Assignment#2 Education Outside in or Inside out?

     Does the current system educate our children out of creativity? Listening to Sir Ken Robinson’s speech given four years ago, I fell into a dilema. “Am I being educated out of creativity even at this moment by doing this assignment? Should I stop this and go practice dancing with the university professors that Ken mentioned?” Well, the dilema ended as I read a long comment someone left under the video of Sir Ken Robinson. It was about how many people do find divine interest and passion within academic fields and express their creativity within the fields. Exactly what I had in mind, it was. The limited diversity is a problem for our students, but a more serious problem that I feel as a student within the process of being “educated out of creativity,” is the method that we are taught about the subjects.

     The main problem that Sir Ken Robinson adressed about was the limited diversity of subjects that are educated to us. He argued about how arts are at the bottom of the educational hierarchy even though it is very important. It does look very ideal if you put it that way, the equality of all fields. Only one problem, the reality that created the current system back in the days of the industrial revolution is still dominant within the society. 


     Nowadays many people do have interest in the arts and do enjoy going to concerts and such, but still, it is the minority. Although the focuses have moved on a bit from the 19^th century it is still within the area of the sciences and then the mathematics. It is the reality that the field of science and mathematics have more jobs compared to the arts. Considering this, isn’t it natural that the educational system will focus on the sciences? It is much easier for children to follow their dreams compared to the 19th century, but the reality that it's much harder for them to get jobs didn't change much. They can dance or sing if they want, but for the majority, I believe that it will be better for them to find their passion within the academic subjects. Here, is where the second problem about the teaching method arises.

     What we see in a math class in an average Korean high school is not much different from a language class, or even a music class. What happens in the Korean education system is that we aren’t being taught, we’re being told; and the students aren’t learning, their listening. This methodical problem is what lowers that passion and creativity of the students in my opinion. Even if a student has an innate tallent in the field of language, the way we’re taught their is simply no way to find it. I personally hated language when I was in middle school. Right now? I enjoy it, actually I really do find my self deeply interested into literary works that I fell asleep reading last year. The approach that a teacher takes to the students change everything about a subject.


     Children do have an innate talent to things but I believe that that talent is not just limited to a specific subject, it’s flexible. Like my case, until last year, I thought I was the saddest case their can be when it comes to literature and language. This year, as a student in KMLA I really was struct that I might have a talent in literature. I'm not the brightest student when it comes to those areas, but I do feel much more interested. I'm even righting a novel recently and I'm amazed at myself and how much I changed. The experience that the children go through decides what that talent will become of. 

     In a more recent video, 4years after the previous one, he asserts how what we need is not an evolution but a revolution. Catchy phrase, and I do agree to it. “Education often dislocate people from their talents,” he says. That’s why the method of education is so important. If the method brings no passion to the students, then thats the highway to educating students out of creativity within that field. To really renovate the system, we need to first increase the flexibility of what we can learn within each subjects then broaden the range of subjects itself. We need a change, like Sir Ken argues, but my views on what should come first is a little different. We don’t wear our clothes from the outside, likewise, we have to change from the inside and out.

Talking Tomcat Happy Holidays~~

(Assignment#1)Styles and Writing: Looking back into, Looking around for, and Looking forward to

Styles and Writing: Looking back into, Looking around for, and Looking forward to


     We are tagged along by writing ever since we enter school as youngsters around the age of six or seven. We begin with the basic alphabets and gradually develop to words and sentences. As we gain experience in the field of writing, we develop our voices in our writings--they are called our styles. Until this moment I never thought about what my style was in writing. I vaguely thought that it would differ every other day according to my feelings and experiences. Although the motif for looking back into my writings was this first assignment of the second semester, it really came to me as a surprise that I had a developed a style that was rather consistent for a year or two.

