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Jun. 8th, 2009
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Poetry corner
Jun. 8th, 2009 04:57 pmIt's favorite poem time, again.
For this one a bit of history is helpful. The Biblical background is the story of Abraham and Isaac, when the angel told Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac on an altar as a test of faith. It's a dramatic story, and it's essential to receive the impact of the poem. If you don't know that story, it's here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=1&chapter=22
Also interesting is the history of the author, Wilfred Owen. He was a British soldier killed at age 25 just at the end of World War I. Most of his poems concern the tragedy of war and were published posthumously.
OK, here's the poem:
The Parable of the Young Man and the Old
So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,
And took the fire with him, and a knife.
And as they sojourned, both of them together,
Isaac the first-born spake, and said, My Father,
Behold the preparations, fire and iron,
But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?
Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,
And builded parapets the trenches there,
And stretched forth the knife to slay his son.
When lo! an angel called him out of heaven,
Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him. Behold,
A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns;
Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him.
But the old man would not so, but slew his son,
And half the seed of Europe, one by one.
For this one a bit of history is helpful. The Biblical background is the story of Abraham and Isaac, when the angel told Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac on an altar as a test of faith. It's a dramatic story, and it's essential to receive the impact of the poem. If you don't know that story, it's here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=1&chapter=22
Also interesting is the history of the author, Wilfred Owen. He was a British soldier killed at age 25 just at the end of World War I. Most of his poems concern the tragedy of war and were published posthumously.
OK, here's the poem:
The Parable of the Young Man and the Old
So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,
And took the fire with him, and a knife.
And as they sojourned, both of them together,
Isaac the first-born spake, and said, My Father,
Behold the preparations, fire and iron,
But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?
Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,
And builded parapets the trenches there,
And stretched forth the knife to slay his son.
When lo! an angel called him out of heaven,
Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him. Behold,
A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns;
Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him.
But the old man would not so, but slew his son,
And half the seed of Europe, one by one.
Minimum wage
Jun. 8th, 2009 06:25 pmJust look at the two graphs on this link:
http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/07/25/the-federal-minimum-wage-looking-back-over-time/
And then here's a little "duh" moment:
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE54R6YD20090528
It just doesn't seem right, or prudent, that a minimum wage job is under the poverty line for a family of three. It doesn't seem right that the minimum wage isn't tied to any financial index like, say, inflation. If the fate of our economy rests on the purchasing power of the individual, it seems prudent to make sure that working people can afford to live in this country. I was never a huge fan of trickle-down economics. I am more into grass-roots economics.
http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/07/25/the-federal-minimum-wage-looking-back-over-time/
And then here's a little "duh" moment:
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE54R6YD20090528
It just doesn't seem right, or prudent, that a minimum wage job is under the poverty line for a family of three. It doesn't seem right that the minimum wage isn't tied to any financial index like, say, inflation. If the fate of our economy rests on the purchasing power of the individual, it seems prudent to make sure that working people can afford to live in this country. I was never a huge fan of trickle-down economics. I am more into grass-roots economics.