning a large web. 
They werent moving a muscle They werent blinking an eyelid And they were breathing so, so, quietly
TIM JIM yelled Mum from the kitchen. Come along now Were going to make a quick visit to see Aunt Crinklenose
Oh no, groaned Tim and Jim. Somehow the thought of visiting their auntie made them suddenly feel twitchy and jittery, and very, very, fidgety.
The frog hopped away and the spider scuttled into the bushes as Mum came stomping into the garden.
And please try to sit still today, Twirly Twins, pleaded Mrs. Twirl. You know how Aunt Crinklenose doesnt like any noise or mess in her house. And remember your manners - no slurping or chomping noises either, added Mrs. Twirl.
Oh no, groaned Tim and Jim. 
Aunt Crinklenose was very surprised to see them. Oh dearie me she cried in horror, as she opened the door.  
Quickly, she forced herself to smile. How lovely to see you she simpered. Do come in
Aunt Crinklenose served tea and cakes on flowery cups and plates.
Nice tea, said Tim, slurping from his cup.
Nime case, spluttered Jim, chomping through mouthfuls of cake. 
Mum and Aunt Crinklenose sat on the edge of their chairs, and talked, and talked, and talked about how delicious the cakes wereand what pretty cups and plates And didnt the garden look lovely And what big, juicy apples And the weather has been so nice for the time of year
The Twirly Twins wriggled and yawned and stretched and sighed
Do you have any frogs in your garden said Tim suddenly, leaping up from his chair with excitement.
Or spiders cried Jim, springing up next to him. Big, fat, giant tarantulas
Oh, you must be very interested in nature said Aunt Crinklenose, with a sweet smile.
We just like creeping up on things and watching them, said Tim.
Sometimes we chase them and catch them said Jim.
Aunt Crinklenose shuddered and wrinkled up her nose.
But we are always very gentle with them, we dont harm them, and we always let them go, added Jim, with great sincerity.
But Aunt Crinklenose shuddered even more and went into the kitchen to get more tea.
Please try to sit still, hissed Mrs. Twirl.  We wont be here very long - just for a few minutes. Imagine that your chairs are covered in glue and that your bottoms are stuck to the chairs
Okay, Mum, said the boys, cheerfully.
And if youre really good today, continued Mrs. Twirl,  Ill get you a
Frog suggested Tim, his eyes wide.
Tarantula suggested Jim, his eyes even wider.
Suddenly a terrible scream came from the kitchen 
Mrs. Twirl ran out to find Aunt Crinklenose standing on a chair, shaking and pointing at the floor.
 M-m-m-mouse stammered Aunt Crinklenose.
A very frightened little gray mouse was crouched, trembling, under the chair.
Poor little thing, said Mrs. Twirl.  Tim Jim Come and catch this mouse
Yes Please catch it Youre very good at catching things shrieked Aunt Crinklenose.
She was twirling round on the chair so fast, and shrieking so much, that Mrs. Twirl thought she would fall off at any moment.
But mum, the chairs covered in glue said Tim, with a wide grin on his face.
Covered in glue shrieked Aunt Crinklenose.
Come and help Aunt Crinklenose shouted Mrs. Twirl angrily to the two boys.
But mum, we cant, our bottoms are stuck to the chair grinned Jim.
Stuck to the chair screeched Aunt Crinklenose, even louder this time.
COME HERE AT ONCE bellowed Mrs. Twirl.
Suddenly the little mouse could no longer bear any more of this dreadful noise and scampered into the lounge.
Mouse cried Tim and Jim, jumping up.
On seeing the two boys, the mouse stopped very still and stared at them for a moment, as if wondering what to do.  Suddenly she smiled, winked, did a little twirl and beckoned to Tim and Jim, as if to say Catch me if you can
Game on cried Tim.
Twirly Twins to the rescue cried Jim.
Oh no, groaned Mrs. Twirl, as the chase began.

When Tim finally managed to scoop up the little mouse and hold her safe and secure in his hands, Aunt Crinklenose shrieked Hooray and clapped her hands wildly. She was so glad they had caught the mouse that she had forgotten about the mess, and gave her nephews big hugs and sloppy kisses.
Mum, can we keep the mouse pleaded Tim, wiping lipstick off his face with his sleeve.
PLEEEASE whined Jim, also wiping his face with his sleeve.
Mrs. Twirl was so glad that Aunt Crinklenose had stopped screaming, that she agreed to let them keep the mouse. The Twirly Twins gave their mum big hugs and sloppy kisses and promised her they would sit still on the journey home.
Tim placed the mouse carefully in his top pocket. The mouse was so glad to be leaving Aunt Crinklenoses house that she blew Mum a kiss, as if to say 
Hooray for the superhero Twirly Twins
And as they sat happily together, in the back of the car, Tim and Jim and the little gray mouse were all superheroes on the journey home.

I am now going to tell you how I would divide the text among the pages of the book.
 A standard childrens picture book is 32 pages long, with the first few pages being the title page, copyright page, etc. The story itself usually starts at about page 5. So in my picture book I am beginning the actual text of the story on page 5. Then I am going to divide the text evenly between pages 5 and 32, and I will describe the illustrations for these pages. I would like some of the illustrations to be single pages, and some to be double spread illustrations.
The Superhero Twirly Twins
The twins, Tim and Jim Twirl, were in the gardenand both of them were sitting really, really, still
Tim was kneeling next to the pond, staring at a frog in front of him, and Jim was crouched near some bushes, watching a spider spinning a large web. 
They werent moving a muscle They werent blinking an eyelid And they were breathing so, so, quietly
This text is on Page 5. It is the beginning of the story with the illustration next to it on Page 6.
The illustration shows the Twirly Twins in their garden, with Tom kneeling by the pond, watching a little frog, and Jim crouched near to a bush watching a spider spinning a web. The twins pet cat sits next to Jim and is crouched in a similar position to him, and is also watching the spider. The boys are aged about 4 or 5 years old. It is the season of fall and the colors of the leaves and berries on plants shows that it is this season. It is a warm, sunny day. The garden is full of different sorts of bushes and plants, and it is quite messy, as there are toys, bikes, etc scattered over the lawn. There is a large old apple tree with a makeshift swing hanging from the branches. There are some apples on the tree. The illustration should clearly show the expression on the faces of the two boys, showing them to be fully concentrating on their observations of the frog and the spider. The house is in the background of the picture  and Mum can be seen in the house, taking some apples from a box and putting them into a basket with a ribbon on the handle.   

