HOW I GO TO THE WOODS

If I've done my work well, I vanish completely from the scene. I believe it is invasive of the work when you know too much about the writer.

- Mary Oliver -

Mary Oliver was born and raised in Maple Hills Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. She would retreat from the austere home to the nearby forest, where she would build huts of sticks and grass and write poetry.

Oliver's poetry is firmly rooted in tradition of place and romantic nature, and emphasizes the

Mary Oliver

silence of nature.

Her fifth book, American Primitive (1983), won the Pulitzer Prize and won numerous awards including the National Book Award and the Lannon Literary Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 1986, she was named one of America's Best Poets.

                                                                                                     

A prolific writer of both poetry and prose, Oliver published a new book every year or two.Her main themes continue to be the intersection between the human and natural world, as well

as the limits of human consciousness and language in expressing such things. Mary Oliver was so popular that she was at one time America's best-selling poet because she was a poet of nature, effortlessl and brilliantly relating the encounters with nature that make us most human, our flaws and idiosyncrasies.

HOW I GO TO THE WOODS

Ordinarily I go to the woods alone, with not a single friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore unsuitable.

I don't really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of praying, as you no doubt have yours.

Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit int on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds, until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost unhearable sound of the roses singing.

If you have ever gone to the woods with me, you very much. I must love you very much.

The speaker discusses how they prefer to visit the woods by themselves rather than with chatty and fake companions. They seek complete immersion in the outdoors without interruptions or distractions. In this situation, they don't sense the need for companionship.

The speaker also expresses reluctance to be seen interacting with natural elements, such as conversing with catbirds or cuddling an ancient black oak tree. This denotes an intimate and private relationship with nature, a particular kind of communion or prayer. Everyone connects with the divine or finds comfort in their own unique way, the speaker says.

The speaker experiences a sense of invisibility as a result of the seclusion of being by themselves in the woods. They can observe without upsetting the natural order by disguising themselves in the environment. They spoke about watching the foxes pass by while they were ignorant of them when they were immobile on a dune. They are able to hear the delicate, almost invisible noises of nature, like the singing of roses, because of their isolation.

The last sentence implies that if someone has ever followed the speaker to the woods, it is evidence of the speaker's intense love and affection for that individual. Taking someone along to share this private moment with them shows a deep emotional connection and a want to share this treasured part of their life.

Overall, the poem underlines the strong connection the speaker feels when in the presence
of the natural environment and praises their personal communion with it. It highlights the value of solitude, self-reflection, and the capacity to relate to something bigger than oneself.

And also while it's subjective to determine the best poems, here are some of Mary Oliver's widely acclaimed and beloved works:

1. "Wild Geese" : This poem encourages readers to embrace their true selves and to live authentically, reminding them that they are worthy of love and belonging.

2. "The Summer Day" : In this poem, Oliver contemplates the meaning of life and the importance of paying attention to the present moment. It ends with the famous question, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

3. "When Death Comes" : Oliver reflects on the inevitability of death and urges readers to live fully and passionately while they are alive, embracing both the joys and sorrows of life.

4. "The Journey" : This poem explores the themes of self-discovery and personal transformation, encouraging readers to have the courage to pursue their dreams and follow their own path.

5. "Mysteries, Yes" : Oliver celebrates the mysteries of the natural world and invites readers to embrace the beauty and wonder that exists all around them.

6. "In Blackwater Woods" : In this poem, Oliver contemplates the cycles of life and death, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of embracing the impermanence of existence.

7. "Morning Poem" : Oliver expresses gratitude for the beauty of the world and the simple joys of everyday life, reminding readers to find solace and inspiration in the small moments.

These are just a few examples of Mary Oliver's notable poems, but her body of work is extensive and filled with rich imagery, profound observations, and a deep reverence for nature. Exploring her complete collection would reveal many more gems that resonate with readers on a personal level.

Books written by Mary Oliver ,

Written by Gayani Karunarathne

SOPHIE'S WORLD

AN ADVENTURE IN PHILOSOPHY THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 

Sophie's World is the most famous book written by Jostein Gaarder as a novel about the history of philosophy. This book of his who lived in Norway was the best selling novel in the world in 1995. Due to the content of this book, it is also used as a text book on philosophy by undergraduate students studying philosophy in universities. Reading this book has given me a better understanding of complex philosophical systems beyond boring exegesis.

