Notes 2 & 3

Note #2

The Notebook Lake Scene

In this poignant scene from The Notebook, the sudden shift in weather signals a loosening tension and ultimate relational shift between the lovers.  The drastic change from a calm sunset, to a downpour, and finally a wild storm represents the characters’ movement from impersonal acquaintances to crazed lovers. The lake was initially quiet, still, and placid resembling the peaceful, formal, and uptight interaction of the long-lost lovers.  The spontaneous, overwhelming rainfall is similar to their love in the beginning before the tension.  The throbbing sheets of rain eventually seem to wash away the apprehension and renew the lovers’ youthful spirits.  The soaking, unexpected downpour is initially unwelcome as it causes frustration and discomfort to Allie who frantically attempts to rescue her appearance, almost as if she is fighting to save the mask of her new life.  Eventually, the buffeting rain defeats any attempt of salvaging her pointless facade and she embraces her soaked appearance and the fury of the storm together with Noah.  The methodical, rushing drops that allow the exhilarating release of tension and formality cause Allie to release her hair from its restraining pins and ties.  Her echoing laughter breaks seems to pummel the final barrier as her hair falls down her back and flings about, taking in the bitter caresses of the downpour.  The letting down of her hair parallels the falling rain as a sort of falling curtain ending an awkward, proper, impersonal stage of Allie and Noah’s relationship and beginning an intimate, frenzied, passionately crazed love.  Both the rain and the hair represent a liberating, relaxing release of inhibition and resistance.  The final shift in the weather to not just a downpour, but a raging storm electrifies in Allie a liberating abrasiveness as if the crack of the lightning struck into her an unanticipated boldness.  This gargantuan burst of courage caused words of confrontation and confession to furiously flow from her mouth like the wild rain surrounding her.  Step by step the weather parallels the shift in the lovers from placidly peaceful to fervently passionate.

Note #3

"The Rain"

I hear leaves drinking rain;
I hear rich leaves on top
Giving the poor beneath
Drop after drop;
'Tis a sweet noise to hear
These green leaves drinking near.

And when the Sun comes out,
After this Rain shall stop,
A wondrous Light will fill
Each dark, round drop;
I hope the Sun shines bright;
'Twill be a lovely sight

By: William Henry Davies

In “The Rain” by William Henry Davies, the simple diction and stimulating description creates a soothing sense of unity in nature and paints a tranquil image of an undisturbed landscape.  The “sweet noise” and “green leaves drinking” powerfully appeals to the senses of taste and hearing arousing a connection physically.  The slow, mellifluous “drop after drop” of the drizzling rain produces an overwhelmingly peaceful mood.  This calming disposition from the relaxing drizzle makes the rain desirable.  The elementary diction and short but sweet lines allow the words to flow smoothly like the rain itself as it caresses the silky coats of the leaves.  The personification of the privileged “rich leaves” nurturing the disadvantaged “poor beneath” develops a sense of an affectionate community within the flourishing branches.  When the sun’s appearance causes the rain to cease, it is given an undeclared omnipotent power over the inferior elements of the weather and earth.  As the sun “shines bright” and generates “a lovely sight” it tenderly radiates its superiority over the hushed landscape like a fostering deity.  In the hushed serenity of the untouched landscape one can almost hear the poem whispered in the breeze rustling the glistening leaves on the tree of sparkles.       

Note #1

A teacher asked Paul
what he would remember
from third grade, and he sat
a long time before writing
"this year somebody tutched me
on the sholder"
and turned his paper in.
Later she showed it to me
as an example of her wasted life.
The words he wrote were large
as houses in a landscape.
He wanted to go inside them
and live, he could fill in
the windows of "o" and "d"
and be safe while outside
birds building nests in drainpipes
knew nothing of the coming rain.

-- Naomi Shihab Nye

In Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Rain”, the short, sweet, and simple elegance delineates the underlying symbolism and foreshadowing of the oncoming threat and adversity.  The ignorant spelling and gargantuan letters of the young boy’s written response to his teacher’s question not only characterize him as a tenderly innocent, but they also emphasize his malleability.  The boy’s deeply considered, profound answer presents the importance of an event as insignificant as a simple gesture while exposing his heart-wrenching neglect. The teacher’s pity and self-focus on her “wasted life” blind her from the boy’s desire for attention and necessity of affection.  The teacher’s intent and vigorous focus on leading her students to successful futures canopies the extent of her student’s suffering and his cry for help.  The seemingly tragic misunderstanding between the suffering boy and frustrated teacher shines a satirical light on self-centered society.  The rain serves as a festering, unavoidable omen of the boy’s heavy burden.  The boy’s desire for the comforting protection and relieving security of the houses reveals his desperate search for a non-existent refuge from the rain.  The unaware bliss of the busy birds creates a sense of an impenetrable barrier separating the boy and his stormy life from the whirlwind society.  The rain foreshadows an unavoidable coming threat; it’s almost as if he can see it in the distance but not taste, feel, or hear it.  Like a boulder hanging by a thread, all the boy can do is watch and wait for the “coming rain” to attack and completely engulf his life, mind, body, and soul while the oblivious others tragically watch from the sidelines. 

Anthology

The theme for my anthology will be rain.  It fascinates me with both is simplicity and complexity.  It is so contrasting with a wide range of variety from the harsh, dark pounding of a stormy downpour to the soft, peaceful drip-dropping of a spring shower.  It can set the mood, cause foreshadowing, and really change the pace of any piece of work.  One artifact I hope to use is the poem Rain by Naomi Shihab Nye because the poem is short and sweet and, even though rain is not the main focus or mentioned at all until the last line, it plays an important role in the poem’s mood while emphasizing the beauty of childhood naivety.  Another artifact I would like to use would be the rain scene in the Notebook because I find it only necessary to have at least one stereotypical, romantic rain scene in my collection.