TIM JIM yelled Mum from the kitchen. Come along now Were going to make a quick visit to see Aunt Crinklenose
Oh no, groaned Tim and Jim. Somehow the thought of visiting their auntie made them suddenly feel twitchy and jittery, and very, very, fidgety.
This text is on Page 7. The illustration, also on Page 7, shows Mum has opened the window and is calling to the two boys. It is the garden as before. The boys heads are now turned to look at Mrs. Twirl, so the reader can only see the back of their heads. The illustration could also suggest that the cat and the frog have heard Mums shout and have turned their heads to look, and the spider has also been startled by the shout.  


The frog hopped away and the spider scuttled into the bushes as Mum came stomping into the garden.
And please try to sit still today, Twirly Twins, pleaded Mrs. Twirl. You know how Aunt Crinklenose doesnt like any noise or mess in her house. And remember your manners - no slurping or chomping noises either, added Mrs. Twirl.
Oh no, groaned Tim and Jim.
This text is on Page 8. The illustration is also on Page 8 and shows the frog leaping away and the spider running away, as Mum can be seen marching down the garden path to take the boys into the house. The cat is also speeding away in panic. The expression on the boys faces shows they are not pleased. They may have their arms folded and they are looking down at the ground, feeling very sorry for themselves. 
Aunt Crinklenose was very surprised to see them. Oh dearie me she cried in horror, as she opened the door.  
Quickly, she forced herself to smile. How lovely to see you she simpered. Do come in
This text is on Page 9, and the illustration is a double page spread on pages 9 and 10. It shows a beautiful garden, with neatly trimmed hedges and perfectly kept flower beds, etc. Tim and Jim have their backs to the reader, and are holding the basket of apples between them, and the picture shows that they are looking up at Aunt Crinklenoses face. Mum stands behind them, slightly to the side, also looking at Aunt Crinklenose, who looms large in her doorway, with her large nose crinkled into an expression of utter disgusthorror on her face. She is a large lady wearing a flowery dress and apron, and slippers. Her graying hair is tied into a neat bun, and she has silver spectacles.
 
Aunt Crinklenose served tea and cakes on flowery cups and plates.
Nice tea, said Tim, slurping from his cup.
Nime case, spluttered Jim, chomping through mouthfuls of cake.
This text is on Page 11, and the illustration, also on Page 11, shows a neat and old-fashioned living room, with flowery curtains, flowery patterned chairs, lots of vases of flowers, with everything very neatly arranged in the room. Aunt Crinklenose is carefully pouring tea for Mum, who sits on a chair. Tim and Jim have sat themselves on the floor, and as Tim slurps his tea, little drops of it splatter onto the cream colored carpet, while Jim is taking a large bite of cake, and the cake crumbs are spraying over the carpet too. There is a little mouse that nobody has seen, positioned behind one of the armchairs, nibbling on the cake crumbs dropped by Tim and Jim.


Mum and Aunt Crinklenose sat on the edge of their chairs, and talked, and talked, and talked about how delicious the cakes wereand what pretty cups and plates And didnt the garden look lovely And what big, juicy apples And the weather has been so nice for the time of year
The Twirly Twins wriggled and yawned and stretched and sighed
This text and illustration is on Page 12. It shows the same living room, with Mum and Aunt Crinklenose perched on the edge of their chairs, holding their tea and smiling sweetly at each other. The boys have the same dazed, bored, fed-up expressions on their faces. Tim is laying on the floor, on his front, up on his elbows with his chin supported by his hands, while Jim sits sprawled out in an armchair, his arms and legs outstretched, his head back. The mouse has picked up a larger piece of cake that has been dropped and is creeping towards the kitchen with the cake, unseen by everyone.


Do you have any frogs in your garden said Tim suddenly, leaping up from his chair with excitement.
Or spiders cried Jim, springing up next to him. Big, fat, giant tarantulas
Oh, you must be very interested in nature said Aunt Crinklenose, with a sweet smile.
We just like creeping up on things and watching them, said Tim.
Sometimes we chase them and catch them said Jim.
Aunt Crinklenose shuddered and wrinkled up her nose.
But we are always very gentle with them, we dont harm them, and we always let them go, added Jim, with great sincerity.
But Aunt Crinklenose shuddered even more and went into the kitchen to get more tea.
This text is on Pages 13 and 14, with the illustration as a double page spread. It shows the two boys standing next to each other, with happy, excited expressions on their faces. Jim is explaining to Aunt Crinklenose. They have very honest, open expressions as they look up at Aunt Crinklenose, who towers over them, crinkling up her nose, with a look of great displeasure on her face. The mouse cannot be seen in this illustration.



Please try to sit still, hissed Mrs. Twirl.  We wont be here very long - just for a few minutes. Imagine that your chairs are covered in glue and that your bottoms are stuck to the chairs
Okay, Mum, said the boys, cheerfully.
And if youre really good today, continued Mrs. Twirl,  Ill get you a
Frog suggested Tim, his eyes wide.
Tarantula suggested Jim, his eyes even wider.
This text is on Page 15. The illustration is a double page spread, Pages 15 and 16, and shows Mrs. Twirl looking quite serious as she talks to the two boys. It is still in the living room. She is sitting down and they are standing up next to each other, looking at each other with happy, excited expressions on their faces, and wide eyes, in contrast to Mrs. Twirls serious expression. 


Suddenly a terrible scream came from the kitchen
This text is on Page 16.

