Blog # 4: Reflection.

First I have to start saying that I have never seen any literature in English. However, I took some literature in my country (in Spanish), which was very much easier than in English. So before coming to this class I started asking my friends, who already had taken ENG-102, how the class is. After asking my friends I felt comfortable and “ready” to start this new class. So far, this two weeks have been kind of a lot of reading, so when you say(professor): "please always read twice every poem", my friend and I laughed about that because being English my second language and living here just for awhile, if an English speaker has to read it twice to understand and get the meaning of the poem properly, in my case, I have to read it at least four times to get it(not always). I also liked blogging. I have never done this before but I think blogging is a nice way to learn and see others’ work.

Blog #3: Tone and Symbolism, Essay 1.

Being the supernatural phenomena an interesting topic to talk and think about, I chose the Spanish song Psicofonia (Psychophony or EVP) written by Gloria Trevi. Gloria Trevi is a famous Mexican songwriter who is also well-known for having been almost five years in prison, for a crime she didn't commit. Her style, kind of gothic, punk and rock, has characterized her since very young. The song is the first single of her album “Rosa Blu”—without e at the end. It is because the company which produced her album didn’t want to have anything in English. Therefore Trevi decided to write it simply blu. I chose this song because after having been searching for awhile I remembered this song, so I started watching the video and it was just great. I believe that it fits perfectly with the class theme. I also chose this song because it talks about supernatural things, specifically about a dead man who is communicating with a woman who is alive. Finally they fall in love and according to the song they undergo many difficult situations. This song is full of symbolisms and the way Trevi performs the song shows many different tones.

The tone in a poem in this case a song is the way the singer expresses his/her feelings. It is also how the singer transmits to the listeners different emotions. In this song the singer shows different kind of tones such as sadness, loneliness, mystery, love, fear and anguish. Hence, using those tones, it becomes easier to understand the meaning of the song and what the songwriter wants to express. For example, at the beginning of the song in the first verse when she sings: “Since he is no longer. He doesn’t rest in peace, His soul cries, cries he is not satisfied with the loneliness” (Trevi). In this part, the way she sings shows sadness, anguish and loneliness that the dead man she is talking about is feeling. It is not just because the lyrics mention those words; it is because the way she performs the song. Through the song she changes her voice in every situation. Therefore, those voice changes give us an idea about what the story is and what the characters are living.

The symbols in a song is what the writer uses to say or mean something else, such as the word “red” is usually used to write about love, passion or blood. According to Wikipedia, “the symbolism used in a poem may not always be as overt as metaphor”. So it will be a bit harder to identify them, or the symbols can have different meanings. Fortunately the song I chose is easy to understand and the symbols that the author uses are clear. For instance, in the second verse when she says: “he looked at her eyes and fell […] into her heart” (Trevi). She means that the ghost fell in love when he saw the woman. Also the third verse says: "white cell" (Trevi). That means a mental hospital where the woman was locked. Therefore, symbolism makes us think in what the writer really means. It doesn't necessarily have to be the easiest part to understand in a song.

It could be possible that spirits are hanging around in this world. It could also be possible that we are not able to see them, and maybe they do have a way to communicate with us. We just have to pay attention.

Blog #2: Song Psychophony (EVP), Psicofonia.

I have always been interested in zombies, ghosts, aliens and the supernatural phenomena such as dead people sending messages and trying to communicate with real life. I have never experienced something like that, but I've heard a lot of stories related to those topics. I also used to watch TV programs that talked about those phenomena. I have always been curious about whether or not it exists--something else after death. So, for those reasons I chose this Spanish song by Gloria Trevi "Psicofonia" (in English Psychophony or EVP, I guess).
I searched on google.com. The link where I found it is:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/psicofonia-lyrics-gloria-trevi.html
I used the Google translator.

Photo link:http://www.psicofonia.com.es/psicofonias/index.htm

You can watch the video here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yBzzKz4pTM

PSYCHOPHONY (psicofonia)

Since he is no longer…

He doesn’t rest in peace,

His soul cries, cries he is not satisfied with the loneliness…
Since he is no longer….

He began to wander..

His soul penitent with no option to death for eternity…

They met on a cold December… three years ago.

He wanted to scare her by the window,

She scared him when she smile him ..

He looked at her eyes and he fell on her fund into her heart ..

CHORUS:

She is a crazy, crazy lost,

He loves her wounded soul..

They loved dancing without time

Psicofonías(EVP) that he sang in the wind ..

She is a crazy, crazy lost,

he appears in the fire and polychromes ..

And the ghost and crazy woman want to get married ..
The woman's father does not want to accept…

It is not a curse…

It attaches him to the mansion ..

For that reason he sings, sings and the wind takes his regret ..!

If you pay attention…

you will hear his voice…
And it is for sure that she in her white cell

is dancing Psicofonías (EVP) of love…

CHORUS:

She is a crazy, crazy lost,

He loves her wounded soul..

They loved dancing without time

Psicofonías(EVP) that sang in the wind ..

She is a crazy, crazy lost,

he appears in the fire and polychromes ..

And the ghost and crazy woman want to get married ..

The woman's father does not want to accept…

She is a mad, mad lost…
He adores her.. She never forgets ..
Because he surrounds her with psicofonías (EVP) ..
… The dead speak us, some love us! ..

Artist: Gloria Trevi.
Album: Rosa Blu.

Summary

This song is about a man who died long time ago, but his spirit stayed in the earth forever, locked in a house. One day he sees a young woman walking by the street. He tries to frighten her but he realizes that she doesn’t frighten, so he gets surprised. Then they fall in love and she tells that to her family that she wants to marry him. Her family believes that she is getting crazy. Her family sends her to a mental hospital. Even though she is locked in the mental hospital, she still believes that she can see the man’s spirit and listen what he says.

Blog # 1: About me

My name is John Correa, I am from a small city in Ecuador named Santo Domingo de los Colorados. I lived in Ecuador for 18 years, I came to New York almost two years ago. I love NY city. I came to this country because I had the opportunity to study for free. I am a Liberal Arts-Math&Sci student at LaGuardia Community College. I like swimming and listening to music. This is all I can say about me.