Individual Smells

The Fragrance of Love 

 

My sister's aroma matches her personality. When she walks into a room, it suddenly appears brighter and more energetic.She has a very bubbly but cozy and fresh personality, much like her perfume that she wears. One called "Gardenia Lily" by Bath and Body Works, it has the distinct floral fragrance of lilies and jasmine, which is compelling and tickles your nose yet subtle enough that it does not overwhelm you. Mixed with the floral flavor is the fresh odor of clean linens, which brings the cozy aspect to her smell. Altogether, the effect is warm, comfortable yet intriguing and pleasing to the nose. For me, the scent reminds me of someone I care about, and so I deem it the fragrance of love.

Critical Analysis

Diane Ackerman's A Natural History of the Sense

"The Hand" From her section on Touch: 

Ackerman engages her reader throughout the book with her blend of historical facts and a humorous experience/story. In "The Hand" she begins this section with her experience at a psychics convention in New York. She makes the reader laugh through her mocking that "If it's a psychics' convention, shouldn't everyone just know where and when to meet?" This continues when she recalls her experience with the palm-reader that fails to predict anything about her or her future. Through this strategy of storytelling, she captures her reader before she goes off into the history of hand touching and importance of fingerprints. By having her reader's attention, she can then demonstrate how hands are the "messengers of emotion."

Short Takes

Part Two

Essays that I read for this week:
1. "Semi-Colon" by Barbara Mallonee
2. "Bookless in Biak" by Lawrence Millman

"Semi-Colon"

Revealing the historical and - what should be - modern importance of the semi-colon, Barbara Mallonee demonstrates how language can break barriers and "subdue strife." Not only does she show this through her subject matter and interesting quotes from significant historical figures - for example, I love this quote she uses from Samuel Johnson, "I have found you an argument; I am not obliged to find you an understanding." - but also through her own writing and form. For example, she begins the essay with a sentence that uses a semi-colon, "Shadows stir; the season shifts." She shows the purpose of a semi-colon to tie two thoughts together in a sentence using a semi-colon. Her words then reflect her message: that the semi-colon like language can "balance contested views;" to which, I believe this technique was very effective.

The Wonderous Sense of Smell

The Smell of Snow?

Tiny white crystals float to the freezing ground. Snowflakes. Individually each has its own pattern, shape and beauty. Together, however, it creates its own picture of perfection. Together the flakes blanket the earth, the trees and the buildings. It refracts light and shows a cheerful illumination. Its coat gives a sense of fresh beginnings, cleanliness, a new slate. It smells of . . . Well, what does snow smell like?

Every season has its smell. The potent yet sweet fragrance of roses, tulips, lilies and cherry blossoms permeate through Spring. You notice the unique fresh smell of rain. Summer has not only these smells but those of cut grass and barbeque on the grill. Meanwhile, Autumn seems to hold wealth of all the smells. Not only is there the cut grass, flowers and cookouts in early September but the crinkling of leaves, the aroma of hot cider, burning branches of a bonfire. Yet what does Winter have?

Some may say that there is the fresh smell of pine, the aroma of cookies and candies, the odd wintry candle smells. Still most of these smells are connected with a holiday, not directly to Winter. So what smell is only associated with winter? For me when I think of winter, I envision snow. But what does snow smell like?

I was thinking about that yesterday as I idiotically walked from the Fitness Center to my apartment in shorts. Large snowflakes were falling onto the sidewalk. The first thing that passed through my mind was wow, this is cold. But I also was stopped by the thought that the snow smelled so fresh. Still I could not think of how to describe snow in any other way.

Chemically it is very similar to the make-up of water, except for its different noncovalent bonds. Yet the fresh smell of rain is different than the freshness of snow. Another adjective is cold. It smells cold. Yet what does that mean? Does it mean that our neurons in our nose becomes too numb and cold to be able to distinguish a scent of snow? So our brain reads, "It is cold. Snow smells cold."

I guess the only conclusive description of its smell is that it is cold and fresh. At least, I can determine that snow has a smell. At least maybe?

Short Takes

Through the Senses

Essays that I read and would recommend: 

"Night Song" by Stephen Kuusisto
"Postcards" by Lawrence Sutin
"Book War" by Wang Ping***

***Of these three essays, I would have to say this one is my favorite. While it is incredibly short, Ping conveys the story's meaning very strongly. It is amazing to see the author's experience. 