Mrs. Twirl ran out to find Aunt Crinklenose standing on a chair, shaking and pointing at the floor.
 M-m-m-mouse stammered Aunt Crinklenose.
A very frightened little gray mouse was crouched, trembling, under the chair.
Poor little thing, said Mrs. Twirl.  Tim Jim Come and catch this mouse
Yes Please catch it Youre very good at catching things shrieked Aunt Crinklenose.
She was twirling round on the chair so fast, and shrieking so much, that Mrs. Twirl thought she would fall off at any moment.
This text is on Page 17. The illustration is a double page spread, over Pages 17 and 18.
It shows Aunt Crinklenose up on the kitchen chair with the teapot in her hand spilling drops of tea from it, as she stands shrieking. She has an expression of absolute fear. Mrs. Twirl looks up at her with a very worried expression. The mouse is crouched with her little hands covering her eyes, as if she doesnt want to see Aunt Crinklenose fall off the chair.
But mum, the chairs covered in glue said Tim, with a wide grin on his face.
Covered in glue shrieked Aunt Crinklenose.
Come and help Aunt Crinklenose shouted Mrs. Twirl angrily to the two boys.
But mum, we cant, our bottoms are stuck to the chair grinned Jim.
Stuck to the chair screeched Aunt Crinklenose, even louder this time.
COME HERE AT ONCE bellowed Mrs. Twirl.
This text is spread over Pages 19 and 20 with the illustration as a double page spread over Pages 19 and 20 also. It shows the scene as before, of Mrs. Twirl and Aunt Crinklenose, but in the background, and this time Mrs. Twirl is looking extremely angry as she shouts to the boys. Aunt Crinklenose has her mouth open, screaming, and the little mouse has her hands covering her ears this time. In the foreground, the boys are sprawled on the armchairs, with big, mischievous grins on their faces, as they pretend to be stuck to the chairs.
Suddenly the little mouse could no longer bear any more of this dreadful noise and scampered into the lounge.
Mouse cried Tim and Jim, jumping up.
This text is on Page 21. The illustration is on Page 22. It shows Tim and Jim jumping up in surprise at the mouse as she runs into the room.

On seeing the two boys, the mouse stopped very still and stared at them for a moment, as if wondering what to do.  Suddenly she smiled, winked, did a little twirl and beckoned to Tim and Jim, as if to say Catch me if you can
Game on cried Tim.
Twirly Twins to the rescue cried Jim.
Oh no, groaned Mrs. Twirl, as the chase began.
This text is on Page 23 with the illustration on Page 24. The mouse winks and beckons to the twins to chase her as the twins look on with expressions of happy surprise. The reader can still see part of Aunt Crinklenose in the kitchen, still standing on the chair, while Mrs. Twirl peers round the door into the living room, with an anxious expression on her face.

Pages 24 and 25 do not have any text on them. They are a double spread illustration of the chase  showing Tim and Jim chasing the mouse through Aunt Crinklenoses living room. This is a scene of absolute chaos - vases of flowers tipped over, pictures no longer straight on the walls, curtains half-hanging down, as the twins chase the mouse and try to catch her. The reader cannot see Mum or Aunt Crinklenose in these pages, it is only the chase that can be seen. The mouse has climbed up the curtain and is perched on the curtain rail, waving gleefully at Tim, who stands up on tiptoes on the table trying to reach her. Jim is illustrated as having slipped on the rug beneath him and is in mid-air about to fall to the floor.
When Tim finally managed to scoop up the little mouse and hold her safe and secure in his hands, Aunt Crinklenose shrieked Hooray and clapped her hands wildly. She was so glad they had caught the mouse that she had forgotten about the mess, and gave her nephews big hugs and sloppy kisses.
This text is on Page 26. The illustration is on Page 27. It shows Aunt Crinklenose looking very happy, and giving Tim a big lipsticky kiss on each cheek. It is now Tims turn to look disgusted and horrified. Jim looks on in disgust and horror too, while Mum stands smiling sweetly at the two boys.

Mum, can we keep the mouse pleaded Tim, wiping lipstick off his face with his sleeve.
PLEEEASE whined Jim, also wiping his face with his sleeve.
Mrs. Twirl was so glad that Aunt Crinklenose had stopped screaming, that she agreed to let them keep the mouse. The Twirly Twins gave their mum big hugs and sloppy kisses and promised her they would sit still on the journey home.
This text is on Page 28 and the illustration is on Page 29. The illustration shows Mum bending down to hug the twins, who are overjoyed to have the mouse as their pet, as shown by their gleeful expressions. The little mouse is on Tims shoulder with her hands held in the air as if cheering.

Tim placed the mouse carefully in his top pocket. The mouse was so glad to be leaving Aunt Crinklenoses house that she blew Mum a kiss, as if to say 
Hooray for the superhero Twirly Twins
The text is on Page 30 and the illustration is on Page 31. It shows Tim standing on his own looking very happy, with the mouse in his top pocket. She is looking out and blowing a little kiss, so it looks as if she is blowing a kiss towards the reader.
And as they sat happily together, in the back of the car, Tim and Jim and the little gray mouse were all superheroes on the journey home.
This text and the illustration are on Page 32. It shows the two boys with their seat belts fastened, on the back seat of the car.  The mouse is sitting, propped up on some cushions between them. She also has a little seat belt. The boys are holding a book between them so that the mouse can see it, and they are reading the story to her. They are all laughing at the illustrations in the story. The title of the book they are holding is Tom and Jerry.

In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet is shocked to hear from his fathers ghost that it was Claudius who actually murdered his father by pouring poison into his ear, when he was fast asleep in the garden. Although Hamlet sets his mind on revenging his fathers death, he delays taking revenge on Claudius for he wants to confirm that Claudius was the actual murderer. This attitude of Hamlet brings forth his indecision to act on his decisions.

    When Hamlet hears from his fathers ghost that he was killed by his brother, he was skeptical and was double minded whether to believe it or not. But realizing the gravity of the charge, he seeks to find the truth behind the death.  He decides to act insanely, without hesitance so he could make the culprits spills the beans.

