"She fell, Grendel's fierce mother, and the Geat's proud prince was ready to leap on her. But she rose at once and repaid him with her clutching claws, wildly tearing at him."

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Anglo-Saxon Boast

I am Alex’ Julia Soniat

Descendent of Alexander the Great, defender of mankind

I was made by the hands of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Brought into the world by William and Richelle Soniat

I am no ordinary human being, for I do not fear sleep of the sword or the weather of weapons

I feel inferior to no one, and no walk of life can diminish my thoughts and actions

I am standing still, superior to demons and demonic thoughts

At the end of my life, others will reminisce of my great deeds

Just as my forefathers, I will prosper in God’s name

I have not seen all of what the world has to offer, but I know my purpose in this lifetime

Just as Alexander the Great, I am the defender of mankind

I will preserve for the safety of others

Just as God has ordained me for greatness,

I will follow in his plan for me

Just as foes try to control me,

I will conquer their hatefulness with joy

Just as the bull keeps ramming at my waist,

I will charge even harder at his dimwittedness

For when you pass me, do not take my kindness for weakness

When you look upon me, do not judge me for my physical appearance

I am beautiful, inside and out

Sugary and sweet, just as the bee’s buzz in the honeycomb

And when the whale's way is rough , rapid, and rugged,

The road is long,

And your burdens are too heavy to bear,

I will be there…for I am the defender of mankind.

Kennings
Sleep of the sword- death
Whale's way- sea
Weather of weapons- war

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Problem Solution Essay: Preventing Car Accidents

In the United States, there are around 3 million car related injuries in one year due to drinking, speeding, and cars going off-road. There are 2 millions fatalities and 40,000 thousand deaths. Forty percent of fatalities are related to irresponsible driving—such as not using seat belts or using electronic devices (Graham-Rowe), thirty percent for speeding, and thirty-three percent for defective cars. Even though the use of seat belts is the law in the United States, only sixty-eight percent of drivers and riders use them. In order for the United States to decrease the number of fatalities due to car accidents, drivers need to focus, seat belts must be worn, and no one should drive intoxicated. Also, the driver must be aware of the rules of the road, and take proper care of his/her vehicle.

Driving intoxicated is not only illegal, but completely preventable (Rolison and Scherman). Alcohol-impaired driving is a serious national problem that unfortunately affects many victims yearly. Often, people believe they feel well enough to drive after drinking only a small amount of alcohol. Although, one should be careful not to drive even if they slightly intoxicated. A slight intoxication can reduce one’s response time to maneuver a vehicle. For example, alcohol causes the body to relax and sometimes can blur one’s vision. While in a car, it takes longer for some intoxicated drivers to slow down or to see what cars and obstacles may be in front, behind, or on either side of them.

Seat belts are designed to reduce injuries by stopping the driver/rider from hitting hard elements inside of the vehicle (Car Safety for your Child). By not wearing a seat belt, one is also putting their self at harms risk. The leading cause of death for people less than 35 years of age is not wearing seat belts. In some cases, most people do not wear seat belts because of the distance being traveled from their home to a destination. If the destination is a few blocks down or ten minutes away, some drivers/riders feel that a seat belt is not needed. In contrary, more deaths due to car accidents occur within 25 miles of the home under 40 miles per hour. Plainly, if more people use seat belts, fewer accidents will be accounted for.

Knowing the rules of the road and the dependency of one’s own car are the basic foundations of driving. To avoid accidents, drivers must know how to drive and when to drive. A major cause of car accidents is a lack of understanding of signs and the dependency level of cars (David Larabee). For example, a car can turn right into traffic if the driver sees no oncoming cars. But if they don’t realize what the sign “no right turn on red” means, they probability of getting hit escalates. Also, cars need to be checked for examination every so often. The purpose for the inspections of brakes and oil changes are to keep cars running safely. As a result, if more people bring their cars in for inspections, the less number of accidents will occur.

By not driving intoxicated, paying attention to the road, and routine car inspections, many injuries, including deaths can be avoided. Also, driving is a privilege, it is not a right. Therefore, it should not be handled lightly—lives are at risk. Car accidents can be avoided if the proper precaution is taken.




Works Cited

"Car safety for your child." American Family Physician 1 Aug. 2005: 479. Gale Science In

Context. Web. 28 Apr. 2011.



"Elderly drivers, car accidents and license renewal policies." American Family Physician Mar.

1996: 1381+. Gale Science In Context. Web. 28 Apr. 2011.



Graham-Rowe, Duncan. "Driven to: as more gadgets compete for drivers' attention, how will we

keep roads safe? (smart assistant to determine driver safety)." New Scientist 180.2424

(2003): 25. Gale Science In Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.



Larabee, David. "Car collisions, physics, and the state highway patrol." The Physics Teacher

38.6 (2000): 334+. Gale Science In Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.



Rolison, Mary R., and Avraham Scherman. "Factors influencing adolescents' decisions to engage

in risk-taking behavior." Adolescence 37.147 (2002): 585+. Gale Science In Context.

Web. 29 Apr. 2011.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Boast Pt. 1

Boast Pt. 2

Parody of Beowulf

Grendel is a parody of Beowulf because Grendel is somewhat comedic, and has an interest in poetry. Grendel also tries to shake free of the typical idea of a monster, and embraces music and the arts. In chapters 7 and 8, Grendel tries to be poetic, but fails gloomily. Finally in Chapter 12, as Beowulf fights Grendel, Grendel succeeds at writing lines poetically. Even though the book covers similar themes such as heroes and villains, religion, morals, and art, the novel is very different from the original Beowulf. Beowulf was an original epic told in a serious manner. But in Grendel, Grendel often questions his existence and the meaning of life, and tries to fight against his purpose as a monster.

Gardner's Decision

John Gardner made the decision to use Grendel as a narrator because he wanted to point out to his readers that there are always two sides to a story. Also, Gardner wanted to create sympathy for the character of Grendel. Grendel remains outside of the society of humans, but constantly observes their actions. His ideas of life do not match those of the humans, allowing Grendel a separate point of view. His status as a monster affects the way he tells the story because his thoughts do not coincide with the humans, making his side of the story different from theirs.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Riddle

The wrinkled appearance it obtains
With huge aged bones of massive heaviness
A grubby, grungy, grayish tint of the rainy Ymir’s skull
Curved incisors continually growing within its word-hoard
Big and small, a range of sizes
Each with one’s own story to tell
Drinks the water of the swan-track
Can carry child for a fourth of a decade
A symbol of wisdom, wanting, and wishing
A longing for peace, patience, and its purpose in life
Has walked along the earth for many ages
And continues along the rugged terrain
Answer: Elephant