Jostein Gaarder

"Once upon a time, about 1500 billion years ago, all the materials in the universe were combined in a relatively small area. The material was so dense that it had a very high temperature due to its gravity. Finally, it exploded when it got so hot and hard. We are here. The explosion is called the Big Bang. Due to this big explosion, all the materials in the universe were thrown away. When they gradually cooled, the stars, galaxies, moons, planets formed. But the universe is still expanding.."

By studying this book, this book provides us enough intelligence to explain the complex ideologies from the beginning of the universe to the current era, about each philosopher and what conclusion we should logically reach from their thoughts.

Augustine was the first philosopher to add history to philosophy. Behind all those histories, religious beliefs and literature are the shadows of philosophy. Shakespeare's most famous line is “To be, or not to be : that is the question” He is mostly focused on the brevity of life. Here is who the philosopher is. That is, the philosopher should help people to look at life in a new perspective no single philosopher focuses on philosophy as a whole. Women do not occupy an important place in the history of philosophy. As philosophy gradually separated from religion, natural philosophers stepped into scientific thought. The philosopher goes to the extremes of language and existence.

The Greek philosophers were concerned with the question of a basic compound and the changes in nature. In philosophical thought one must choose to believe either the senses or the intellect. It is a philosophical idea about the common people that the people who live in the universe, the adults, have made the world a mere habit, and they have fallen into an enchanted sleep caused by their boring existence and will remain in it forever.

God's words are nothing but the imagination of the human mind, and the more a man tries to forget something, the more unconsciously he thinks about it.

The ideas given by psychologists like Sigmund Freud are also interesting in this book. Dreams are the fulfillment of expectations. Even during sleep there are restrictions on what a person should do. It is also explained here that the vision of the dream always comes the day before it.

The idea of ​​this work on art is that every work of art is a combination and that combination is created with the interplay of inspiration between imagination and judgment or mind and reflection.

This book is an extension of philosophy, from the ancient natural philosophers through the Middle Ages and then through the Enlightenment to postmodernism philosophical conversations.

"Sophie's World" by Jostein Gaarder is an immensely important novel that holds significance for multiple reasons. Serving as an accessible introduction to philosophy, the book guides readers through the history of philosophical thought while presenting complex concepts in a captivating and engaging narrative format. It prompts readers to reflect on fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, and ethics, encouraging philosophical inquiry and fostering a deeper understanding of these timeless ideas. By providing historical context and linking philosophers to specific time periods, "Sophie's World" offers a comprehensive overview of philosophical development. Its impact on readers is far-reaching, inspiring curiosity, sparking interest in philosophy, and influencing career paths. Ultimately, the book's ability to make philosophy accessible and enjoyable has cemented its place as a significant work that continues to shape readers' intellectual journeys.

Jostein Gaarder worked as a full-time writer and designer. His wife founded the Sophie Foundation to run the successful "Forest Notes" program to conserve the environment. Also, the soapy prize worth US$100,000 is awarded annually to the most successful program.

There is no reason not to recommend this as a must-read for anyone interested in philosophies.

Written by Gayani karunarathne

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born in 1927 in the province of Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast of Colombia and loved to read and write books since he was a child. Critics consider his book "LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA" a creative opportunity that provided a new insight into teenage love. He later said that his grandmother inspired him to write with a magical realist bent. Winning the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature cemented his position as one of the greatest Latin American writers of all time. In 2007, a film based on this novel is being made by director Mike Newell.

Love during cholera....

 Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Can dating be unlimited ? Probably not. It is susceptible to epidemics. Can become victims of wars. If not, you can fall into the pits of lies in dating and become wild.

But he had to wait for fifty-three years and seven months and eleven days and nights to understand that no matter when he dated or where he dated, dating is always dating.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez Who is the man who is tempted to dig through the past behind the charm of teenage courtship, the wrinkled face of a sixty-year-old grandmother?
That's him.