    Once Hamlet is assured that Claudius is the murderer of his father, he goes to Claudius room to kill him. But he stops when he realizes that Claudius has been praying. He decides not to kill him because he thinks that if Claudius is killed during prayers, Claudius would be absolved of all his sins. A villain kills my father, and for that  I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven...And that his soul may be as damned and black  As hell whereto it goes (Shakespeare 281).

    Hamlets delay in killing Claudius shows that Hamlet lacks the courage to act on his decisions. He wavers in his decision to avenge his fathers death even though it is his father who had told him about his murder.

    Hamlet discovers the truth that his father was murdered by Claudius owing to the revelation of his fathers ghost. Even though Hamlet decides to avenge his fathers death, he delays in acting upon his decision for he wants to ascertain that Claudius was the real murderer. His delay points out towards his indecisiveness.

Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a man who, after cursing that he would give up his soul, has maintained his youth and great beauty for years while his portrait grows old and becomes ugly. The story explores how Dorian Gray lived a life of vanity and selfishness. One of the major themes of the story is about the significance of youth and beauty and how these two traits had dictated the course of the story by being the utmost temptations of Gray to live a life of sin.

    The ugliness of too much devotion and addiction to youth and beauty was introduced to Gray through the characters of Sir Henry Wotton and the artist of the portrait, Basil Hallward. The former deliberately influenced Gray to degradation while the latter unconsciously awakened Grays vanity. Wotton was the main influencer who exposed Gray to the reality that he is someone blessed to  have the most marvelous youth, and youth is one thing worth having , but it is a trait that could not own forever (Gray 38). Wotton was able to persuade Gray to believe that youth is the most valuable thing in the world and  when your youth goes, your beauty will go with it, and then you will suddenly discover that there are no triumphs that the memory of your past will make more bitter than defeats  (Gray 39). Wotton successfully polluted Grays moral and ethical beliefs and this marked his transformation.

    The story continued with a transformed Gray who became absorbed with senseless aesthetic value and shallow devotion to youth. As the story comes to an end, the significance of youth and beauty was still highlighted by the author. Gray lived a life full of heinous evilness. He realized that it was the addiction to youth and beauty that ruined and deluded him to live evilly. When Gray tried to stab his portrait, after he felt that he was being consumed with remorse and guilt, the consequence of his sinful life backfired on him as the painting became beautiful again and Gray turned into his aged and ugly reality.

    Religion plays an important role in the lives of human beings. Since ancient times religion has defined the values and ethics of different human societies. Religion has been depicted in the numerous works of fiction since ages. Different writers provide different perspectives about religion in their works. One such ancient work which deals with religion is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales consists of a compilation of short stories. These stories are told by pilgrims who are on their way to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. Each pilgrim tells a story and this story reflects the thinking and religious beliefs of the storyteller. Through his tales in his work, Chaucer has provided different perspectives about religion and depicted the theme that an individual harbors thoughts about sins and virtues according to the teachings of his religion.

Religion
    The short stories in The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer depict a variety of themes, as pilgrims narrate tales according to their likings. But religion was a major theme whose influence was visible in the stories. As the pilgrims followed different religions, their stories reflected their religious beliefs. The tale narrated by Miller, one of the pilgrims, brings forth his Christian beliefs. The setting in the tale was associated with Christian teachings. The tale focused on the evocation of Noahs Ark. The tales centered on the aims of the pilgrims. They wished to seek salvation through their religious practices. Each pilgrim had his own set of thinking about sin and virtue. The tales were an important source through which the pilgrims conveyed their social positions and their thoughts about religion. 
    The pilgrimage itself was a journey which aimed at achieving spirituality and salvation.  All the pilgrims led their lives fearing God but each interpreted the teachings of his religion in
different way. The tales seem like a religious discourse, through which the pilgrims are presenting different perspectives about religious beliefs. Many religions were still evolving at the time when Chaucer wrote these tales. So the pilgrims represent different religious sects and present the beliefs taught by their sect.
    The tales reveal pilgrims thinking about what behavior is considered as sinful and what actions are regarded as virtuous. Chaucer  (1855) writes A good man ther was of religioun That was poure persone of a town, But riche he was of holy thoughts and work. (pg.17). The teachings of the Church are also presented in the tales. The pilgrim depicts these teachings in accordance to his own thoughts and beliefs.  Even the notion of salvation is understood differently by each pilgrim. Even Chaucer himself, presents his religious thoughts through the tales of the pilgrims. He considers the teachings in the Bible as the ultimate truth. When he is referring to the Bible, he takes utmost care to ensure that he copies the teachings depicted in the Bible accurately.

Conclusion
Religion is a dominant theme in The Canterbury Tales, as the pilgrims are representing different views about religion, sin, virtue and salvation. The role of religion in the human society and the significance attached to the religious beliefs are emphasized in the tales. All the pilgrims have their own views about sin, virtue and salvation. Each pilgrim seeks to achieve salvation but the way adopted by him is different. The teachings of the Church are depicted in the tales by the pilgrims. The thoughts of human beings regarding sin and virtue are influenced by his religious teaching, and the tales of the pilgrims reinforce this notion.

Looking into Virginia Woolfe s  Mrs. Dalloway  and Li-Young Lee s  The City In Which I Love You , readers can find the components of love and identity crossing , intersecting, and interacting with one another. The main characters focused upon are both, seemingly, reflecting upon a loved one (or loved ones) and pondering on the relationship with that loved one.

    In Mrs. Dalloway, though the novel does not go and discuss Clarissa Dalloway s relationships straightforwardly, the main character s reflections and pondering on how her life has gone and how her relationship with those persons has developed her, her stream-of-consciousness thinking provide readers with enough material to consider on their own. And although Clarissa does not go and deliberately review her relationships with the various persons that mean something to her, the reader is able to do this for her and eventually see how these relationships define her as a person and also how she is able to subconsciously define her relationship with these people. The novel is then able to present the differing aspects and levels of love present in Mrs. Dalloway s life. In a way, Mrs. Dalloway seems to be presenting readers with contrasts among different loves and giving distinctions that somehow explain how and why these loves are different and why they make her feel the way she does.