     When I was in middle school, I usually wrote essays with a similar length to this one. They were usually about current issues or other controversial topics and contained by opinion on the topic. Though these types of writing tend to be more formal than others, I think my style was very informal and felt more like talking to a friend rather than communicating with an audience. The organization itself was less restricted and the sentences itself felt much simpler compared to now. I think the reason was because of the books that I read during that period in my life. During my elementary school years most of the books were novels, not classic novels, but fantasy novels. This continued until I began reading classic novels like "Dancing with the Wolves," as a second grader in middle school. I also read a book written by a author that later became one of my favorites, that is, Bill Bryson. The tittle of the book was "I'm a stranger here myself", and I really injured the way that he integrated humor within his sentences. That was around the time when my writing style changed drastically.

      From the simple sentences of the past, I found that my sentences had become much longer and much more descriptive than before. Another change that happened through my enthusiastic efforts--rather in the wrong direction--is that I was able to integrate humors that only I could laugh about(I have a strong feeling that this will become the newest edition to the list of failed jokes). Furthermore, through my newly acquired vocabulary my essays got somewhat stylish, though I still have much more to develop. Recently, I wrote a set of analysis papers on famous poems for my English literature class during the first semester(Sea Grapes, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening). While comparing them to the papers I wrote as a seventh grader, I noticed that the sentences and paragraphs got much longer. Though writing longer sentences is not better in anyways compared to shorter ones, it showed me that my skills have developed to a state in which I could write longer sentences that actually made some sense.

     My writings are far from perfect as you can notice from this essay as well. I felt that I really need to work on developing the coherence and logical links between the sentences and paragraphs. Furthermore, grammar and diction has always presented some problems since English isn't my mother tongue. Through the class this semester I hope that I would be able to develop more and gradually become a writer like Bill Bryson.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

    In the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Robert Frost illustrated the beauty of a frozen lake in the woods filled with snow. On the darkest evening of the year, the speaker is standing next to a frozen lake with his little horse. This scene, surrounded by the lovely, dark and deep forest, is separated from the civilized world, or the village in the poem. Because of this separation the woods are untouched by the human world and thus symbolizes nature. Also he describes that the only sound that can be heard is the harness bells of his horse and the sweep of easy wind. To me, this scenery of the forest and the ‘frozen’ lake came in a state of tranquility and peace. Furthermore, he utilizes the little horse to contrast the nature with the village. The harness bells on the horse are the representation of civilization because humans put them on for their own comfort. The sounds of the bells that ring out through the forest is out of place in the heart of mother nature.  

     Through the poem Frost illustrates the beauty and tranquility of nature while contrasting it with the civilized world. Furthermore, he purposefully describes this scene in the woods as ‘lovely’ which shows that he values the peacefulness and indifference of nature over the civilized world which is illustrated as the village and the farmhouse.  Considering that this poem was written after Frost experienced World War One, it can be inferred that the horror and shock of the war led him further away from civilization and closer to nature. However, he implies that his life is separate from his ideal life--living in the heart of mother nature--in the last part when he mentions that he has promises to keep and has miles go before sleep. It shows that although the narrator’s heart is in the forest he has duties left to do in the civilized world. The line “miles to go before I sleep”, means that he still has a lot of jobs to do in the civilized world. 

     As I grew up, my father always told me about his dream to live close to nature. I can’t dream of living away from civilization yet, however, I also do have a vague dream somewhat similar to my fathers. I can understand Frost’s longing towards nature for I also felt that way sometimes, such as when I went to the Grand Canyon or the Redwood National Park. I personally feel that one of the strongest advantages of KMLA is the location, surrounded by the beauty of nature. Perhaps, life in KMLA is somewhat closer to what Frost wanted.

Sea Grapes

“Sea Grapes” by Derek Walcott

That sail which leans on light,

tired of islands,

a schooner beating up the Caribbean

for home, could be Odysseus,

home-bound on the Aegean;

that father and husband’s

longing, under gnarled sour grapes, is like

the adulterer hearing Nausicaa’s name in

every gull’s outcry.

