Evil Music

“Sweet soft and low, I will poison you all” - Joshua Homme

With the variability of music genre that we are exposed to regularly, there is one that transcends time and artist. An inescapable feeling of dread is thrust forth by musicians concerned with this style. When they record, they do so firmly within the realm of evil music.

Artists such as Josh Homme, Radiohead, Trent Reznor and The Mars Volta all engage with the darker aspects of life. Death, despair and depression become the basis for these musicians as they endeavor to create an investigation of a human nature tainted with evil.

The sharp stab of a piercingly malevolent lyric resonates with that string of malicious essence found in us all. The resonance that can ring out from the depths of one’s soul often seeps through when assaulted by these dark undercurrents of vice.

Listen to this music, enjoy and understand it, but most of all: fear it.

-The English Student

Non-Verbal Communication

“Silence has sometimes a remarkable power of showing itself as the disembodied soul of feeling” – Thomas Hardy

We live in a loud world full of raucous noise and harsh sound. It therefore does not surprise me that non-verbal communication is often more valuable than other mediums.

A knowing look, slight sigh or brush of a hand can portray emotion more clearly than any eloquent sentence or phrase. The purity of such actions that do not require forethought or education must be valued.

Emotions change on the whisper of a thought. The failure of our language to properly convey this transience means that we must look to these subtle cues to properly understand ourselves and others.

I will always treasure the gentle caress of someone’s hand, even at the expense of poetic declarations.

-The English Student

Wuthering Heights: Transient Love

Catherine Earnshaw declares "whatever our souls are made of, (Heathcliff's) and mine are the same". But we come to learn throughout Wuthering Heights that love is not enough.

Emily Brontë creates an expectation of joyous love in the portrayal of Catherine and Healthcliff's childhood. They are inseparable comrades, partners in crime and mischievous playmates. But the love that naturally springs from this relationship soon faces hard trials.

A simple misunderstanding separates the two friends. Following this, Catherine marries Linton and no real reconciliation can be possible. The two characters, who the reader knows to be ideal for each other remain forever separated by pride and misfortune.

A love based in the innocence of children must be considered a pure one. Brontë shows us that even this sacred force is fragile and breakable, awarding true love to the fortunate and self-deluded. Consequently, luck will play a part in the marriage of Hareton and Cathy that is alluded to in the closing of the novel.

Unfortunately, the influence of chance is inescapable in all matters of the fickle heart.

-The English Student

New Year Resolutions

Another holiday, another year, another chance to lie to ourselves.

Many people seem to use this time of year as an excuse to make grand and noble promises of self-improvement. While being questioned on this subject by friends, I was struck by the hypocrisy of the whole tradition. I find this ridiculous practice to be pointless in two respects.

Why do we try to deny who we are? Making unrealistic promises in a bid to obtain perfection can only lead to disappointment. While it is admirable to take steps towards self-improvement, it is utter folly to base these steps outside of reality.

But why should we need an excuse for self-improvement anyway? Every passing moment is a chance to make a redeeming effort. If we confine our quest for betterment to one occasion a year, we implicitly cause our growth to stagnate at other times. Pure intentions to seek change should come from life experience, not an arbitrary calendar date.

This year, I resolve to stop lying to myself and to forsake insincere promises and hollow attempts at improvement.

-The English Student

Securalism - Personal Affairs

"The road to the sacred leads through the secular." - Abraham Joshua Heschel

Religion no longer seems to have a spiritual basis, but rather a societal one. Listening to a preacher at one's chosen place of worship takes second place to creating appearances of attention to fellow worshipers. Some people even take their hollow evangelisation to the streets.

I have been stopped many times in numerous cities in this country by people preaching their religion. I must wonder what religious tenet it is that absolutely requires random strangers (such as I am to these people) to share a belief system. Is it a competition to see which religion garners more support, thereby confirming it to be the "correct" one?

I for one refuse to validate the wavering beliefs of these seemingly confused people. Even if I was compelled to, I very much doubt that there is anything that could be said to rejuvenate one's waning spirituality. These people mistakenly seek an answer to their subjective doubts in objective realms.

I could post my own beliefs here, but what would be the point? I do not require societal approval for personal philosophies.

-The English Student

Travel Literature

Beyond the confusing maritime language, travel literature can be said to have three things in common.

The seafarers of these stories refuse to abide by normal societal expectations. Gulliver's wanderlust causes him to leave his family on four occassions, while Crusoe and Rasselas recognise the advantage of their stations in life and yet reject them. These characters take to the sea, rebelling against their family, friends and responsibility.

The austere sea is enormous, bleak and solitary. It is into this physical isolation our protagonists arrive. There is no law at sea, no justice, no remorse and no mercy. These characters that have rejected society consequently find themselves at odds with humanity and as such, choose the only place devoid of this company.

Although our heroes set off as children, they return as adults, growing up abroad. In the case of Crusoe, it seems that he must undergo this experience on his island, as doing so at home would just further his contempt for the "middle life". Our travellers eventually learn that while we may often despise society, we cannot live without it.

While Swift asserts that "writers of travels...are sunk into oblivion", by using these three traits, their usefulness to humanity will always be recognised.

-The English Student

Moralising Alcoholics

Last night, I was once again coerced into swearing off a substance.

Why is it that people feel the need to focus on my methods of sedation over their own, socially accepted techniques? It seems that my friends won't be happy until they have succesfully driven me to alcoholism on par with their own crippling addiction.

There is a very direct societal analogue to be observed here. Everyone has a tendency to numb, blur or even destroy their perception of reality from time to time. In such a harsh world, this kind of escapism is only natural. But there seems to be very few acceptable ways of doing this nowadays.

To relieve the stress of everyday life, it is completely satisfactory to get absolutely polluted with alcohol. But how many fights, verbal or otherwise, do we observe on a weekly basis due to this over indulgence of drink? How many people have been adversely affected by liver problems derived from alcoholic binges? It is my opinion therefore, that society has put emphasis on the wrong method of sedation.

I do not intend to post a pious "legalise it" rant. Rather, this is a suggestion that alcoholics, coffee addicts and heavy smokers look at their own vice, before condemning mine.

-The English Student