A Short Review...

This past semester of school was my last semester here at Ivy Tech. I enjoyed this past semester more than the other three. This semester, for me, mostly consisted of English courses. I enjoyed this class most though compared to all of the others. I have never taken a class where we got to pick what assignments we wanted to complete. I feel that way of teaching is better then the others. It let's us decide what we want to complete by what we are best at to begin with. As I have established, the pod of The Great Gatsby was my favorite pod of them all. I got to read the story that I love that I have read once before in high school. I liked these blog projects because I got to show you all a little of what I like. I wish you all luck with your futures whether it be more years with Ivy Tech, transferring to bigger colleges, or just simply progressing on with life. It was a joy.

Rebecca.

Let's Talk More About Gatsby!

Let's talk a little more about The Great Gatsby. I want to talk more about the music selections and the concept of the remake of the original movie. It seems that they take a different standpoint then the original. The remake is all about the parties and upbeat music. I think this is what makes the remake so fun. I'm also a big fan of Leonardo Dicaprio so it just makes the movie ten times better. I would like to hear more of peoples' opinions on this matter. Have you all seen the remake of The Great Gatsby? If so, did you like it? Did you like the original more? What did you think of all of the upbeat music? If you haven't seen the movie I enclosed another song from the movie. This song is one of the many upbeat songs that play at the party.

Switching It Up To Gatsby!

One of my favorite stories we ever read this semester was The Great Gatsby. I just really love that book. I read it in high school and of course again for this class. When I read it in high school we also watched the original movie, because at the time the remake wasn't quite out yet. That's what I want to talk about in this post. The remake of The Great Gatsby. I want to know everyone's thoughts on that. I really enjoyed the remake and what they did with it. I think they picked the perfect actors and actresses for the roles in the film. The one thing I really want to talk about when it comes to this movie is an artist who sang a famous song for it. Lana Del Rey sang "Young and Beautiful" for the film. I think what made me think of her is at the end of this month I am going to see her in concert with my sister. But anyways... I believe the song ties the film together pretty well and that was definitely one of my favorite things we read this semester!
Enclosed is a video of the song that Lana Del Rey sang. I figured I'd share it all with you. Enjoy!

The Emptiness

Another album Alesana came out with was The Emptiness. They came out with it in 2010. The Emptiness was one of the last albums I ever listened to by them. I think it was their sound that drove me not to listen to them anymore, not their lyrics. Their album The Emptiness still went along with their other albums. It told a story. They are like any other authors they tell stories, but instead of making books they make music. On this specific album the song that I enjoyed the most was "The Thespian." The Emptiness ran off of this story about Annabel. This song went along with that. There is a lot of spoken words on this album and that's why I enjoyed it the most. It tells more of a story before they start singing. I post another video so that way you all can listen to the song but I will still post the lyrics below that way you can read everything.

The lyrics to Alesana's "The Thespian" are:

Baby! Why are you doing this to me?
Sweetheart! Are those your eyes staring straight back at me?
Angel! I see your smile everywhere!
Darling! Stop!

Night falls and I'm running in circles (Wohoo Wohoo)
I'm being chased by my imagination (Wohoo Wohoo)

Tell me I'm forgiven say you'll always be mine
Say that everything is over, tell me I'm fine
No one deserves to live like this!

Tell me I'm forgiven say you'll always be mine
Say that everything is over, tell me I'm fine
No one deserves to live like this!

I touch your lips and stare in your eyes
You smile and it makes me fly
You are the reason my heart beats
Tonight it's just you and me

Night as dark as my thoughts sets the scene for my return
Lightning nips at my heels as I race home
Wearily I stagger towards the song of her pale voice
Demons jeer my attempt to be free

Tell me I'm forgiven say you'll always be mine
Say that everything is over, tell me I'm fine
No one deserves to live like this!

Tell me I'm forgiven say you'll always be mine
Say that everything is over, tell me I'm fine
No one deserves to live like this!