While readers do get to see these distinctions, it is important to note, however, that Mrs. Dalloway does not make the distinctions deliberately she merely slowly reveals these facts through her recollections and through her musings. It is as if she does not know that these levels of love exist within her and it is also as though she is able to reconcile them with one another so as to avoid any internal struggles that might tear her affections apart.

    Lee s poem  The City In Which I Love You , on the other hand also tackles love but in a more direct specific way. Although, this poem, too, works on recollections of love, the persona in the poem now discusses a singular love that is being remembered. The poem does not embed the memory of the loved one with other recollections as was done in  Mrs. Dalloway , instead it associates other memories with the memory of this loved one. Now, although, Lee does go on and put the search for the loved in the center of the poem, he also uses it as a springboard to bring up other memories, other images that the poem s persona has attached to the search for this loved which is unlike the method used in  Mrs. Dalloway .

    Going on to discuss how  Mrs. Dalloway  by Virginia Woolf was able to present to its readers different aspects and differing levels of love, one must first sift and go through how each  loved one  was presented in Clarissa s recollections. Depending on how Clarissa presented that character in her musings, one would be able judge just how much that person meant to her. And it is exactly through these musings that readers would be able to go and see the aspects of love being discussed. For example, the relationship that Clarissa Dalloway has with the people who go to her party   as with the contrast between her relationship with her husband Richard and with the relationship she shared with her old friend Sally Seton is a good place to start to look for those aspects. The two relationships mentioned above, through Clarissa s recollections and thoughts, provide us something of a calm, reflection on how love exists in the relationships. Readers, through the insights given by Clarissa s musings, can also see how the contrast between these two types of love are able to give Clarissa distinctly different feelings.

    If a reader would want to see a more passionate, perhaps, more powerful exhibit of love, a reader could choose to focus Clarissa s recollection of her relationship with Sally Seton and how it had made her feel. Even if her feelings are based on memories from their younger years, the things that Clarissa feels just from these recollections are still power and are still very vivid. These shows and proves just how strong the love she had for Sally was. It is proof that it was more than just  a phase  or a product of adolescence. For example, when describing the kiss that they shared, Clarissa says
then came the most exquisite moment of her whole life ( ). Sally stopped picked a flower kissed her on the lips. The whole world might have turned upside down The others disappeared there she was alone with Sally. And she felt that she had been given a present, wrapped up, and told just to keep it, not to look at it--a diamond, something infinitely precious, wrapped up.  (Woolfe)

This excerpt is quite a departure from the earlier parts of the novel where Clarissa presented her musing in a less emotional language. The previous sections of the novel, even when they discussed people who are supposed to be the center of Clarissa s life   like her husband and daughter   did not produce such powerful statements. For example, whenever she d discuss her husband, she would only discuss him in a matter-of-fact manner such as she says  much rather would she have been one of those people like Richard who did things for themselves  (Woolfe) or when she says  no vulgar jealousy could separate her from Richard  (Woolfe). There seems to be a glaring lack of any strong outburst of emotion for Richard, her husband. But later on, when Clarissa meets Sally again, one can still find evidences of the great love that Clarissa keeps because when they met again after a long time Clarissa goes  It was Sally Seton Sally Seton after all these years  (Woolfe), again showing and proving just how much Sally Seton meant to Clarissa. Now, perhaps, this would be the relationship that could draw a parallel to the relationship that the persona in Li-Young Lee s  The City In Which I Love You  had with the missing beloved because, as will be shown later on, clearly there was great love in the persona s words.

But before going on to that poem, one must first mark the difference between the level of  Clarissa s regard for her relationship to her husband Richard and for her regard for the relationship she had with Sally Seton. Clarissa and Richard Dalloway may not exactly have the epitome of a perfect marriage with regard to the more romantic notions of marriage   where romantic, passionate love is an essential part. But it does seem that her marriage to Richard Dalloway is a marriage made out of good, proper, practical reasoning rather than some great, overwhelming love. However, readers should not take it as though the relationship had not been with its own special brand of affection and timid love because the couple seems to be able to regard each other warmly and with affection. The relationship might not have had the quality to it that possesses passion enough to make them, in modern words,  crazy about each other  but it was still enough to keep them together and it was also enough to bring them together to have a daughter. But one example of a passage that is at once reassuring of her regard for her husband and at the same time alarming because it shows exactly her regard for her husband is in one instance when Clarissa thinks of Richard where she thinks of him with gratitude a strange sort of gratitude  must one repay in daily life to servants, yes, to dogs and canaries, above all to Richard her husband, who was the foundation of it  (Woolfe). In this excerpt alone, one can already see how her regard for her husband, Richard, though full of thankfulness and fondness, is not all together what one would think of as what should be for a husband. Clarissa, maybe subconsciously, acknowledges that she does not esteem him too highly, merely putting him in the same general grouping as servants and pets. Richard, for his part though, may also feel that he does love Clarissa, and it may be the truth, but then again, it not that sort of love that inspires that great emotion either because he himself is unable to declare his love to her as when he debates with himself as to whether or not he could tell her again that he loved her because  the time comes when it cant be said ones too shy to say it  (Woolfe) or so he believed. But Richard Dalloway was almost there anyway, almost to the point wherein he could have told Clarissa that he loved her, but in the end  he could not bring himself to say he loved her not in so many words  and  he had not said I love you but he held her hand. Happiness is this, is this, he thought  (Woolfe).

     From just these two examples, readers can already see the contrasts of love that exist within Clarissa Dalloway s world and how she has been divided into two Clarissas. She has her stable, acceptable Victorian marriage and she has her memories of a great love from another time. Her Victorian marriage has made her who she is the  love  that she has chosen has defined her as  being Mrs. Richard Dalloway  (Woolfe) while the love that she has left behind her has also taken with it the woman named Clarissa. For modern readers, this is something that might baffle the more romantic sensibilities that have been reborn in this generation and that is exactly why the novel is able to bring out questions and ideas about love and how it affects one s life and living.

