Physiognomy

Physiognomy

Della Porta, Giambattista: De humana physiognomonia libri IIII (Vico Equense: Apud Iosephum Cacchium, 1586).

The picture of the man compared to the dog at the top shows that he may be sly. To me, the type of dog shown can be extremely cunning. Although this trait is evident, dogs also have a sense of loyalty, which shows in the man's eyes. The size of the man's face compared to the rest of his head makes him seem timid, just like this type of dog is, to me.

The picture of the man compared to the cow on the bottom can suggest to him being dim-witted. The large tufts of hair make him seem docile, like a tame cow. His eyes show a boredom, just like the look that cows often get. His ears and the longness in his face are very similar traits to the cow as well. This might show that he could be a good listener or that he is more apt to be sad by nature.

 

Wishing, Waiting, Wanting

Wishing, Waiting, Wanting

An Original Poem by Shanna Olson

 

What hides behind those, under those hazel eyes?

A love, eternal, that sheilds hate and despise,

Wishing, Waiting, Wanting,

Our love has no demise.

 

How far a distance will you wait for me?

Beyond the sky, beyond the sea.

Wishing, Waiting, Wanting,

Our love, set free.

 

When will our love meet again?

When the sun sets, under the star soaked skies,

Wishing, Waiting, Wanting,

I'ill pray for no more goodbyes.

The Unquiet Grave

When Ween rewrote "The Unquiet Grave" to become "Cold Blows the Wind", what was their mindset?

Well listening to "Cold Blows the Wind", a feel of uncertainly comes over me. This feel that they are sad but speaking in phrases that seem to be not as melancholy as "The Unquiet Grave" is one that brings your emotions to a figurative fork in the road.. Towards the end of song, I feel a beauty in the song that I didn't in the beginning. When someone is to read "The Unquiet Grave" they feel sorry for the man that his love has passed, but they realize that it sometimes takes a person passing to really miss them. When I read "The Unquiet Grave", I perceive the man as taking his love for granted until she was laid to rest. He then understands what being gone forever really is and then tries to make it up by staying by her grave for a year and a day.

Original vs. Modern

What makes these two ballads so different?

The big difference to me is the gender switch. Obviously, mourning seems to be different to a man and a woman. With "The Unquiet Grave", the woman speaks of her "cold clay lips" and her "earthy breath", while the man in "Cold Blows the Wind speaks of his "lily white lips" and "heavy and strong" breath. This, to me, seems to be backwards. Why would a dead man have lily white lips compared to a woman's cold clay lips? The man does say "my lips are as cold as my clay" but in general the differences are barely there until a few new verses are added in. The interesting lyrics come up when they say "Go fetch me a nun from the dungeon deep; And water from a stone; And white milk from a maiden's breast; That babe were never known; Go dig me a grave both long, wide and deep as quickly as you may". These are things that are all nearly impossible tasks. Altogether, the man in Ween's ballad is annoyed with the woman, whereas the woman in "The Unquiet Grave" seems to be warning the man that his life will  be much shorter if he kisses her lips.

Why are these ballads so similar?

Obviously, Ween wanted the direct similarities to be there when they rewrote "The Unquiet Grave". Ween must have been so terribly moved by the words within the poem that they decided changing the ballad too drastically would take away the meaning that so strongly resonates from it. The similarities in lyrics are so easy to catch that when read at a quick glance, they seems to be identical in several instances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh3_SFVYAAw&feature=related

The Wanderer

November 5, 2012

The grey wolf in the poem is symbolized as an animal to be feared by respected at the same time. Valor surrounds this creature in European literature. The poem speaks of the wolf because the man in the peom is like the wolf. He is valiant but alone. This man experienced what a wolf has.

"The weary in spirit cannot withstand fate; nothing comes of rankling resentment."

http://www.thelonebiker.com/2010_03_01_archive.html
http://www.squidoo.com/wolf-pictures-arctic?utm_source=google&utm_medium=imgres&utm_campaign=framebuster