The Rainy Day

The Rainy Day

A Poem By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Author's Background:

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine—then still part of Massachusetts—on February 27, 1807, the second son in a family of eight children. His mother, Zilpah Wadsworth, was the daughter of a Revolutionary War hero. His father, Stephen Longfellow, was a prominent Portland lawyer and later a member of Congress.

My Point-of-view:

The author talks about the day in the first stanza. It's a cold, dark, and a dreary weather. For this somehow represents or symbolizes the loneliness in the poem, the sad theme in the poem. Even though the leaves or someone tries to hold on to something that is very difficult to handle, they tend to fall after some time.

His life is full of sadness, very cold, and dark, dreary. What ever he does, even though he tried holding on in the past, his hopes kept on falling apart, this makes it very sad.

Third part was talking about himself, his whole, his heart to still hold on. There's always sadness and downs in life, but then these problems in life are just obstacles and it's just temporary. We must not give up on something and it's fate, nobody can avoid a rain falling in their life, everyone need to fight their own Challenges. The days that are dark and dreary? They won't last forever.

To Whom Shall I Tell My Sorrow

To Whom Shall I Tell My Sorrow

By: Anton Chekhov

Author's Background:

was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history. His career was a playwright produced four classics, and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics.

Vocabulary:

nag - (noun) an old horse

galosh - a waterproof overshoe, typically made of rubber

epithet - an adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

Characters:

Iona Potapov -  a frail, poor, cabdriver who just lost his son.

Iona's Nag (Horse): the one who pulls Iona's sleigh

Three drunken young men: Passengers

An Officer: Passenger 

Setting:

The story was set in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1860.

Exposition:

The story started by introducing a man who's very tired, depressed about losing his son earlier in the story. He went another night in his job to have a bit of fare.

Rising Action: 

He got a passenger that night, a military officer, the officer then asked Iona what's wrong. Iona then answered what happened to his son recently. Iona wanted to share or tell the Officer his sorrow but sadly the officer was to busy and in a hurry.

Climax:

Later on in the story,  Iona went to his horse and feeds her. Later on, started mourning and talks about his son. That his son is the one who should be taking care of her (Horse). It's a hard job for Iona.

Falling Action:

This part continued on Iona talking about his passed son, it went to a depressing talk.

Ending:

No one was able to listen to his sorrows, he then got carried away telling it to the horse itself.

Symbolism:

The place in the story shows that it was very dark, snowy. This symbolized the theme of Iona's depression.

Theme: 

A story where Iona wasn't able to share or tell his griefs to anyone. Because in reality, each and everyone has things to do, busy and has their problems.

Lesson:

No man is an Island. There will always be a chance to talk to someone, tell what you are feeling, especially if it's depressing. You can't keep your depression inside you for long, the time will come where you will explode. It's better to tell someone, it's comfortable.

A Night in the Hills

A Night in the Hills 

By: Paz Marquez-Benitez

Author's Background:

Born in 1894 in Lucena, Tayabas (now Quezon). Marquez – Benítez authored the first Filipino modern English language short story, Dead Stars, published in the Philippine Herald in 1925. ... For Marquez-Benitez, writing was a lifelong occupation.

Vocabulary:

Azotea - a flat roof or platform on the top of a house or other building.

camisa de chino - an undershirt

misas de gallo - an event in the Philippines during Christmas Season

Characters:

Gerardo Luna -  salesman in a jewelry store, Protagonist.

His Wife - Antagonist.

Ambo - the man who buys some jewelry for his wife's store, orchid gatherer.

Ate Tere or Sotera - A mistress of her also younger brother.

Peregrina - Flat, static. Fiancee

Setting:

Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. A long time ago, fine weather.

Exposition: 

In the first part where Gerardo Luna is being introduce, and the story mentioned the secret of Luna having a long time dream of going to the forest.

Rising Action:

This part where Gerardo has a conversation with his wife about such dream, but she brushes it off. He then forgets about that dream. 

Climax:

He then went to the forest because her wife died. When he went to the forest, he experienced things that he didn't expect the nature has.

Falling Action: 

He had a hard time in the forest. Things started going different and realized that the forest is very different from his dreams. 

Ending:

When Gerardo got back home, he felt very disappointed and full of melancholy. He wanted to get back to reality.

Symbolism: 

Gerardo's dreams and experience about nature to how we see life. We must be always prepared to whatever happens in reality, even if it's very difficult, too much responsibility. Have the confidence to face them all.

Theme: 

"things are not always as they appear to be"  -Phaedrus

Lesson:

Always be ready when the time comes that you have to face reality. Exploring things is fine, but don't be shocked when the one that you have expected didn't turn out as expected.