words are for those with promises to keep (original) (raw)
"Suicide In The Trenches"
Siegfried Sassoon
I knew a simple soldier boy
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.
In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again.
You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.
- from here.
Since we've looked at The Soldier, Anthem for Doomed Youth and Dulce et Decorum Est, and this came up on my flist, I thought the contrast in style interesting. It holds a similar stance/attitude to war as Dulce et, but is expressed very differently.
No time to go into detailed analysis here at the moment, but offhand, what do you guys think about this poem? Do you like it more or less or the same as the others!
19 February 2010 @ 09:29 pm
I came across this poem today. Poetry is always subjective but I personally think it's wonderfully written, with a lot of layers of meaning that are more than worth spending some time trying to figure out. It is not about Brontë or Wuthering Heights, per se, but there are some very interesting allusions to the book and Brontë's life.
It's by Anne Carson, a Canadian poet/writer/professor who has won....many prestigious awards. If you have time, give it a go. It's exceedingly long, though, and powerful enough that you won't be able to stop reading once you start (at least, I couldn't!), so I recommend you get comfortable. :)
16 February 2010 @ 12:31 pm
Ta-da! The first ever non-admin post.
Alright, this isn't exactly a thought-provoking issue (unless you mean magazine issues, haha), I think this falls under 'interesting miscellany' :)
( things magazine (a less mindless way to waste time on the internet)Collapse ) [
15 February 2010 @ 04:03 pm
Here's the regularly updated list of LJs and their owners, for your convenience!
Current Music: undisclosed desires - muse
14 February 2010 @ 08:34 pm
HELLO THERE. Now that you've read the intro post, and the rules/posting guidelines, there are Things For You To Do.
1. Layout.
Do you like it? Do you not? Do you not care? This was picked because it's relatively simple, and we didn't want a layout too messy because this is fairly academic/discussion-based. If you absolutely hate it, say something! Link to new layouts, or just tell us it's ugly; we do have some backup layouts.
2. The Frills.
Typically, creating an LJ includes a) title, b) subtitle, c) friends page title, d) an interesting quote to put in the sidebar and e) a characteristic icon. So far we only have a) and e), and they aren't very awesome. a) is taken from Auden's The Lonely Betters, last time of the poem. Please volunteer appropriate/fitting things for the rest!
3. Content.
SEEN AN INTERESTING ADVERTISEMENT THAT REVEALED TO YOU THE INTRICATE WORKINGS OF LIFE? READ A THOUGHT-PROVOKING ARTICLE THAT TRANSFORMED YOUR OPINION OF THE WORLD? READ A GREAT BOOK? LISTENED TO REVELATORY MUSIC? WATCHED A FANTASTIC MOVIE? Tell us! Go post.
Seriously though, the point of a community is to have posts. EXCITEMENT!
4. LJ things.
If you're new to LJ and need some help, leave a comment at the intro post, or ask around (i.e., me). Go explore! There are awesome things on LJ.
Current Mood: 
bouncy
Current Music: the lightning strike - snow patrol
14 February 2010 @ 08:24 pm
So. You're presumably read the Intro Post, and you've joined this comm, and you're also (I hope) someone in HP, and not like, a complete stranger lurking about on the Internet.
Before you post, however, please note the following:
( rules/posting guidelines.Collapse )
Please direct all questions to the intro post (:
Current Mood: 
cheerful
Current Music: new slang - the shins
14 February 2010 @ 07:57 pm
HELLO THERE. This is the post where I hopefully answer your questions about this comm.
what is 
humanised?
This is the unofficial LJ comm for Raffles HP'2011, and it will act as a complement to the existing y!g. The proposed plan is that the y!g be used for official announcements and information disseminated by the Powers That Be (i.e. the teachers) while the interesting miscellany (i.e. links to fascinating articles, brilliant music, information about upcoming performances, HP trips, etc.) comes here. The line can be quite blurry, admittedly, but in general, the y!g is for admin issues, while this LJ is purely our playground to discuss anything and everything we want, particularly about issues (in)directly related to the humanities, Singapore or international affairs. Or just anything, really.
why do we need humanised?
Mostly because as useful as y!g is, the email system is inherently incompatible with group discussions. LJ lets you comment on the original post, see and reply to other comments, receive email notifications on replies to your comments, threads comments together so strands of arguments/discussions are clear and distinct, and track specific posts that you are interested in.
LJ also lets you post media and links, and conduct polls, and add other LJ-users to your friends-list so you are kept updated on well ... updates.
well, what do I need to do? do I need to create an LJ account?
No. As for now, humanised is entirely public, and anonymous users can read and comment ... anonymously. You won't receive email notifications to replies to your comments, and you won't be able to post to the comm, because LJ doesn't let you do that.
If spam happens, however, we might need to lock the comm, so you will need an LJ account in that case. Alternatively, if there's interest/demand, an account can be created specifically to post to this LJ.
If you do have an LJ account, though, membership is currently moderated, just so I know who you are, and I can compile a list of LJ aliases. You'll definitely be accepted if you're in HP; I just need to know who you are, so random people don't join.
okay. what else?
What we need is for you to engage in the comm (semi-)regularly, though! Respond to the articles, think about the issues, participate in discussions! Homework and CCA and actual academic commitments will pile up, but - well, there is more to life that that. Really. Really.
That should cover things for now; if you have any questions about this comm at any point in time, leave a comment to this post (: You can leave a comment to this post even if you don't.
Meanwhile, also read the Posting Guidelines! :D Also, before you join, leave a comment to this post with your name and your class, so your name can be added to the full members list! Thank you \o/
Current Mood: excited
Current Music: take back the city - snow patrol