Thursday, December 19, 2013

Learn And Live Part 2

       As the final chapters of this blog come to a close, I would like to refer back to one of my earlier posts regarding my trip to the Isle of Skye in the great Scottish Highlands. I emphasized the beauty of the world in which we live and how much we can reflect on our own lives in this amazing planet by appreciating everything it has to offer. Well, boys and girls, there is still more to learn.

       A significant part of these past three months have been spent studying at the University of Glasgow, educating myself on the ins and outs of Scottish literature, culture, and history. I have learned so much and I can only thank the university with sincere and honest gratitude for allowing me the chance to have this entire experience. I have read texts that helped define the nation and create a culturally-aware society like none other. Though, to be honest, schoolwork was not my most absolutely favorite aspect of studying abroad, I must admit that I learned very interesting facts and stories about certain authors which I find truly valuable.

       One of the pieces I read was a poem by Edwin Morgan titled “The Loch Ness Monster’s Song.” [A copy of the poem, as well as a recording of it, can be viewed here- http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=1683. Trust me, you will want to see it.] The poem is written in a very unique style in which it appears the author slammed his head against the keyboard a few times and then sent it out for publishing. The first time I read it, I laughed. Yet when we discussed it in class, I discovered something very interesting. Edwin Morgan was homosexual; and this, his seemingly deranged rant against the English alphabet, was his coming-out story. The sounds which begin the poem are Morgan’s own proclamation about himself, screaming out to the world who he truly is and he has lived in secret, similar to the mysterious monster. Edwin Morgan, in an attempt to define his own self through his poetry, compares himself to the secretive and oh-so-great Loch Ness Monster.

       The poem stands as an emblem of confidence, of courage and self-awareness, refusing to accept society’s standards for defining who he is. When I discovered the meaning of this poem in class, I was amazed, bewildered, and absolutely stunned. Perhaps it is just the English major inside of me, but I found this piece of work so powerful. My study abroad experience was no doubt highlighted by the travels I undertook and the wondrous sights I witnessed, but it will moments like this one that will forever stay in mind. The education I have received in the past three months will exist as some of the best in my life because, in truth, it is like none other. Like my visit to the Isle of Skye, there is more out there in great, big world for us to see as well as learn.
 
 

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