    Now, in Li-Young Lee s  The City In Which I Love You  one is able to find a type of love or an idea of love that is more familiar to this generation s notions of love. As was said earlier, the persona puts the idea of love, or of the loved one, as a central piece in the poem, with other recollections triggered only by musings on this love. The idea here is that the persona s love is what pushed on the poem, unlike in  Mrs. Dalloway  wherein the idea of love and the musings on the loved ones are only brought about by random recollections and circumstances. Take for example the part where in the persona says
I called to you, and my voice pursued you, even backward to that other city in which I saw a woman squat in the street beside a body, and fan with a handkerchief flies from its face. That woman was not me. And the corpse lying there, lying there so still it seemed with great effort, as though his whole being was concentrating on the hole in his forehead, so still I expected hed sit up any minute and laugh out loud  (Lee)

Here, the reader can see one example of how acts of calling out to the loved one brings about other images, other recollections, thus reinforcing the central role that the loved one has in the persona s life.

    This poem also depicts love as a thing that is so necessary, so important that it manifests its self in physical and emotional need, again, very much unlike the intellectualized depiction of love in  Mrs. Dalloway .
Im vexed to love you, your body the shape of returns, your hair a torso of light, your heat I must have, your opening Id eat, each moment of that soft-finned fruit, inverted fountain in which I dont see me. My tongue remembers your wounded flavor. The vein in my neck adores you. (Lee)

Here, the persona makes the deliberate acknowledgement for the need for the loved one. The persona identifies the need as physical it is not some passing flittering idea triggered by another event because it is just there all its own and needing nothing else to ignite it. Lee s poem is an open acknowledgment for the need for love, for the missing beloved that is being searched for. It also openly recognizes the search for love that the persona goes through and also the realization that the love being searched for is nowhere to be found.
Where are you in the cities in which I love you, the cities daily risen to work and to money, to the magnificent miles and the gold coasts Morning comes to this city vacant of you. Pages and windows flare, and you are not there. Someone sweeps his portion of sidewalk, wakens the drunk, slumped like laundry, and you are gone. You are not in the wind which someone notes in the margins of a book. You are gone out of the small fires in abandoned lots where human figures huddle, each aspiring to its own ghost  (Lee)
 The City In Which I Love You  can, perhaps, be viewed as existing on the opposite end from where  Mrs. Dalloway  is. While  Mrs. Dalloway  tackles love as merely one other thing that exists in the mind of a person, the poem sees it as something more   a need, perhaps, as palpable as hunger. The poem provides a good counterpoint to the rather timid approach to love that was presented by Clarissa because, here, the persona seems to exist because there is the search for the beloved. If Clarissa wasdefined because she chose that  love  which robbed her of her identity, the persona here is a person whose very identity is defined by love and the search for the lover.

Joanne Altieri, Ph.D. is a Professor of Literature at Cambridge University.  The stance Altieri takes with this essay is that there is a distinct absence of romantic representation  in Henry V, unlike many of Shakespeares other plays.  It analyzes the impact this fact had on its Elizabethan audiences.  It also develops the idea that the play offers two distinct impressions of Henry V, as generous benefactor and cruel tyrant.  It further goes on to discuss the constraint of romantic idealization.  The essay relies almost exclusively on the text, though it does interpret the historical figures  such as Alexander the Great  and their significance to the plot.  The weakness of this essay is the fact that it jumps around from subject to subject in a disjointed way.  While the argument is well grounded, it is not entirely persuasive due to the way it is presented.
Fergusson, Francis.  Introduction to Macbeth.  Shakespeares Tragedy of Monarchy.  New York Harper  Row, Inc., 1962.
Francis Fergusson was a University Professor of Comparative Literature at Rutgers University and has written numerous books about various authors.  Fergusson takes the position that Macbeth focuses on placing the monarchy in jeopardy and concludes that the story does not end until the monarchy is firmly established again.  Macbeth is about evil itself and the way men feel when under its spell.  Macbeth himself is a victim and perpetrator of evil as well as the character who sees the most deeply into what is going on.  It is this quality that made him susceptible to the pull of evil.  The Introduction to Macbeth walks the reader carefully through the play, beginning with its history.  The text is analytical without over complication.  The strength of the introduction is its emphasis on the text itself, using quotes from the play to emphasize its points.  As such, the points are well made and persuasive.
Gay, Penny.  The Taming of the Shrew Avoiding the Feminist Threat.  As She Likes It Shakespeares Unruly Women.  New York Routledge, 1994.  86-119.
Penny Gay is a Professor of English at the University of Sydney.  She has written several books analyzing Shakespeares plays as well as John Milton.  Gay claims that The Taming of the Shrew reinforces deeply held beliefs in audiences since it was first performed and that is what maintains its popularity.  The patriarchal system was in effect in Shakespeares day and still remains in place today.  It has changed subtly but still holds power over society.  As a comedy, it reveals the threat and failure of a womens revolt in a manner lighthearted enough to enjoy but effectively reinforcing the message.  This book chapter analyzes whether or not this play would be as popular as it is today if it had not been penned by Shakespeare.  This question is based on the fact that the plays title and central theme is grounded more in Elizabethan thinking that modern philosophy.  As a comedy, this play is laughed at and enjoyed, but it in fact abusive toward women and the final taming reveals that women must always be put in their place.  Gay writes very clearly and effectively.  She bases her argument on both historical background and the text of the play.  She reveals that in order to appease more modern audiences  particularly since the late-twentieth century  the play has been subtly edited to soften the feminist movement.
Horwich, Richard.  Riddle and Dilemma in The Merchant of Venice.  Studies in English Literature Spring 1977.  Vol. 17 Issue 2.  191-200.
Richard Horwich, Ph.D.  is an Adjunct Professor at New York University.  He has written several essays and literary criticisms of Shakespeare.  This essay concerns itself with the choices the characters are presented with in the play.  Due to the fact that the play shifts back and forth between Venice and Belmont, Horwich argues that the location itself is a choice.  The choices themselves drive the story forward, creating the dramatic tension and ultimately, resolution within the text.  It includes background information on Venice and the importance of this city as the location.  Horwichs argument is clearly defined in the beginning, but it seems to get off track shortly thereafter.  It relies heavily on the text in its interpretation, which strengthens the argument. 
Leggat, Alexander.  Twaynes New Critical Introductions to Shakespeare King Lear.  Boston G. K. Hall  Co., 1988.
Alexander Leggatt is a Professor of English at University College, University of Toronto.  In addition to this book, he has written two other works analyzing Shakespeares plays.  Leggatts argument stems from the ending of the play and the shock of Cordelias death.  He claims that the play prohibits repeat readings or productions due to the unpleasant surprise as to the ending.  Due to the fact that audiences have always wanted Cordelia to survive and receive her due, her demise has inevitably hurt the plays reception and production.  Leggatt analyzes the reception of King Lear as much as the text.  He reveals that the ending prevented playhouses from producing the play for more than 150 years.  He then walks through the play, revealing that there is no indication or foreshadowing of the ending within the text, concluding that her death comes as a complete shock and is therefore an inappropriate ending.
McDonald, Russ.  Introduction.  The Tragedy of Othello, the Merchant of Venice.  New York Penguin Books, 2001. 