This brings nobody peace. The ancient war

between obsession and responsibility will

never finish and has been the same

for the sea-wanderer or the one on shore now

wriggling on his sandals to walk home, since

Troy sighed its last flame,

and the blind giant’s boulder heaved the trough from

whose groundswell the great hexameters come to the

conclusions of exhausted surf.

The classics can console. But not enough.

     The poem “Sea Grapes,” by Derek Walcott, has frequent references and allegory to the Greek mythology. However, it is not a poem about the Greeks. Rather, it is about the people and their concerns between obsessions and responsibilities. The title of this poem, Sea Grapes–a fruit known for being tart than most–is the object of desire within the poem. Being tart, however, it is not all that sweet once you reach your obsessions, for you have abandoned your responsibilities. The speaker of this poem portrays that the conflicts between obsession and responsibility has to come to an end–for it “brings nobody peace”.

     The beginning of the poem, the first stanza, describes the scene of the peaceful Caribbean being disturbed by the “tired” schooner. In the first line, the sail that “leans on light” is tired for it is relying on light–or hope–to stand still. The use of euphony in “leans on light” gives a bright tone which supports the meaning of the first line that the lights mean hope for the war to end. In the second line, “tired of islands,” also supports this idea. The last line, “a schooner beating up the Caribbean,” however, breaks the somewhat peaceful scene of the Caribbean. The schooner is “breaking up” the Caribbean which means that it breaks the peace for some reason that will be further elaborated in the other stanzas. Furthermore, this second line of the first stanza is an allegory to Homer’s Odyssey which is a story of Odysseus’s journey to return home after the end of the Trojan War. The reference to Homer’s Odyssey in the first stanza signals that the rest of the story will have a relationship with the story of Odysseus.

     The semicolon in the second stanza separates it into a part relating to the allegory to the Odyssey, and another part relating to the next stanza. The first two lines, which is before the semicolon, seems suggests that the schooner is carrying Odysseus. It says that it “could be” Odysseus, that is headed for home on the Aegean. However, the important part is that the speaker leaves a possible doubt by saying that it “could be” instead of saying “it is”. In the Odyssey, Odysseus continues his long journey home struggling against giants and the lure of comfort in other islands. Eventually, though, Odysseus returns home against all the challenges. The responsibility for his family and country seen through the character Odysseus is a important factor in relating this poem with the Odyssey. However, the fact that the schooner is Odysseus’s, is given a possible doubt by the speaker. This hints the theme of the poem by leaving a possibility that the schooner might not be a figure of responsibility. Compared to this, the “father and husband’s” in the third line are representations of figures of responsibility. Moreover, because the husband is in the possessive form, the line,  “father and husband’s” also relates to the next stanza.

     Unlike the second stanza which talks about responsibilities, the third is about obsessions. Even the father and husbands, who are figures representing responsibilities, long to achieve their obsessions in the third stanza. This suggests that even such figures like husbands and fathers have a longing for their desires, which relates to the theme of the poem–the conflicts between responsibility and obsession–by implying that this war is fought by everyone. The “gnarled sour grapes,” the object of desire, however, is described with the adjective “sour”. The speaker here is inferring that the cost of reaching their obsessions is not so sweet for responsibility is sacrificed for their desire. Furthermore, through the use of a simile, the speaker compares the longing of the father and husband’s to an adulterer feeling guilty at Nausicaa’s name in every gull’s outcry. Nausicaa mentioned in this line is a beautiful princess in the Odyssey who is often related to the image of adultery. Adultery, in this poem, is an example that the speaker used to refer to possible desires that costs the person’s responsibility. In other words, the speaker is saying that these figures of responsibility can also be guilty of chasing their obsessions.

