The piece I have chosen to analyze is Gerrit Dou’s Dentist by Candlelight. A Dutch painter from the 1600’s, Dou began this piece that explores everyday life in 1660 and completed it in 1665. Painted with oil on oak panel (14x10 in.), the piece, which is mostly bathed in blacks and grays, has an eerie lure to it. Entrapped on the oak is a man with his mouth agape, sitting in a wooden chair, wearing a distinct look of anticipating agony. The man looks to the ceiling, where his eyes are met with an alligator hanging from the ceiling; the alligator’s mouth agape as well, with its underbelly aglow. The dentist holds a single candle to the man’s face with one hand, and with the other holds back the patient’s forehead. A concerned wife stands before the man, holding his hand, which is securely fastened to the arm of the chair. The viewer anticipates action, as the scene seems ready to unfold at any moment. The three people in this situation form a sort of circle through their lit facades and ...
The concrete snakes that twist in the dark Don't know the stakes or the city's heart The winding turns through light and black Down the road so far there's no going back A community of no names A herd of strangers Moving in silence in the night A trance of stop and go Lost in the hum and vibration The elation of each green light And the yellow's anticipation Sights, sounds, sensations all blurred together I think the road goes on forever And even driving in a loop I still move forward Ending up in the same place Just another person on the road Just another car without a face
As with most things in my life, my first teaching experience was trial by fire. It's funny because one of my fellow English teachers came up to me the other day and said, "man, I have so much respect for you. You stepped into this awful situation and took over. It's never easy walking into a storm like that." Later I sat at my desk and laughed to myself. I knew that things had been exceptionally tough, but this was all I knew, this was the only reality I had experienced. And I think everyone knew what a tough position I was in. Another English teacher at the school said, "please don't think this is what teaching is like. It is so much better than what you're dealing with. Don't give up on teaching, you're so good." I hadn't intended on giving up on teaching, but apparently my situation would cause any sane person to. At the beginning of the semester, I took a week-long sub position that turned into a semester-long position. ...
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