This is the story of him and her. A young man named Florentino Arisa notices a high-class girl named Fermina Daza and falls in love with her. Her father, who opposes her love affair, marries her off to a high-status do ctor named Urbino. Over time, Mae stops thinking about Florentino, angered by the supernatural sorcery she believes he has committed. In time, Fermina and Dr. Urbino married and became the mother of a daughter named Ophelia. A widowed mother with old age meets her old lover again.
For fifty-one years, nine months and four days after he left her, Florentino had not stopped thinking for a single moment. After all this time, she sees Florentino on that day, more than half a century after attending his funeral. But he is not accepted because of the existing hatred towards him. But after sorting them out, the two fall in love again as before. Florentino's long-awaited love becomes a reality. Having an aesthetic mind, Florentino captivated her by playing the violin and composing poetry. The two started dating through letters and soon they met secretly. Florentino's love for her was incomparable. He wrote her more than twenty pages of letters. Unable to wait for answers from her, he fell ill.
"Love is great and sublime in the face of adversity."

"It's just as bad to be loved as it is to be loved. "He presented her with the camellia flower that was hanging from her headband, but she refused it, saying, "It is a flower of promise."

"For Fermina Dasa, there was no other association that was more interesting than those quiet real times spent with Florentino. No matter how hard he tried to believe, the memory of the past did not justify the future. On the contrary, what really happened was that Fermina Dasa's opinion was further confirmed. It was true that the coming-of-age awakening was a sublime sensation, and it was also wonderful, but it was not courtship.Despite her austere authenticity, she did not have the strength to tell him this truth, either by letter or word of mouth. Miraculously, relief came to her. After those written meditations, she didn't have the strength to tell him how fake she saw in the sentimental letters he wrote, and how much his spirit had become younger with false insults.She didn't have the courage to explain to him the possible damage to his selfishness that his madness to relive the past could cause. It's true that Tuesday afternoons without him are boring, lonely, monotonous."

The lesson that can be derived from "Love in the Time of Cholera" is that love is a resilient force that transcends time, societal expectations, and personal obstacles. Through the characters of Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza, the novel teaches us that love can endure even in the face of separation and the passage of decades. It also explores the consequences of obsessive love and the complexities of relationships. Ultimately, the book reminds us that love requires patience, sacrifice, and the ability to navigate the challenges that life presents, but it has the power to transform and sustain us throughout our journey.

Through such aesthetic decorations, the novel built from the mounds reflects the space for love in life. This clearly shows that lovers' boundless love can never be broken and life is built on the hope that they will be reunited every day.

Written by Gayani karunarathne

THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE

"Art is not a mirror that hangs up to highlight realty, but a hammer that shapes reality," says Brecht. Its idea is that reality is not fixed, but should be arranged in a fair manner. Watching these plays, the audience gets an understanding of how we should adjust our thinking for such a fair society.
 
'The Caucasian Chalk Circle', written by playwright Bertolt Brecht in 1944, was staged for the first time in 1948. A drama script must have a theme, so the theme of story is "To what belongs to what it deserves". Similarly, the creation should be based on a certain plot, for which the dramatist has succeeded in staging his ideas for humanitarian and social justice by showing the dictatorship of the ruling class that does not listen to the voice of the people in the era of imperialism.
Dissociation is a theater concept introduced by Brecht. There is a flow of conflict situations in a script of a play. There ,

    Bertolt Brecht

1. The conflict between the maid Grusha and the queen Natalya regarding the child is an example of conflict between humans.
2. The conflict between man and the environment is exemplified by Vannavu crossing the Grusha Valley Bridge.
3. For the conflict between the man and his mind, in the drama of the chalk round, when Asadak draws a chalk round and puts the child in it, a conflict is created in the mind due to the desire to get the child in Grusha's heart and the fear of causing trouble to the child.
4. Conflict between man and supernatural forces.
 
Two styles of drama presentation are Loka Dharma and Natya Dharma. Loka Dharmi dramas are created in a way that is close to natural style of  ordinary life. plays belong to Loka Dharmi style according to Bharata Muni who is the father of Indian drama.
The king and queen, who are leaving for the feast on Easter Sunday, are so sorry for the suffering of the people. In Marxist philosophy, Marx once said that religion is an opiate. That is, religion appears as a means of providing temporary substitute comfort to get rid of oppression without making a complete change in the social system. It shows that the rulers are trying to make the people forget the unkind decisions of the capitalist class and pretend to be a heaven. Even during the war, the king of Georgia decided to demolish the slums to enlarge the palace.

