The World Below the Brine

The World Below the Brine is a poem written by Walt Whitman that portrays an undersea world that comes from his imagination. I like this poem of his because I really like the outdoors and nature and this poem gives a really good description of what he thinks the bottom of the ocean looks like. It really captures my interest as he describes the creatures and the scenery of the ocean floor. He goes through the plants, colors, creatures, feelings and even adds in a part about dumb swimmers trying to understand what they are seeing. Using all the senses Whitman accurately describes his version of a underwater habitat. It's almost changing a way of thinking very calm and full of serenity, here is my favorite line from the poem;

"Passions there, wars, pursuits, tribes, sight in those ocean-depths, breathing that thick-breathing air, as so many do,

The change thence to the sight here, and to the subtle air breathed by beings like us who walk this sphere"


I like this line of the poem because I think he is describing the passions of his undersea world and the passions of our life on the earth what he calls the "Sphere." I also think he is trying to show a different way of thinking calmly and being in a state of peace.

Walt Whitman

Who is Walt Whitman?
Walt Whitman was a celebrated writer of the 1800's. He was born in 1819 and lived in Brooklyn and Long Island. He came into the literary world at the age of twelve in a printing business, and self-taught himself to write. He began working as a teacher, then moved back to the newspaper business as an editor. In 1855 Whitman published the first edition of his poem book Leaves of Grass, in 1856 he released the second edition containing 21 more poems. Throughout his career Whitman continued to publish new editions of Leaves of Grass. Later after the civil war Whitman moved back home with his brother and had trouble making ends meets. He ended up settling in Camden, NJ where he wrote his final volume of poems Good-bye, My Fancy(1891). Whitman died a year later in 1892.

What type of literature did he write?
Walt Whitman wrote poems.

Is he a realist or a romanticist? Why?
Walt Whitman is a realist writer. As one of the first realist writers Whitman captured poetry and linked it into the everyday life of people incorporating realism traditions of church, social and human life. An example of his realist work is the poem I Hear America Singing that portrays his American spirit and shows through poetry the simple facts of real life.

I Hear America Singing- Leaves of Grass

I HEAR America singing, the varied carols I hear;
Those of mechanics—each one singing his, as it should be, blithe and strong;
The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat—the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck;	5
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench—the hatter singing as he stands;
The wood-cutter’s song—the ploughboy’s, on his way in the morning, or at the noon intermission, or at sundown;
The delicious singing of the mother—or of the young wife at work—or of the girl sewing or washing—Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else;
The day what belongs to the day—At night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs.

Priorities, Let's Get Em' Straight

Some people believe that money is the key to happiness, I for one do not. Sure money can buy you jewelry, cars and laptops but you can't buy a true friend. you can't buy the unconditional love a mother has for her child, you can't buy a great life. It's just not possible. When looking for a job you shouldn't be thinking about "Where am I going to earn the most money?" you should be asking yourself one question: "What do I love to do and what do I want to be doing for the rest of my life?" Money is not the most important aspect in a job, loving your job is what's important. Sure a lawyer will make more money then an artist, but do you want to be stuck in a suit and tie for the rest of your life or live your dream and express yourself through your work. Do you want to come home from work unhappy everyday or glad that you have a job you love to do. Money should not be the most important factor when trying to get your dream job, your passion and determination to have the job you want should be enough to convince you pursue that dream no matter how much society puts you down by saying "You won't make much money" or "You won't survive in this economy." I won't claim to know what the key to happiness is but I know for one that money is not it, and money shouldn't be a top priority when trying to chase a job you love.

"Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you were put on earth to do. With such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling."

~ Vincent Van Gogh

Sophomore Year

Sophomore year.....hmmmmm

There are many different words that can describe what expectations I have for this year. All in all is hasn't been much different then I expected, although in many ways it is different from my year as a freshman. First there is bigger workload and more homework then last year but hey, that's school for ya. The teachers are good and I pretty sure it will go pretty well this year. I'm really excited about my art class, I really enjoyed art last year and have very high expectations for this year and so far they have been meant pretty well.  Another thing I thought would be different about this year is our soccer team. Personally I think we are getting better and are improving for the years to come. Hopefully this year will go smoothly as planned and I'll have as much fun this year as last year.