Article 8:

"A Valentine"

by: Edgar Allan Poe

 

     Edgar Allan born Edgar Poe,  January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre.Widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and American literature as a whole, he was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story. Poe is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre and is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction.He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

      Although Poe claimed that you will not read the riddle, people obviously figured it out, many believe almost immediately. His scandalous relationship with Frances 'Fanny' Osgood was one of the worst-kept secrets in American literary society in the early 19th century, so just a good guess would've probably been enough to decipher his clues. Some of these clues are cloaked in mythological or historical references, while others are actually pretty straightforward and likely helped readers discover the address of A Valentin' rather easily. From the very beginning, Poe uses an allusion to the myth of Leda and Zeus, who seduced her as a swan and fathered the Gemini. The 'twins of Leda,' then, actually refer to the two brightest stars in the Gemini constellation, to which Poe compares Fanny's eyes. He also claims that his riddle is really 'no Gordian knot,' which being unable to untangle, Alexander the Great simply severed with his sword. Perhaps one of Poe's most telling clues, though, comes when he compares the letters of the poem to a 'naturally lying' 16th-century Portuguese explorer. This increases the significance of the individual letters, suggesting the use of an acrostic. 
 
      This poem, “A Valentine” is written by the famous Edgar Allen Poe. This love poem is written for a woman, who is already married. The chosen subject matter, theme and Poe’s writing style have made this poem lengthen its existence until today, and still can maintain its unique and beautiful meaning. This analysis will focus on the deconstruction of this romantic poem, through the subject matter, theme, context, tone and literary devices used.This is a lyrical poem, written in the form of acrostic.

Article 7:

    "The Black Cat" 

by: Edgar Allan Poe

 

     Edgar Allan born Edgar Poe,  January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. Widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and American literature as a whole, he was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story. Poe is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre and is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction.He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

      On the eve of his death, an unnamed narrator opens the story by proclaiming that he is sane, despite the wild narrative he is about to convey. This narrative begins years before, when the narrator’s honorable character is well known and celebrated. He confesses a great love for cats and dogs, both of which, he says, respect the fidelity of friendship, unlike fellow men. The narrator marries at a young age and introduces his wife to the domestic joys of owning pets. Among birds, goldfish, a dog, rabbits, and a monkey, the narrator singles out a large and beautiful black cat, named Pluto, as his favorite.Though he loves Pluto, the narrator begins to suffer from violent mood swings, predominantly due to the influence of alcohol. He takes to mistreating not only the other animals but also his wife. During this uncontrollable rage, he spares only Pluto. After returning home quite drunk one night, the narrator lashes out at Pluto. On the night of Pluto’s hanging, the narrator’s family’s house burns down, but he dismisses the possibility of a connection between the two events. The day after the fire, which destroys all the narrator’s possessions, he witnesses a group of neighbors collected around a wall that remains standing.after the murder, the police arrive unexpectedly at the narrator’s apartment. Cool and collected, the narrator leads them through the premises, even into the basement.

    The narrator, however, keeps trying to allay their suspicion. Commenting upon the solid craftsmanship of the house, he taps on the wall behind which is his wife’s body with a cane. In response to the tapping, a long, loud cry emanates from behind the wall. The police storm the wall and dismantle it, discovering the hidden corpse. Upon its head sits the missing cat. Moral lesson is that violence against animals leads to bad things; also, superstition sometimes may be more than just superstition and probably the main one,  no crime will go unpunished.

Article 6:

 "How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife"

by: Manuel E. Arguilla

     Manuel E. Arguilla is an acclaimed Filipino short story writer as well as a patriot and a guerrilla hero.He was born in Barrio Naguilian in Bauang, La Union on June 17, 1911. He was the fourth child of Crisanto Arguilla and Margarita Estabillo, hard-working farmer folk who owned a small piece of land. Aside from being a farmer, his father was also a carpenter; his mother, on the other hand, was an occasional potter.When he was seven years old, he enrolled in a school in the neighboring Barrio Calumbaya, where he was taught the cartilla by Alfredo Abuan. Later, he transferred to the public elementary school in Bauang, La Union and graduated in 1926.