I touch your lips and stare in your eyes
You smile and it makes me fly
You are the reason my heart beats
Tonight it's just you and me

Windows cast her gentle reflection
Her somber silhouette dances for me

Look at you, you miserable fool
Get off your knees, your prayers fall upon deaf ears
God's turned his back on you, Heaven's gates are shut
And now you're knocking on the devil's door

I've been expecting you for some time, sir
Allow me to introduce myself
I'm the one who pulls on all the strings, son
You're lucky I don't kill you where you stand

This can't be real
Tonight I raise my glass
There's nothing left
For I know it's time to move on

All hope has failed
My patience will not last
I've lost my soul
Tomorrow I will be gone

Where Myth Fades to Legend

Alesana's next album "Where Myth Fades to Legend" came around 2008. This album isn't like their first one, "On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax." This album didn't really go along with Greek legends, but it still told a story. The order that they place their songs on their albums makes sense to where it seems like they go along with a story. My favorite song off of their album "Where Myth Fades to Legend" is As You Wish. This song is one of their softer songs. I figured I pick out one that doesn't have a lot of screaming that way others could relate more or enjoy their sound. This song kind of goes along with the tale of Romeo and Juliet. I hope you all enjoy. I'll post the lyrics underneath the video.

The lyrics to Alesana's As You Wish are:

Life is meaningless without you
Love can be such a beautiful torture
My heart breaks as I long for you
Love can be such lovely torture

I will climb the hills, draw my sword and take down
Anyone who tries to stand in front of me
Please know I'll never run away without you in my arms
One day lovers will dream of this undying kiss
Not of Romeo or Juliet
Stories told of our love will never die

I've slain the most unholy things, endured such terrific pain
Finally I'll feel your caress again
I've braved the cold and lonely seas, I have prevailed against the odds
Then again...

I will climb the hills, draw my sword and take down
Anyone who tries to stand in front of me
Please know I'll never run away without you in my arms
One day lovers will dream of this undying kiss
Not of Romeo or Juliet
Stories told of our love will never die

Will you forgive what I've done to give you four white horses?

One day lovers will dream of this undying kiss
Not of Romeo or Juliet
Stories told of our love will never die

Alesana: On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax

I'm not much of a reader and it takes a lot for me to read. I read for school because it is required. I have enjoyed what we have been required to read this semester though. A big thing that I do enjoy though is music. While completing my school work I love to listen to music. My blog posts will talk about the music group, Alesana. Alesana is my favorite music group. Their first album, specifically, relates to literature, in my opinion. All of their albums run like a story. They all tell stories. Some of you might not like Alesana because they are more of a 'screamo' band, if we must say. This first album pays a lot of attention to Greek legends. It includes Icarus, Hades, Zeus, Orpheus, etc. To give you all a look at who they are and there sound I'll post a music video. Since their lyrics might be hard to make out I will also post the lyrics to that specific song as well. The song I'll post will this post is their song Ambrosia.

"A touch of poison seals my fate
The dawn echoes the night with my glory
The sun himself honors me
Once king of roses, now lord of gold
The gods themselves envy my hand
Blessed with the gift of gilded touch
Fate wields its knife to cut the thread
I curse the day my dream became my descent
Suddenly I long for you, my only love
In my perfection I have no want
Yet eyes still glint with greed untold
A folly as fatal as sin has now become the end of me
I curse the day my dream became my descent
Suddenly I long for you, my only love
Have I not earned this, the gift of beauty within?
How selfish were the gods to keep their riches from my rightful treasure
I truly have become one of them, my fatal flaw
Oh yeah, I've got her hook, line and sinker
Thanks to me, she's her own new necklace
Now she's good as gold
I curse the day my dream became my descent
Suddenly I long for you, my only love
Cut the thread" Alesana - Ambrosia

Now I know they may look silly but this music video is from a little while back. This is from their first album which came out in 2006. I hope you all enjoyed a little bit of my favorite kind of artist. I'll talk about their next album in my next post.