king lear #spoilers

I finished reading King Lear this morning and... wow. What a great ending. The language in that play was complicated as heeeell but act v just REALLY did it for me. Edgar's last lines were solo perfect. He just tied up the moral and overall theme of the play so well. I was reading it and like gasped. I was sitting on the couch with my mom and explained the whole plot to her just so I could read her the final quote in the play. So many characters died, but I'm not surprised at all considering it's Shakespeare. On average characters died per page for like the last 3 pages of the play lol.

Next I want to read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. I've heard that his histories are nowhere near as good as his tragedies and comedies, but I feel like I have to read this one. Plus I like Shakespeare anyway so I really can't go wrong. I'm also reading The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius and it's really interesting. My dad gave me the book and described it as, "the gossip and drama of ancient Rome". I'm reading the english translation, of course, and all I can think the whole time I read it is, "THIS WOULD BE SO MUCH INDIRECT STATEMENT IN LATIN DO I REALLY WANNA TRY TO FIND A LATIN VERSION OF THE TEXT ONLINE?!?!" Just so we're clear, my answer is YES. Hm maybe I'll do that now o: 

October

Is there no better time for introspection? I've been busier than a bee with all of my AP classes and work and life in general, but I certainly am keeping my head above water. In AP Latin we're halfway through translating Caesar's De Bello Gallico. We've translated books I, IV, and now we're on V. I think we're translating all the way through book VI. It is frustrating at times, but oh! how I do love it.

I wrote an essay for AP Lit all about Hamlet. I examined how elements of humor throughout the text impact the tragic elements of the play. Tonight is wednesday and I don't have school again until this coming Tuesday. My bones are restless. Of course I have homework to do over my break, but I am not thinking so much about that right now. Over the past month I had a little bit of a romantic fling with a friend of mine, and it was very fun. Rather fulfilling for the most part. But I ended it on the weekend. I was too frustrated because our schedules clash and it was too much effort for something that was just messing around.

Now I'm sat at home, wishing someone were here with me. Decisions. I want to hang out with someone tomorrow before I have to go to work, but we'll see what happens. I may just spend the day working on Chemistry assignments and translating Latin. Perhaps I will just try to finish translating the rest of book V (I'm halfway through translating 5.33, I'm not sure how many are left after this one). I just checked, looks like my text goes through 5.48. We'll see how much I can stand to translate tomorrow. I'm not sure why, but translating isn't a chore for me. I look forward to doing my Latin homework. After we finish up with Caesar, we're going to move onto some of Virgil's poetry. I'm excited to translate poetry, it will be a nice break from all of this war-talk and history (I feel as though I must use the term "history" loosely, haha).

Here's an album I listen to a lot while translating (it keeps me focused): xoxo

Life has not stopped changing drastically for me ever since sophomore year. I must say that I love it. There are surely days where I become frustrated, and I go through periods where my depression gets back to a concerning level, but I am a much more level-headed and strong person than I was before. Spending time alone has taught me how to reflect properly and how to comprehend the things that happen in my life.

Such as tonight, I am feeling very introspective. I've been listening to a lot of music. I had baton practice, and it was very hot in the gym but I've really been enjoying the routines we're working on for this year. They're very fast and upbeat. A nice change of pace.

Here is a poem I wrote a while ago, I'm still not sure how I feel about it:

08/25/14

Oh, hold me close but don’t choke me

Flower petal imprints can still be seen

Light pink in rings around my neck;

I’m alive and my eyes are swollen yet

My heart is beautiful like the sea is clean:

Daises don’t grow in the bottom of the ocean.

Sanitize the burns with salt water,

Nothing may grow but it will be clean,

Choking throat and clogging lungs

The salt water stings the lamentations

I’ve streaked out on my body,

I forgot that salting the soil stops all growth,

My veins reek of Carthage.

Write me a melancholy filled

Solely with flower petal footprints

In murky river water, not on my skin,

I know that it burns less.

The tall grass and bright summer-

Time blooms are rushed away by

Fresh running water. Write me flower

Picking in early June. I need it back.

I want to revisit memories with a different

Version of myself: no petal-like

lesions across my body.

 I may revisit it someday soon. I need to edit a lot of the pieces I've been working on lately. My brain has been too preoccupied for that though as of late.

Here are some Latin quotes I've gotten recently and they are worth sharing:

Ebrietas mores aufert tibi, res et honores
"Drunkness takes away your character, your things, and your reputation" (Medieval).