     In the story, Leon arrived with his wife in the country meeting Leon's brother for the first time. They took a surprising route home for Leon, but it was meant as a test for the wife to see if she could endure the sacrifices she made and meet her new family.The entire story serves as a test for the wife. Each test was to show whether the woman could indeed live with strangers all for love. This can be a secondary theme, but more importantly, it is a theme in which the main character learns that though there are sacrifices it is worth it in the end.He even begins to think about getting himself a wife eventually. This helps to show the theme and how it developed. He notices through all the tests the woman though afraid will preserve through the trials in order to be happy with Leon at his home.
The fact that the country is different from the city can be somewhat daunting the closer they get to the home, but she still manages to overcome and under come any trials.The wife admits to having some fear, but also shows clearly it did not stop her. This is why the theme is related to how one may have to give up some things in order to find happiness in life or at least the best happiness that can be found in that particular life. The trials just add to the picture being offered by the author.

     In this short story, the narrator is Leon's brother named Baldo. Baldo was reminiscing their past memories whenhis brother brought hime a wife named Maria. Maria then was adjusting of what life she will have in Nagrebcan.The story taught me that father's permission or father's words are very important and it must be treasured and must always put in our mind and heart no matter what.

Article 5:

"Midsummer"

by: Manuel E. Arguilla 

 

     Manuel E. Arguilla is an acclaimed Filipino short story writer as well as a patriot and a guerrilla hero.He was born in Barrio Naguilian in Bauang, La Union on June 17, 1911. He was the fourth child of Crisanto Arguilla and Margarita Estabillo, hard-working farmer folk who owned a small piece of land. Aside from being a farmer, his father was also a carpenter; his mother, on the other hand, was an occasional potter.When he was seven years old, he enrolled in a school in the neighboring Barrio Calumbaya, where he was taught the cartilla by Alfredo Abuan. Later, he transferred to the public elementary school in Bauang, La Union and graduated in 1926.

     The  story Midsummer is about a man meeting a very beautiful Filipina woman by the well in a sizzling summer day.It stars with the man and his cart tied to his bull on a long dry road, when he suddenly sees a woman who stood unmoving watching the man come towards her. The woman was described from head to toe with such detail as the man looked from a distance. The man followed the woman to where she went and led him to the well under a big mango tree. He watched her as she filled the jar and placed it on top of her head. the woman leaves and the man goes to the well and gathers water for his bull and himself while still thinking of the woman. The man eats his food under the shade of the tree when the woman comes back to refill her jar. The man referring to the woman as "Ading" and inviting her to eat with him. The woman addresses the man as "Manong" and thankfully refuses his invitation to eat. They converse and suddenly the woman spills water all over the food and apologizes by getting him water but Manong insists that he fetch it from the well. Ading notice Manong well built muscles and body as he fetches water, showing her how strong he is. He drinks his water as Ading lifts the bucket for him. The strong ends with Ading inviting him to their home and Manong follows her with his cart and bull.

     In this short story, the seducer is the girl. It is because she let the man saw her wetted look or wetted body and that is not good especially she is a Filipina. When the man is already seduced, he followed and went to the girl's house. The man felt that he could follow the slender, lithe figure to the end of the world.

Article 4:

"Corona" 

by: Paul Celan

    Paul Celan  was a German language poet and translator. He was born as Paul Antschel to a Jewish family in Cernăuți (German: Czernowitz), in the then Kingdom of Romania and adopted the pseudonym "Paul Celan". (Celan in Romanian is pronounced Chelàn, and was derived from transposing the syllables of his surname). 

    The poem concerns the difficulty of loving for people who do not want love to be an illusion or an escape from everything else they know must be acknowledged as fact. It is also for those who deeply distrust a world that cheapens life by separating its contents in separate, sealed categories, so that Sundays are separate from other days, and love, dream, and memory are separated from the rest of reality, which must suffer from the separation. The memory of the Holocaust and the ironic temperament of the postwar years, seen by the need for vigilance and engagement to prevent the return of disaster, would make such an escapist form of love seem both an emotional cheat and an intellectual dishonesty as well as a moral failure.

 

    The title “Corona” may be taken as the first and last of Celan’s compressed symbols. The corona that is made visible around the outline of these lovers embracing in a window affirms the possibility of love. This ring of light crowns their relationship and is seen as a source of sincere hope of moving beyond the difficult but honest impasse the poem describes. Celan’s poem also transcends his particular time and place. Love is confronted with the same dangers, in various manifestations and degrees, in any time. “Corona” reflects every lover’s hope that love can be more than peripheral, delusory, and invisible; it is in such a world that we may then truly begin to live.