Groups of people will often agree
On a set of unspoken rules.
Overtime, we tend to forget why
And become obedient fools.
We base these rules on books or wars
Or another crazy moral.
We start to look through rose-stained glass
And enjoy our red-stained world.
It starts off great, generations may benefit
From this structure provided to us.
But soon enough, problems arise,
Problems we won’t discuss.
It isn’t that we avoid this issues
Or wait for it to pass,
But all the red flags are hidden
Behind the rose-stained glass.
It takes a mistake
Or a defiant individual
To shatter the glass
And do the unthinkable.
Once they see the world
Without the solid red tint,
They’re free to make changes
If only people could take the hint.
But this is one out of thousands
And this one is ostricized
When the hammer is taken to everyone’s glass,
That is when we’ll be more wise.
During the seven years that The Scarlet Letter takes place, Hester questions the fairness of her situation and similar feminist thoughts while other females look down on her. It was her punishment that allowed her to open her mind and question the rules in the Puritan society.
Black Man
Down on your knees,
You’re pleading,
Begging,
But it’s too late.
You’ve already sinned.
That’s why he found you.
He knows you’ve wronged,
Who you’ve hurt,
And he tempts you to sin again.
Just once more.
The Black Man follows us all
Because he knows.
He knows of the guilt you carry
From the unresolved fight from months ago.
He wants you to spit bitter words.
Just once more.
He knows of the affair
That stems from dishonesty, disloyalty.
He wants you to hurt,
Just once more.
He knows of your lack in faith,
Your questions for the lord.
He wants you to not believe,
Just once more.
The Black Man knows of your sins,
He's left a mark on your heart.
He wants you to sin again
For punishment,
For revenge,
For fun.
Watch out for the Black Man,
For he may be watching you.
If you've sinned before, trust me,
He’ll be back for you.
Just once more.
The Black Man is mentioned multiple times throughout the story, using referring to the devil. People associated with the Black Man are usually compared to sinners as well. I thought it was interesting that Chillingworth was compared to the Black Man. He was set to have revenge on Hester and her lover, and in doing so, had them sin or wallow in their guilt. He acted as the devil to punish the two for the original sin of adultery.
Pearl, My Treasure
A girl born from sin, the world against her,
Given to a mother as punishment.
Pearl, my treasure, more precious than silver
There's not a child as pure and innocent.
A laughter as sweet as a melody
And a face that radiates with beauty
A voice that's so gentle and heavenly
Yet full of life, lighthearted and goofy.
But there’s something mysterious within,
Behind diamond eyes, an evil may grow.
No good can come from a child of her sin
Despite the golden heart, we cannot know.
Pearl, my treasure, both a curse and a gift,
She is more than anyone could have wished.
I loved Pearl’s character, especially how she contradicted with herself. She was seen as a devil child, but also seen as one of the most precious children. She was a gift to Hester, but also a punishment for adultery. I wish that her character was a little more realistic, as I didn't always get a child-like vibe from her, but she was interesting and I always enjoyed reading the scenes with her.
1 comment:
Your sonnet really stuck out to me as an incredibly well written and thought out piece of literature.I agree that after a long time, a society tends to fall into a set of rituals and has no desire to change the rules in their heads of what is "acceptable" and what is not. A connection to the feminist movement that you made in your paragraph underneath the poem is one that I also made in my head while reading the scarlet letter. Obviously society has progressed immensely in terms of how women are viewed in terms of their sexuality but progression still is being made by brave women around the world that don’t believe in the rules and inequalities set for them by society. Sometimes in situations like Hester Prynne's, an injustice such as her punishment can be a motivation for a change and this is a relevant thought no matter what year it is. The thing that stuck out to me the most is your metaphor about the red flags hidden in rose stained glass. That is incredibly deep and thought provoking. It automatically reminds me of great heroes in our society such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln and honestly even some fictional ones such as Katniss Everdeen. Although your poem was inspired by the novel., “The Scarlet Letter” I think it is more than applicable to many situations regarding good leaders being the change they want to see in the world.
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