In An Artist's Studio

In Christina Rossetti's poem "In An Artist's Studio," the narrator describes the paintings in a male artist's studio. They all have the same subject: a woman, a "nameless girl" in various dresses, either sitting, leaning, or walking. The narrator states that every painting has the same meaning. Rossetti writes:
"A saint, an angel--every canvas means
The same one meaning, neither more nor less.
He feeds upon her face by day and night,"
The artist is painting a woman that perhaps he once loved or admired from a far, but it seems that he never truly knew her. He sees how she looks, the clothes she wears and the things that she does, but he is unable to portray her as she truly is. Instead, he paints her through the lens with which he sees her. This causes her to become little more than an object or subject of his art, but lends little insight into the actual person within the subject.

William Blake's "A Poison Tree"

William Blake's "A Poison Tree" is a poem about anger and various ways to deal with it. In the poem, the narrator has been both angry with a friend and a foe. However, he deals with the anger in different ways. When it comes to his friend, he "tells his wrath" and therefore his wrath ends. However, he chooses not to tell his wrath when he is angry at his foe, and therefore, his wrath grows. In the poem, Blake is comparing anger, or wrath, to a tree. A seed of emotion, be it anger or what have you, can be planted or placed without much conscious effort. A person may do something unknowingly that makes you angry or upset, but you will typically react differently based on your relationship with that person. If someone that you already dislike does something to upset you, you will most likely take this act quite personally. You might think that they have done this thing specifically to upset you, and therefore your anger will build and build upon itself. This emotion is your metaphorical seed, and your building anger is the water which causes the emotion, or "tree", to grow. If your best friend or a close family member does something that upsets you, chances are you will still get angry. However, you will typically think differently of their actions. You will see it as a misunderstanding, a mistake, or just generally choose to forgive the person because you care for them and don't want to damage your relationship. In this case, you are choosing not to water your metaphorical "emotional tree". The seed of anger/upset is still planted, but without the continuing watering by you, it won't grow into anything severe or poisonous. In the poem, the narrator's anger at his foe grows into a poisonous tree, which his foe eats from and dies. The narrator was glad to see this and rejoiced that his anger had caused his foe pain. This is a severe example, but I think this poem can also be related to everyday altercations with people. What you water will grow, and what you don't will not. We choose everyday to water different emotions and to withhold water from others, and our decision of what to and what not to water directly impacts what grows and develops in our lives.

Pride OKC

This weekend marks the annual OKC Pride festival and parade, an annual event that has been going on since 1987. The festival has gotten larger each other, this one being the biggest Pride in OKC to date. There was a weeks worth of festivities leading up to the parade tonight at 6:00. These included a constant stream of local food trucks, a beer garden, booths selling work by local artists, and live music. Despite the need for increased security following the Orlando shooting, the Pride festival has been a success. The festival is not only a source of entertainment, but a place of solidarity, support, and safety for the LGBTQIA community. Along with the food, drinks, and artwork, the festival included a symposium for the second year in a row. This year's symposium was about Mental Health, Education and Prevention. Topics touched on were the psychiatry of gender identity, health issues among the transgender community, and how to create a safe space for young people. Experts on gender diversity also shared their stories and advice as well as services available to LGBTQIA people in the area. I think this is such a cool thing to incorporate in this festival. I believe educating and informing others on topics regarding equality is essential to achieving equality and normalizing the topic. It is also so important for these youth to know that they are by no means alone, and that there are thousands just like them as well as thousands of allies standing behind them. I am proud that there are strong and selfless people willing to work for this festival, which not only benefits the LGBTQIA community but also local businesses and artists. This week, I am proud to be an Oklahoman. Today also marks the one year anniversary of marriage equality being passed nationwide, which is something I didn't know if I would see in my lifetime. I am so wonderfully surprised at the progress that has been made not just in Oklahoma but nationwide, and I look forward to the further progress to come. Love is love. And love always wins.

Sunday Morning

After a fitful night of sleep, I woke up to the tragic news that a mass shooting had occurred. Unfortunately, living in America this kind of news headline has almost lost its shock value. I'm hardly surprised when I see that another shooting has occurred at a school or university. I was however shocked to find out that this was the largest mass shooting in American history. Fifty people were killed at a gay club while even more were injured and hospitalized. While speculations about terror involvement are being made, the father of the shooter himself said that just weeks earlier his son was disgusted by the sight of two men kissing. He all but called it a hate crime, which from what I can tell is exactly what this was. I am heartbroken that in 2016, hate crimes are still a daily occurrence. I am devastated that so many have died and been persecuted simply for being themselves. And I am angry that so many people deny that gun violence is a real, threatening issue to our country. I will never, ever believe that the solution to gun violence is more guns. We need gun control now more than ever, and we need love. Hate only breeds more hate, and our country has been a breeding ground for hate for far too long.