Do People Read Too Much Into Things ?

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turbomonkey138

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#1  Edited By turbomonkey138

Having done media studies for 2 years and English literature for 4 i noticed something interesting . Is it just possible that The poem about a dying sheep is just about a dying sheep rather a metaphor on the destruction of innocence by industrialized consumerism . I'm sick of writing essays about the hidden meaning of things . I sure you can take absolutely ANYTHING and make it into a metaphor of have some alternative meaning . example i killed a spider that dropped on my head last night . That could represent the destruction of nature by human industrialization and pollution . OR ... i could have just killed it becuase they freak me out . I think the entire side of analytical study is stupid . Don't get me Started on Films .


Try Make a Metaphor about this
Try Make a Metaphor about this


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Jayge_

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#2  Edited By Jayge_

I had to write a 3 page essay in freshmen honor's English (high school) on the significance of the color of some candles in some cave or something for the play Antigone. At that point I transfered into a lower class and coasted without ever having to delve into that bullshit again. I wouldn't want it any other way.


I do get in trouble whenever we watch the special interviews for a DVD and find out that there are people who make a living going around presenting themselves with the title "John Steinbeck Scholar" though.
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turbomonkey138

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#3  Edited By turbomonkey138
@Jayge said:
" I had to write a 3 page essay in freshmen honor's English (high school) on the significance of the color of some candles in some cave or something for the play Antigone. At that point I transfered into a lower class and coasted without ever having to delve into that bullshit again. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I do get in trouble whenever we watch the special interviews for a DVD and find out that there are people who make a living going around presenting themselves with the title "John Steinbeck Scholar" though.
"
Did you ever have to do a book called Lord of the files ? so many pointless meanings in that
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buzz_clik

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#4  Edited By buzz_clik

That fly totally represents the fragility and brevity of life!

And yeah, having written essays for art bollocks, it's easy to crap on about stuff. I actually did some artwork for school (rather hurriedly, I might add) about success and failure, the haves and the have-nots. The piece got displayed in some local gallery and the chick who worked there loved it. Thing was, she thought it was about women of the world being held down by a dominant masculine society. Oh, and the kicker was she was adamantly telling students doing a tour of the gallery in no uncertain terms that's what it was about.

I didn't bother correcting her. I just thought it was too funny.

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buzz_clik

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#5  Edited By buzz_clik
@turbomonkey138 said:
" Did you ever have to do a book called Lord of the files ? so many pointless meanings in that "
Really? I think it's a great book with some pretty cool allusions and themes in it.
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Milkman

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#6  Edited By Milkman

Maybe you should right an essay about this instead then.

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kmdrkul

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#7  Edited By kmdrkul
@turbomonkey138: That's why my major is journalism.  You account for what you see, not for what your dumb professor wants you to "see."
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Jayge_

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#8  Edited By Jayge_
@turbomonkey138 said:
" @Jayge said:
" I had to write a 3 page essay in freshmen honor's English (high school) on the significance of the color of some candles in some cave or something for the play Antigone. At that point I transfered into a lower class and coasted without ever having to delve into that bullshit again. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I do get in trouble whenever we watch the special interviews for a DVD and find out that there are people who make a living going around presenting themselves with the title "John Steinbeck Scholar" though.
"
Did you ever have to do a book called Lord of the files ? so many pointless meanings in that "
I read it for what could be described beforehand as pleasure, and what could be described afterwards as great dislike. Never for school though, luckily enough.
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tekmojo

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#9  Edited By tekmojo

It's the expansion of human conversation and understandings. You definitely didn't start out discussing topics as layered as industrialized consumerism. You looked back at early industrial eras and figured out that clothing and consumer products back then were very simple as in term of manufacturing processes. It's always easier to understand something by analyzing the start, then figuring out how it shaped the end. Metaphors are best used to wrap up analytical phrases and complex layers of thought. If everything was summed up word for word, it wouldn't be as fun and thought provoking.

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turbomonkey138

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#10  Edited By turbomonkey138
@tekmojo said:
" It's the expansion of human conversation and understandings. You definitely didn't start out discussing topics as layered as industrialized consumerism. You looked back at early industrial eras and figured out that clothing and consumer products back then were very simple as in term of manufacturing processes. It's always easier to understand something by analyzing the start, then figuring out how it shaped the end. Metaphors are best used to wrap up analytical phrases and complex layers of thought. If everything was summed up word for word, it wouldn't be as fun and thought provoking. "
But if they were i wouldn't have to write this essay fro college now :)
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auspiciousqueue

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#11  Edited By auspiciousqueue

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. 