     The speakers voice on the conflict between responsibility and obsessions is shown in the fourth stanza. By stating that “this brings nobody peace,” the speaker criticizes the irresponsible people who are obsessed with their “grapes”. Also the first three stanzas and the next three stanzas are each one sentence. However, the one in between–“This brings nobody peace”–is one short sentence. Through this concise statement, the speaker stresses that the “ancient war between obsession and responsibility,” has to end. The speaker continues on to say that this war will never end if the “one on the shore now,” continues to sacrifice their responsibilities for their obsessions. Furthermore, instead of saying that the “ancient war…has been the same and will never finish,” the speaker says that it “will never end and has been the same.” The line itself is saying that we need a change in order to end this war. The reason for organizing the sentence this way is to make it consistant with the phrase “since Troy sighted its last flame”.

     The sea wanderer and the one on the shore now are each the representatives of responsibility and obsession. The speaker describes the person as a sea wanderer which refers to Odysseus who is the responsible one. In the same line, the speaker uses “or” to mention the possibility that the person could be just “wandering on the shore now”, in other words a person guilty of abandoning their responsibility for their obsessions. The”wriggling” on his sandals also gives the sense of nervousness, possibly caused by the guilt of adultery or abandoning their responsibility. Furthermore, the war between obsession and responsibility has been the same since “Troy sighted its last flame,” which explains why the sail was tired in the first stanza.

     The war between obsession and responsibility comes to an end in the sixth stanza. The boulder thrown by the blind giant in Homer’s Odyssey, causes the groundswell, which means that the long war between obsession and responsibility started since the days of Odysseus. The “great hexameters” in the second line of this stanza refers to this poem itself. The last meter of each stanza ends in a spondee–“outcry”, “the same” and “last flame”. Furthermore, the fifth meter is a dactylic meter in many cases–“name in every”, “and has been” and “Troy sighted its”. From this we can find that this poem is in the form of a hexameter. The significance of this phrase is that the speaker referred to this poem itself with the adjective “great”. By describing it as great, it implies that this poem, or hexameter, has a significance. The significance that can’t be found at the superficial level. The speaker is forcing the readers to consider the true meaning of this hexameter and relate it to their lives. The last line of this stanza concludes all the conflicts into an exhausted surf. The conflicts between obsession and responsibility shown in the Greek mythology and this poem eventually is solved. However, the deeper meaning of this resolution is furthered in the last and final line of this poem.

     “But not enough,” the last sentence of this poem, signifies that the resolution of these conflicts in the classics is not enough. The theme spoken here is that the ancient war between responsibility and obsession has to console in our lives. Unlike the six stanzas above, the last stanza is a single line, consisted of two concise sentences which emphasizes the importance. The use of “but” in this stanza puts emphasis on the difference between the conflicts in the classics and what the speaker considers to be more important–our lives.

     Derek Walcott, a poet known for his frequent references to the Caribbean and Greek mythology, expressed the bitter conflict between responsibility and obsession effectively through the use of allegory ot Homer’s Odyssey. He spoke in volumed that the war between resopnsibility and obsession has to console, not only in the classics, but also in reality. The sail leaning on light, is truly leaning on the hope for reality to console–like the ballad of Odysseus and like the poem “Sea Grapes”.

Works Cited Citation : “Derek Walcott – Poetry”. Nobelprize.org. 17 Jun 2011 <http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1992/walcott-poetry-seagrapes.html>

Ipso Facto

     My name is Woochan Hwang. In chinese characters my name means that I will shine our family. Hwang means yellow but it’s just my last name and my family name so the meaning really doesn’t matter. Woo means house in chinese characters and it can also mean family depending on the situation. Chan–this one’s really hard to write in chinese characters–means to shine. So put together Woochan means that I will shine my family.

     It's been a semester since I began my life at KMLA and now I think I'm getting the hang of it. I have a blog that I've created during the first semester in wordpress(WoochanJH). I will also upload some of the older posts that I've put up during the first semester. The title of this new blog that I've created, "Ipso facto," is a latin phrase directly translated as by the fact itself. If you ask me why I named it like this...well I don't know either. I just liked the felling of the word. Anyways, I’ll be posting pretty often from now on--so see u later!