Russ McDonald is a Professor of English Literature at Stanford University and works with a team of critical authors in analyzing Shakespeare and other authors.  The main argument of McDonald is that Shakespeare takes great pains to paint Othello as an outsider. He is separate from other characters within the play and different from the typical heroic figure.  In addition, unlike the other tragedies, it is not about power or control it is about love, its fragility and vulnerability to hate.  As such the battle for power is personal and emotional.  The Introduction effectively illustrates Othellos separateness from those around him. McDonald emphasizes that this difference is largely based on race and the name Othello itself.  It begins by making broad statements about Othellos character and how it relates to the story being told.  It then expands into textual analysis.  The arguments are well presented and establish a solid basis with which to analyze the work. 

Richmond, Hugh M.  Much Ado About Notables.  Shakespeare Studies.  New York Rosemont Publishing and Printing Corporation, 1979.  49-64.

Hugh Richmond is the Director, Shakespeare Program at the English Department, University of California at Berkeley.  This essay concentrates on Shakespeares larger body of work and claims that his ability as an author was grounded in his capacity to build on the work of other men.  He claims that Shakespeares outlines and composition reveal stories that are more syncretic than entirely original.  As an example, he studies the story of Much Ado About Nothing and its historical context.  He claims that Shakespeare uses the characterizations in the play to symbolize characteristics already in literature and popular in Elizabethan times.  The broad scope of his analysis makes Richmonds essay a little unfocused.  Lacking textual documentation, it is difficult to be completely persuaded by this essay.  It does, however, provide illuminating commentary on the historical context and implications of the play.

Waith, Eugene M.  Angel with Horns the Unity of Richard III.  Shakespeare the Histories.
Eugene Waith is a Professor of English at Yale University and has written and edited numerous books about Shakespeares tragedies and histories as well as the tragic hero.  Waiths argument is that Richard III is a predictable story based on the standard rotation of history.  He believes that someone who has observed history is able to accurately predict what follows.  As a history, it is presumed that the events are based on actual events, yet Waith claims that this claim is loosely accurate and the play is more fictional than historical.  The weakness of the analysis is that it does not rely or usually refer to the text but on outside documentation.  While this information is thorough and at time, effective, it creates a separation between the essay and the play itself.

Wilson, John Dover, C. H.  What Happens in Hamlet.  London University of Cambridge Press, 1959.
John Wilson originally released this analytical book in 1935 and it has been reprinted eight times since then.  Wilson was a Professor of English at Cambridge University.  The book offers several chapters about various aspects of the play Hamlet.  His main argument is that in order to fully understand Hamlet, or any play of the Shakespearian era, the reader must first understand the Elizabethan mind and how society lived and thought.  It is only by doing this can the various themes and subplots can be fully appreciated.  For the original audience, much of the plays story and background was based on their knowledge of the state of Denmark and this knowledge added meaning to the play.  Overall, the argument Wilson presents is thorough and thoughtful, written in clear, direct language.  Yet, it falls short of persuasion, as it does not account for the larger themes within the play that appeal even to modern audiences.  It also relies almost solely on outside resources rather than the text of the play itself.

Literature in the past and even in the contemporary world often incorporate political messages. Writers through their masterpieces incorporate their political views and observation. However they have different approaches in illustrating their political messages. William Faulkner is one of the most influential writers in 20th century who often used Southern setting with the stereotypical perceptions towards the Southerners. His writings affirm Southern identity and mock class conflicts that were apparent during his times. In his novel As I Lay Dying, Faulkner proved to be unusual in his ability to illustrate poor rural folk with dignity and poetic grandeur without ignoring their circumstances. The novel has been read as a poignant tribute to the rural southern values that has shape the characters and their interactions. The political views of Faulkner in this novel is presented in an objective way. Just like other group of cultures and people, Faulkner wants to depict that Southerners have their own weaknesses and strengths. It is then unjust to stay with the stereotypical ideas towards them because as people widens their human experience, they changed. Sharon Olds collection of poetry in her book The Gold Cell  though primarily illustrates the general human experience, but she also incorporates political issues with her accurate observation of people especially how women nowadays wrongly approached their womanhood and motherhood. Her poems however, with the use of language, is very stimulating and sensual. However, her political analogies with her powerful documentary is at superficial level. The intense feelings of her poetry makes her extreme emotional.  Apparently Faulkner and Olds depict their political messages differently-- Faulkner in an objective manner and Olds in an emotional level.

As I lay dying written by William Faulkner is told in stream of consciousness by 15 different narrators. It is the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her familys quest to honor and fulfill her wish to be buried in the town of Jefferson. Anse, Addies husband, promised her that she will be buried in the town of Jefferson even though this is far more complicated than burying her at home.  The subsequent journey of struggles of her family to bury her corpse in her familys cemetery several miles away is presented comically yet provides stereotypical perceptions about poor Southerners with the unique character of each member of the family. The characters innocently contemplate issues of  love, death, identity and  the limitations of language . Moreover their actions, choices and adventures draw attention to rural life, repercussions of selfish desires and their heroic tendencies.