Ex ore tuo te iudico
"I judge you from your own mouth" (--)

Such great quotations, maybe once I've gotten some other good ones I'll post those as well. Hope whoever reads this has a nice day. I doubt that anyone besides myself still reads my blog. I have cut out all the people from my life who used to read it. Honestly I prefer it this way.

Vivamus- "Let Us Live".

Yoooo It's June!

I'm taking a college class this summer in Latin and it's two semesters of Latin in 5 weeks. We're on week four pray for me.

Tomorrow is July which is insane!!! Mexico is out of the running for the title in the FIFA world cup so I don't really care about that anymore. That's a lie. I'm so watching the rest of the matches.

Fav quote so far that I've translated in Latin Class:

Mea puella magis quam meos oculos amo.

I love my girlfriend more than my eyes. 

I had to remember this off the top of my head so if it's not 100% correct oh well. I believe it was Catullus who said this. 

The other things I really like are some passages by Horace and Cicero about friendship. If I get the time maybe I'll post my translations for you all :) They are very sweet. An interesting quip my professor says often: Technology changes; people don't. So reading Roman works on morality, friendship, love, etc. are all still relevant. I love it!

I also have been working on some writing projects that I may post as well in the future. But for now-

Valete!

PS: best album in my life right now

 

Small Revelations

I am wearing shorts today. I thought it was going to be nice outside, but it's just raining. I'm afraid that it will keep raining all day, and that it'll be pouring by the time school gets out. If tat is the case, I'm going to have to take off my shoes and hold them safely in my hoodie because I don't want to ruin them in the dirty water.

In other news, this morning in the car I had a mini revelation. It's not anything grand, and it's something that zillions of people already know, or already knew (in the case of all the people who are dead). For those of y'all who do not live in the good old U of A, you may not know that on our 25 cent coin there is the phrase E pluribus unum, which means 'out of many, one'.

"E" in Latin means 'out of' or 'away from'. If this word is used in a sentence, the word that something is coming out of has to be put into the ablative case. It's just how it is. And while in the car I realized that 'pluribus' is in the ablative case because 'ibus' is an ablative 3rd declension noun ending. And I had a huge nerd moment. Whether or not this makes sense to anyone else but me, I suppose that is not very importnat. At least I know I've actually learned something in Latin class.

UPDATE 5/13/13: As a matter of fact I did take off my shoes, and it was pouring freezing rain and my feet practically froze. On the ride home I wrapped my feet in my sweater. 

Latin Mottoes

Recently in my Latin Class at school my teacher had us pick and memorize a famous latin phrase. Do you want to do the same? Here is a complete list :) The highlighted ones are my favorites!

ab ovo usque ad mala:  from eggs to apples

ab urbe condita:  from the foundation of the city

ad astra per aspera:  to the stars through difficulties

ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG):  to the greater glory

             of God

acta non verba:  deeds not words

alea iacta est (Caesar):  the die is cast

amor caecus est:  love is blind

annuit coeptis (dollar):  he approves of our beginnings

ante bellum:  before the war

ars longa, vita brevis:  art is long, life is short

ave atque vale (Catullus):  hail and farewell

bis in die (bid) (pharmaceutical):  twice a day

bona fide:  in good faith

bona fortuna:  good luck

canis meus id comedit:  my dog ate it

carpe diem (Horace):  seize the day

caveat emptor: let the buyer beware

cedant arma togae:  let weapons yeild to the toga

cogito ergo sum (Descartes):  I think therefore I am

corrigenda:  things to be corrected

cui bono:  who benefits?

cum tacent, clamant (Cicero):  their silence speaks

louder than words

cum laude:  with honors

cura ut valeas:  take care that you may be well

de facto/de jure:  by custom/by law

de gustibus non est disputandum:  there is no arguing

             about taste

deo volente:  with god willing

deus ex machina (a contrived or artificial solution)

dies irae:  day of wrath (judgement day)

di immortales!:  immortal gods!

discimus docendo:  we learn by teaching

divide et impera:  divide and conquer

dona nobis pacem:  give us peace

do ut des (Roman sacrifice):  I give that you might give

dum spiro, spero:  while I breathe, I hope

dum vivimus, vivamus:  while we live, let us live

dux femina facti (Vergil):  a woman was the leader

            of the deed

eheu fugaces labuntur anni (Horace):  alas, the fleeing

years slip away

e pluribus unum (American money):  one out of many

errata:  mistakes

esse quam videri (Motto of North Carolina):  to be rather than to seem

et tu, Brute? (Caesar):  you too, Brutus?