Analysis of "Night Song"

Kuusisto’s imagery is extremely vivid. This can especially be seen through his use of the senses smell, taste, touch, hearing and even sight.  He begins his memory of the singing of the women of the Artic people.” He continues this with my favorite description in the essay, his experience of touching a horse, “Judging by his breathing, his slow release of air, that sound of a concertina, judging by this, I am nearly beside him. And so I reach out and there is the great wet fruit of his nose, the velvet bone of his enormous face. And we stand there together for a little while, all alive and all alone.” Through the entire piece, he allows the reader to relate and visualize his experiences as a blind kid.

Work for ENG 3630:

Considered the father of the essay, Michel de Montaigne's essays are an appropriate way to begin a blog. It is the continuation of a writing tradition. Like Montaigne, who wrote introspectively and in a conversational manner, a blogger writes easily to his or her audience. Although his sentence structure may seem very lengthy, his argument circular and his use of quotations formal, his topics are universal. His essays examine the behavior of humans and cast insight into the human condition. His metaphors of comparing nature or  mathematical equations like geometric lines to human behavior are timeless.Maybe by imitating his style and topics with a modern twist I can show you.

Emulation of Montaigne's "That Our Mind Hinders Itself" and his other works:

 

Daily our professors address the biochemistry and physiology of the body and in particular, the brain, never addressing the inner workings or the complex processes of thought. Yet it would be wondrous to imagine the human brain in an everlasting dilemma, where it could not break the perfect equilibrium between two opposite but equal cravings; for if it did, it would create an insurmountable imbalance that could never be corrected. For example, if we were to elect between dreaming about the perfect life and studying or planning for it, with the equal aptitude to dream but fret and act but fail, there could be no solution; hence, we would pine away from worry and frustration.

To avoid such a conundrum, psychologists, who are constantly plagued with the workings of the human brain and how we decide, claim that this causes a chemical and hormonal imbalance in our mind and forces us always into a rash resolution.

Yet can there be a dilemma where one desire is not more advantageous than the other by a bit, one where  superficial benefits can actually tempt it to lose any sense of equilibrium and break free of its bonds of order? It is said that nature tends to favor entropy, that the tendency for disorder is more energetically favorable. This is seen every day through most chemical reactions that break this very state of equilibrium for more disorder only to become more stable. Perhaps our brain could follow these laws of chemistry and nature, but Scientists have also argued that the human body rejects the general trends of nature daily. Our physiology dictates a rejection of disorder through our very organization of cells, tissues, and organs; the very proof of this lies in the food that we must ingest to allow our cells to run and for ourselves to even exist. Perhaps then the inner workings of the brain behave in this way, rejecting disorder and maintaining equilibrium like a nonexistent limit, where its line never crosses the y axis and goes on into infinity.

Then again the contemplations of the brain is a rather unknown territory and sometimes  "all we know is that we know nothing" (Socrates). 

To Whomever Shall Befall This Site:

 

 I am normally a very private person. I generally keep to myself. I am that friend that does not post statuses on facebook or that student that does not go out during the week and sometimes, most weekends. Maybe it is fact that I do enjoy my privacy. Or it may be that I am a bit of a perfectionist and always fear messing up. Either way, the thought of keeping a public blog seems incredibly daunting.

For that reason, I created a pseudonym, one that I hope will allow me to write freely but also explain more of my personality. As a Creative Writing and Cellular and Molecular Biology major, I hoped to incorporate a mixture of my favorite subjects.

Elinor Addison James pulls from many literary references that I enjoy. I took the idea of using my initials from the Bronte sisters, who called themselves Currer Bell for Charlotte, Ellis for Emily, and Acton for Anne. I also took the idea that many authors - for example, Elizabeth Barrett Browning - use their full name. Elinor just comes from a common female name during the Victorian Era. Addison refers to the Joseph Addison, the eighteenth century English author, poet, essayist, politician, etc. that wrote The Spectator. Finally to allude to some American authors, I chose James for Henry James, who wrote many books, including A Portrait of a Lady, Washington Square and Daisy Miller. Maybe over time, I will pull more quotes and references to other works and authors.

Meanwhile, the title "Not Harmful if Ingested" can be taken in many different ways, but it mainly is a scientific joke. In most biology or chemistry labs, the professor always warns the class of that experiment and chemicals' hazards. Most chemicals, except thankfully water, are marked, "Hazardous. Do Not Ingest." Some are even harmful to inhale. But as some professors add, "In this lab, most of the substances that we use will not kill you." In a way it reflects this assignment. Although I certainly do not suggest that you or I  ingest a computer, I imply it metaphorically. Through dedication to this assignment, the challenge of writing in a public blog may subside, and it may seem less harmful.

Either way, I wish the rest of my follow writers good luck on this assignment! Best wishes in writing! And to any unfortunate individual to come across this site: Always remember it is not harmful if ingested.


Respectfully yours,

Elinor Addison James