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#12  Edited By buzz_clik
@auspiciousqueue said:
" Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.  "
Except when it's a penis. Which is all the time.
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#13  Edited By MattyFTM  Moderator

There was poet a while ago (I think it was Roger McGough, but I'm not sure) who took the English Literature A-level (a British qualification, earned between ages 16-18) exam on his own poetry, and he failed. Because what he meant when writing his poetry was completely different from how the examiners interpreted it, and in turn how they teach students about it.

The way we teach English Literature is bollocks. Poetry and Prose should be a unique experience to individuals. We should be encouraging kids to interpret it in their own, unique way, not teach them a uniform boring interpretation of it.

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#14  Edited By Azteck
@MattyFTM said:
" There was poet a while ago (I think it was Roger McGough, but I'm not sure) who took the English Literature A-level (a British qualification, earned between ages 16-18) exam on his own poetry, and he failed. Because what he meant when writing his poetry was completely different from how the examiners interpreted it, and in turn how they teach students about it.
That's pretty much where school falls flat across the globe. A lot of things are entirely based on what that person sees and you can never really defend or explain what you wrote.
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#15  Edited By ValkyrieGoddess
@MattyFTM said:
"Poetry and Prose should be a unique experience to individuals. We should be encouraging kids to interpret it in their own, unique way, not teach them a uniform boring interpretation of it. "
I so agree with you. 
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Illmatic

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#16  Edited By Illmatic

It wasn't the constant reading into things that annoyed me about my philosophy or english classes but the teachers being adamant on one single interpretation. If you got stuck with a teacher like that it was basically a class on who could regurgitate exactly what the teacher said every exam day.

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#17  Edited By cspiffo

Ah Philosophy.
How do I hate thee?
Let me count the ways...

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Canberra

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#18  Edited By Canberra

Yes and no, for instance:

Godzilla is believed to be a metaphor for America, considering this makes sense and for me gives the franchises origins something to really think about.

Whereas, people who say that missiles and bullets are metaphors for penises should consider the aerodynamic properties of a vaginas.

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#19  Edited By penguindust
@buzz_clik said:
" @auspiciousqueue said:
" Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.  "
Except when it's a penis. Which is all the time. "
Isn't everything representative a man's penis and the penis itself representative of male ego?   Now excuse me while I drive my expensive sports car to the gun range near the Washington Monument where I will eat Twinkies and smoke cigars.  

...and I think Godzilla is actually a metaphor for my penis!  (at least many an Asian has fled screaming from the sight of it)
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#20  Edited By rinkalicous

A while ago in an English class, I asked this very question. The teacher told me to go ont he site of the poet we were studying, as she hoped that this would show that the poet was deliberatly putting meanings into things. However, the very first FAQ I saw said something along the lines of 'I just write my poems, I don't put in any hidden meaning. But if you want to pick out some convoluted meaning- go for it'.

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iam3green

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#21  Edited By iam3green

yes, i also hate those. it's something that i don't get in reading literature books in high school/ college.

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#22  Edited By sparky_buzzsaw

Part of the joy of studying poetry and literature is analyzing and searching for deeper meaning.  Learn to enjoy it rather than hate it, and never be afraid to voice your own opinion on what a poem or piece of work might mean to you personally.  It's not just about spouting off the routine meanings given by every student looking to fly through a class - it's about finding a reflection of the self, of discovering a little more about both the writer and the reader.

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@ValkyrieGoddess said:
" @MattyFTM said:
"Poetry and Prose should be a unique experience to individuals. We should be encouraging kids to interpret it in their own, unique way, not teach them a uniform boring interpretation of it. "
I so agree with you.  "
So do I, If everyone saw things the same way things would be, well, the same and we know not every see things the same way . Also hearing different interpretations of things can make you see things differently and allow you to get a broader perspective on things. 

And I don't think people look into things too much, in fact most of the time I think it is the opposite. I really enjoy reading into to things and finding meaning to books, poems, music, art, video games or whatever creative medium people use to get ideas across. Even just looking at people and trying to analyze their behavoir can be really interesting, but I guess it is not for everyone. Some people will see a dying sheep, others will see a destruction of innocence, I don't think it matters what you see.
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#24  Edited By Optiow

Yeah sometimes people read too much into things, which can be a good thing because it gets you thinking. I personally don't like finding hidden meanings in things like movies, because it ruins the story. But people read things different from others. For example different religions sometimes read different meanings out of the same words than others would read out of it. So reading into things can become quite pointless as everyone is different.

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#25  Edited By KillaMaStA

I found those more interesting than anything else I had to write in school. I have a good imagination so i can write pages full of weird philosophical bullshit about that dead fly.


Sure as hell beats writing about politics and my family....

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turbomonkey138

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#26  Edited By turbomonkey138

I'm sick of writing Essays about Pan's Labyrinth i hate the film so much .