I've never really understood the hype about the first day of school. For me, the first day of school means we're out of holidays, and nobody's really ready to have them stop, but we set to with probably more energy than we have for most of the rest of the year. So that's kinda different from what I assume it must be like in public school - you know, you're seeing friends again, you're figuring out what your teachers are like...um...stuff? I totally have no idea, but it's interesting to examine the differences.
What's looking like being my most interesting subject currently (unless I do end up doing a University of Athabasca course in English) is a Study of British Literature. I'm currently on Beowulf, which is fascinating, especially considering how you can liken it to LotR. I expected it to be sorta dry but it's actually not. I can't say I'm quite sold on Beowulf himself yet - though admittedly, I have a liking for characters who don't proclaim their own virtues quite as widely as he seems to - but maybe he'll grow on me. Interesting things I picked up on include the use of the word mearas in Old English, which means horse. In LotR, the Mearas are legendary horses gifted with speed and beauty. Shadowfax is called the Lord of the Mearas. I also recognized a parallel between the Golden Hall of Meduseld in Rohan and Hrothgar's hall Heorot in Beowulf. Yes, Hrothgar is the name of a dwarf king in Eragon. I suppose it's a nod to Beowulf, but it feels a little pretentious for Christopher Paolini to have it in there. Perhaps it's just my general skepticism for Paolini - when I write a book, it will be better than his. Also, Old English sounds a LOT like Rohirric. I think Tolkien had quite a lot of influence from this particular source.
Haven't started piano or youth yet, and we're just getting into quizzing, but I'm sorta not as depressed about school starting as I was. Which is good.
~Sil
"The Balrog wouldn't be so scary if he didn't have little beady eyes and horns and those big hooves and a long tail."
"You mean if he looked more like a bunny rabbit?"
2 comments:
^_^ Beowulf was a good story, definitely. I quite liked it, though it was way too short. It would've been much cooler to read if it had been longer.
I read it for my history class two years ago, because I had already finished all of the assigned books by roughly the end of the first semester, so my teacher just told me to read that. As it seems you are doing, Melda, I compared it to LotR, though I'd already known (from researching stuff about LotR) about the little things like Mearas, Hrothgar's hall, etc. I believe (I might be mixing it up with another book) that there's an Eomer somewhere in there.
Anyways, I like that one a lot. w00t for you for reading it. ^_^
And as for your first day of school, I'm glad it went well. :P
I know that the character of Beowulf does seem to puff himself up a lot, but taken in context of the hopelessness of the Shieldings, I think he had to really sell it: "Listen, I know you think that nothing can be done after all these years and all these lives lost, but I CAN actually help you!"
Post a Comment