Therefore, even when the brutality spreads through a war, the king's decision is the new construction of the palace. This king does not hesitate to demolish many slum houses and deprive the people of their homes for the personal use of the royal family without any responsibility. "Can't you see the blindness, the gods walk on the backs of the great men, who know the bent backs" shows that the ruler is blind and how they have reduced the people to such a low level that they walk like gods on the backs of the little man.
The king builds palaces for his personal gain in a state that does not even have a stable military strength. The ruler does not have the head to realize that even palaces without a strong foundation, no matter how much they are built, will fall down. In the capitalist economic system, everything can be done for money, the capitalist must understand that his destruction can also be based on that money.

A review is of the opinion that killing the young king in the drama and displaying his head in the palace is an unethical act. But does the society dislike murder on the platform of a society that kills people openly? The dead head is a symbol to represent a cultural environment where the human subject collides in a post-war period.

However, the officials who are dedicated for the protection of the state are in it. There are also those who brag about their duties saying, "A good soldier is a good soldier who does not care if he is cut to pieces for his superior officer when he receives an order without heart or chest." But that's only until he gets his due fee.Grusha also sees the soldier who goes to protect the queen on duty as a fool. Although it is foolish for Grisha to have to sacrifice his life for a worthless person on an unsafe journey, it is only a good soldier doing his duty properly. It is only a tool that exists to identify each other's loyalties.

"My heart is bound son, I cannot live without you son" a motherly love for the child was born in Grusha. The Electra complex complex of affection between mother and son in psychoanalytical theory is also shown here. Instead of the silk robes that he inherited to live as a prince, he wraps his body in rags, instead of bathing in boiling water, he sacrifices himself in such a way that he can wash himself in cold water. Grisha saves the child by saying that you should be a man instead of paying for the children who do not know their parents for their disobedience. It is clear that between the mother born in the chalk circle the mother born in the birth mother, there is a tenderness or moisture in the heart of the child, and the lower goals of the born mother are more than the affection of the child. The universal truth of fairness gives the play a positive ending, summing up the judgment that those with gentle virtue should win children and if anything, it should belong to the deserving.

"It is more pleasurable to sit in the open and decide the law than to sit inside and judge, the wind blows away the cloaks of the law and the truth emerges" said the judge, Asadak, who is the ruler of the law. In a post-war era, the law is a veiled falsehood that has won. As Sulagin or Soumya says, "The law is shaken by the thunder, the judge preserves it with these great laws, justice, justice, law empty-handed, the oppressed have received it" It makes it clear that the people are always defeated by the misdeeds of the authorities and that the state needs justice and law and that the rule of law should be the same for the ruler and the ruled.

Because of this, everything is done for some reason and a hungry person becomes a murderer because of the selfish and uncompassionate feelings of the people in the society. On the basis of the value of humanity, the power of the citizen in a peaceful society is also challenging before the law.In going to punish a human being for the crime of catching a rabbit, from a humanitarian point of view, "I caught a rabbit trying to catch you is a man created by God" to understand the value of a human life. Brecht is not only a dramatist, but also a poet, thinker, philosopher, and what a philosopher does is to find and provide answers to the philosophical problems we face. Therefore, the meaning felt in the adage that the pen is mightier than the sword is that there is nothing impossible for the author.

Through the dialogue between Grusha and the soldier, "Was the girl asking for apples for the winter?" Even in the post-war period, it is questioned whether a woman is enough for a man to maintain. His understanding that taking refuge in a woman is a responsible and maintainable bond is valuable. He knows that through this soft address like a girl child, a woman will answer melek. Therefore, he has a good understanding of women.When Grusha sees the child, others say "Put that child down and run away", but Grusha's compassion is not found in any other character in the play.

"Look, this is the curse of goodness," said Grusha, who went to help the helpless prince and was branded in the society as a woman alone with a child. It is used to measure by common measure.Grusha has a kind heart that can understand the love of a child and the needs of a new born child, even though she has to go to the law in the end. In order to escape from this, the child was placed in a place where it could be maintained, and at that time, the public identified the child as a child of a high class through silk cloth in the royal palace.It is impossible for her to carry the child so far and get lost. She takes risks for the child by staying and going together. She saves her child's life by saying that the hole is deep and the bottom is not visible, but she has a challenge to overcome.

This is the strategy used by the past Prime Ministers when he took over the government to explain to the people the uncertain future situation that has arisen in the current politics. They worked to show that even though the future is uncertain, this is the right thing to do at this moment and failure is not doing it. Through the use of silk cloths and rags to symbolically show those who have and those who do not have the power, a character portrayal of the drunken priest and Asadak is emotional.

Written by Gayani karunarathne