excelsior (Motto of NY):  higher

festina lente:  hurry slowly

fiat lux (Bible):  let there be light

gaudeamus igitur:  therefore, let us rejoice

gloria in excelsis deo:  glory in the highest to God

ibidem:  in the same place

id est (i.e.):  that is (used before a restatement)

ignosce mihi:  forgive me

in flagrante delicto (legal):  in blazing crime

in hoc signo vinces (Eusebius, sign on Constantine’s

soldiers, the cross):  in this sign you will

conquer

in vino veritas: (there is) truth in wine

Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (INRI):  Jesus of

Nazareth, King of the Jews

labor omnia vincit (Virgil):  work conquers everything

lapsus linguae:  a slip of the tongue

mea culpa:  my fault

mens sana in corpore sano (Juvenal):  a healthy mind

in a healthy body

nolens volens:  not wanting/wanting; whether a person

wants something or not

nolo contendere (legal):  I do not wish to contend

non compos mentis (legal):  not of sane mind

non sequitur:  it does not follow (doesn’t make sense)

non sibi sed suis:  not for one’s self, but for one’s

people

nota bene (NB):  note well

novus ordo saeclorum (dollar):  a new order of ages

nunc aut numquam:  now or never

obesa cantavit:  the fat lady has sung

oderint dum metuant (Seneca): as long as they fear,

             they hate

odi et amo (Catullus):  I love and I hate

onus probandi (legal):  the burden of proof

ora pro nobis:  pray for us

o tempora, o mores! (Cicero):  o the times, o the

customs!  (bemoaning immorality)

panem et circenses:  bread and circuses (food and

entertainment)

pater familias:  the father of the family

per aspera ad astra:  through difficulties to the stars

per se:  in itself

pro re nata (prn) (prescriptions): for the occasion as it

arises, as needed

qui custodiet ipsos custodes? (Juvenal):  who will

guard the guards themselves?

quid novi?:  what’s new?

quid pro quo:  something for something

qui multum habet, plus cupit (Seneca): he who has

much, wants more

quot homines, tot sententiae:  how many men, so many

opinions

rara avis (Juvenal):  a rare bird

rigor mortis:  the rigidity of death

salus populi suprema lex (Cicero): the safety of the

people is the highest law

sapere aude!  (Horace):  dare to be wise!

semper fidelis (semper fi) (Marines):  always faithful

sic semper Tyrannis (Virginia):  thus always to tyrants

sic transit gloria mundi:  thus passes the glory of the

world

sine qua non :  without which nothing (something

necessary)

si vis amari, ama (Seneca):  if you want to be loved,

love

si vis pacem, para bellum (Vegetius):  if you want

             peace, prepare for war

sui generis:  of its own kind (unique)

suum cuique pulchrum est (Cicero):  to each man his

own is beautiful

sunt lacrimae rerum, et mentem mortalia tangunt

(Vergil):  There are tears for these things, and

human suffering touches the mind

tabula rasa:  a blank slate

terra incognita:  unknown land

timeo Danaos, et dona ferentes (Virgil):  I fear Greeks,

even bearing gifts

trahimur omnes laudis studio (Cicero):  we are all

drawn by desire for praise

ubi fumus, ibi ignis:  where there’s smoke, there’s fire

veni, vidi, vici (Caesar):  I came, I saw, I conquered

veritas vos liberabit:  the truth will set you free

volens et potens:  willing and able

vox populi:  the voice of the people

Carpe Diem!

At the request of Lizzie, I am writing a blog post today. Things have been terrible lately, but luckily I won a pencil in Latin class yesterday that says "Carpe Diem". I plan on carpe-ing the living hell out of my diem tomorrow. The reason I won the pencil is because in Latin class we play a game where we all sit on our desks, and take turns answering what a vocab word means when the teacher holds up the flashcard. If you answer incorrectly, you have to sit in your desk. Whoever is left sitting on their desk after she's gone through all the cards twice gets to choose from the prize bucket. Let it be known right now that my Latin teacher has the best prize bucket of any teacher I've ever had. She has temporary rainbow tattoos, pencils with semi-inspirational phrases written on them in Latin, and miniature rubber duckies. The greatest thing about the rubber duckies is that they're all dressed up in different little outfits, and one was actually in workout gear and had a little duckie sweatband on its head. Most. Adorable. Thing. Ever.