    The death of Addie Bundren inspires and motivates several characters, specifically the family members, to wrestle with the question of existence and identity. The characters of Addie, Anse and Dewey illustrates naivet and shallowness of some Southerners characters. During those times  shallowness  is often incorporated with the Southerners due to their uncivilized, conservative lifestyle and limited social orientation. Southerners are inevitably the center of mockery and comedy due to their ignorance and shallow desires. The three members Bundrens family members affirm these stereotypical perceptions towards the Southerners. However through the character of Chao and Darl, Faulkner highlights that Southerners can also be superior in terms of intellectuality. Despite their poor grammar and limited vocabularies, the characters express their thoughts with a sort of poeticism and though pointless at times, many characters in the novel are capable of acts of heroism despite their nave nature.

     Addie Bundre, whose death triggers the novels action, is a former school teacher whose bitter and loveless life causes her to transparently despises her husband  and consequently who invest all her love in her favorite child rather than in God and the rest of the family. Anse, the head of the Bundren family, is a poor farmer whose actions and thought patterns are overwhelmingly selfish. He wants to fulfill his wifes request not to make her happy but rather his desperation to bury his wife in Jefferson is due to the fact that he perceives going there as an excuse to get pair of false teeth. His laziness and poor childbearing skills seem to be largely responsible for the unfortunate predicaments of his children. His detachment and selfishness is ultimately illustrated when after the burial of his wife, he hastily remarries. Vardaman Bundren, the youngest child in the family, views her mothers death through the same lens with which he views a fish he has recently caught and killed. Though his ramblings tend to be annoying in the initial part of the novel, he proves to be a thoughtful and innocent child. Dewey Dell Bundren is the only girl in the family, favorite of Addie, and whose recent sexual experience left her pregnant. Increasingly preoccupied with anxiety and desperation, her mind is exclusively occupied with her pregnancy. The death of her mother is not fully noticed by her since she has own problems to attend. These three characters (Addie, Anse and Dewey) apparently illustrate some of Southerners shallow character and naivet.

    Darl Bundren however, the second child in the family, is extremely aware of details and so an example of pure intellectualism. He is perhaps the neutralizer due to his articulate character and objective narration. He knows that the journey to bury his mothers body in Jefferson is madness and so attempts to burn his mothers coffin in the barn in his desire to put an end to the disgrace of his other. Cash, the eldest in the family, is a skilled carpenter and is one the rare stable characters in the story. He builds a coffin however as his mothers death approaches. His act is perceived by some characters to be distasteful and discourteous. Cash in the novel is the epitome of patience and selflessness, almost to the point of absurdity. Cash refuses ever to complain about his broken, festering leg, allowing the injury to degenerate to the point that he may never walk again. These two characters emphasize that Southerners though have limited education and exposure are capable of independent thinking.

    In comparison to The Gold Cell by Sharon Olds however, As I  Lay Dying is far different in terms of literary approaches in illustrating its messages. Though both reflects family as the center of the plot and the narration, but relationships between parents and children are illustrated positively in Sharon Oldss   The Gold Cell . Death and life are forever intertwined in Oldss work, providing useful and optimistic insights about life while Faulkner in his novel centers on identity and the difficulty of very existence especially if people are dominated by ignorance and selfishness. The Gold Cell by Sharon Olds is confessional in nature that which directly express her views towards life through her experience. William Faulkner however uses stream of consciousness and characters to illustrate his messages. The themes are not directly stated instead he allows the readers to reflect and retrospect on its underlying themes. If the theme of death is in the background of As I Lay Dying, where the death of Addie inspires several characters to wrestle with the questions of existence and idenity, death is also particularly illustrated in Oldss poem The Father, though it is more in terms of reflection.

    In The Gold Cell, the narrator embraces life from childhood, to first love, to sex, to miscarriage, to birth, to pain and finally death. In her poems she consistently honors the dead whether they are victims of martyrdom and crucifixion or whether they die due to suicide, torture, execution and abandonment. She remembers in profound insights the death of his relatives, friends and lovers providing insights and deeper realizations towards it. Unlike the characters of William Faulkners As I Lay Dying who approach death as the end of everything, in Oldss poem  everything for her is sacred  and must be taken seriously. Oldss feels free to discuss anything and so discusses life in its entirety. If tension, impermanence and ignorance are the dominating force in Faulkners novel, in Oldss poetry, beauty and hope is its redeeming force. She notices the sacredness of the little things in the world, she celebrates the bodies of children, the body of a lover  as well as the body of a woman and its ability to give life and finally she celebrates the beauty and strength in each sex as they grow and mature. Apparently Oldss discusses life and human beings in its general beauty and nature while Faulkner focuses on a particular group of people, the Southerners. The Gold Cell makes aspects of everyday life-- from news items, childhood, death, family and sexuality its subject matter.
  
 In terms of literary style, As I Lay Dying is written in a series of stream of consciousness monologues, in which the characters thoughts are presented in uncensored chaos. This technique from Faulkner presents the characters psychology with much more complexity compared to a traditional narrative style. It forces the readers to work hard to understand the text, to take the pieces each character gives and to put it together to create wholeness since instead of presenting the narration with the objective framework of events, Faulkner provides unexplained allusions, jumble memories and images. In the Gold Cell however though it was written in the form of poetry, the narration is consistent. The only challenge is to how create or unleash a deeper meaning through the interpretation of poetic language and other poetic elements.

    Oldss work has a robust sensuality and delights in the physical world by which she incorporates meanings towards it. Her main subject for poetry is about the womens everyday life and other abstract themes that preoccupied other poets of her time. Since her writings is very personal, it is inevitable that she presented her views in an emotional level. Her poetry is derived from subjective consciousness in how she views different subject matters according to her own experience. Faulkner however is more objective by which his messages is more from those that are discovered rather than created. He allows the readers for multiple interpretations through his objective narration, presenting both the positive and negative tendencies of Southerners.