Homework for 3/18/08

• In "Cultural/Historical Inventory," the author discusses how the culture around us shapes our lives. It says that culture is part of who we are and has a huge influence on the way our lives are led. I agree with this because sometimes, culture shapes our actions and thoughts more than someone such as a parent or friend could ever do. This is important when one is reading a text because the culture of the time period in which the text was written has a lot to do with what the text says.
• "The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke is a poem about a soldier before he goes off to war. He speaks mostly of his country, England. If he should die, he wants his family and friends to remember that he fought for his country, which he speaks very highly of. When I think about going off to war, I usually think of sadness. This speaker, however, uses imagery of England's rivers and sun, which keeps the poem positive. The poem also uses many positive words, such as gentleness, peace, love, blest, and eternal. It is interesting that this soldier has such a positive outlook on going to war.