Creative Nonfiction

April 27, 2022 / bookwormmouse2 / Leave a comment

Here is a poem I wrote that would fit in the creative nonfiction genre. This poem was actually fun to write even though it’s not my favorite genre to write in. What do you guys think of Creative Nonfiction?

~The Blessings of Walks~

I love nature, I love the trees.

The birds fly up in the breeze.

All these things bring inspiration,

On the walks I have bursts of imagination.

Spring is when my heart sings.

The birth of creation brings,

Flowers blooming and the grass sprouts,

I walk the street underneath rainclouds.

Summer is when the world’s alive.

None seems to be dying all is thrive,

The nights are cold the stars are plentiful,

The walks are best, everything is beautiful.

Autumn winds are cool and bitter.

On my walks it makes me shiver.

The leaves in trees are bright and colorful,

The wind rustles through the leaves, it’s wonderful

The snow falls slowly in the cold.

My footprints go on down the road.

The chilly weather makes me want to find cover.

I wonder if the snow will go on forever.

I love nature, I love the trees.

The birds fly up in the breeze.

All these things bring inspiration,

On the walks I have bursts of imagination.

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s life is reflected in Crime and Punishment

April 4, 2022 / bookwormmouse2 / 2 Comments

Recently I read Crime and Punishment and researched Dostoevsky. There were lots of connections between his life and what he wrote in his novels.

Fyodor Dostoevsky, who was a Russian author, wrote the novel called Crime and Punishment. Dostoevsky had a tremendously hard life and through Crime and Punishment we have a taste of how Dostoevsky not only saw life and human nature but his own life as well. Dostoevsky’s mother died when she was 37 and his father died when he was a young man and both his brother and wife died later in his life. Dostoevsky was both imprisoned, and resided in poverty. All of these horrible events that happened in Dostoevsky’s life he wrote about was reflected in the great novel, Crime and Punishment.

In reading Crime and Punishment readers don’t know too much about Raskolnikov’s (the main character in Crime and Punishment) childhood, and since there aren’t many children in the novel we don’t really know how Dostoevsky’s life would be compared. But from what is written in Crime and Punishment there are many similarities to the events in Dostoevsky’s life and the lives of the characters in Crime and Punishment. A young woman whose name is Sonia Marmeladov unfortunately lost her dad and step-mother in the novel. The Marmeladov children are saddened and it is fairly similar to how Dostoevsky lost his parents, because he had the experience he was able to vividly write what happened with the Marmeladov’s. There are definitely differences like Dostoevsky didn’t have a step-mom and he was younger when his mother did pass away. But he seems to be relaying some of the feelings he may have felt when his parents died through the Marmeladov family. Another interesting fact is when Dostoevsky’s father died it was thought to of been really a murder. The whole book revolves around a murder. Heartbreakingly and depressingly there is also other characters who die and some suspect were maybe murdered.

Also the setting where Raskolnikov lives is extremely similar to where Dostoevsky lived. The crowded and busy streets and the small living quarters where characters live. The poverty that Raskolnikov and Sonia faced like he faced and the way both Dostoevsky and Raskolnikov would stay up in their room to work or the way the both went on walks to clear their minds show how similar Dostoevsky and Raskolnikov. While it seems as though many of the habits of Dostoevsky come out on Raskolnikov there are also many differences as well. Dostoevsky was married as Raskolnikov lived alone. Raskolnikov had a mother and sister and Dostoevsky lost his mother when he was younger. They also look at life differently but still come to the same conclusion that living in poverty is degrading and that things should be done to prevent or get out of such conditions.

After Dostoevsky was involved with things against the law, he was arrested and taken to prison. He was then told that he was to be executed. Minutes before he was executed the prisoners were told that they could live but were to work in Siberia for four years. Even though he had years of hard labor ahead of him he was thrilled because he still had a life ahead of himself. Raskolnikov who horrendously, horrifically and, horrifyingly committed a double murder had only eight years of prison time in Siberia which was a much lighter sentence than usual. Raskolnikov was shown mercy. Just like Dostoevsky was shown mercy as well. Another thing to mention is that Dostoevsky’s wife was allowed to come to Siberia just as Sonia did for Raskolnikov. Of course, there were many differences including the sentence length. Also they were sentenced for different things.

Fascinating isn’t it? Dostoevsky and Raskolnikov had intriguingly similarly hard lives. Dostoevsky also had many experiences that other characters in Crime and Punishment faced in their everyday life. Dostoevsky composed his writings often from experience not only in Crime and Punishment but in other novels and works he wrote throughout his life. Because his writing reflects what his life was like and how he thought his life was, he was able to use vivid imagery.

Dostoevsky was a man that had so much trouble and hardships and yet was able to write so much about life and human nature because he had experienced so much and was able to put it into words. He was able to invent characters and situations that reflect his life in so many ways. Leaving us with a novel, Crime and Punishment.

Works Cited

Fyodor Dostoevsky, Youtube , 8 Oct. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FiJfIrvlWk. Accessed 3 Apr. 2022.

“Fyodor Dostoyevsky.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fyodor-Dostoyevsky#ref59050. 

“LITERATURE- Fyodor Dostoyevsky.” Youtube, The School of Life, 27 May 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmSdxZpseY. Accessed 3 Apr. 2022.

Sparknotes, SparkNotes, https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crime/context/. 

Literary Wonders

January 24, 2022April 6, 2022 / bookwormmouse2 / Leave a comment

The Basics:

Why Reading is Important?

Books are only words on paper binded by a cover. Right? So why are books so important? I really enjoy to read, like give me a book anyday and I am like who needs bookmarks let's read this story. But why do I really think reading is important? Well to me it is because they can open my mind and help imagine and learn about different places, cultures, viewpoints and worldviews. Not only are books fun to read, in my opinion, but they can be that adventure you have always want to go on. Through books we can meet characters we can learn from their successes and their losses. I am not just talking about that fantasy novel on your shelf, but biographies, history books, or the Bible. Learning from real people, or reading a blog is extremely important for our lives. I remember when I first started to read I realised I enjoyed reading and english as something more than just something to do for school. I did a study guide in a book called The Giver a couple years ago and I had so much fun. I enjoyed going through the book more thoroughly. We can have fun reading, as well as learn, grow, and get to experiences wild adventures in our imaginations! That is what I have found through reading.
What better way to gather knowledge, wisdom, and have fun than by reading?

Why Writing is Important?

Writing can be something you do for school and while it is truly important to write for school. Is it important to write for just everyday life as well? Absolutely, yes! I do a lot of writing for school but even more I love writing for fun! Besides working on this blog I am always starting a book or story, it goes something like this; I write this big epic novel beginning but only about 5 to 10 pages later I end up losing the inspiration and I move on to another story idea. I used to beat myself up about that because I would be like I should just write something and finish it. I love to write so why can I never actually write something. Well this past summer I finally did finish that first novel, and when I say finished I mean I have a rough, rough, rough, draft completed. But what does all of that have to do with why writing is important? I think it has to do with how writing can only really be important or a better word might be beneficial if you use it not only as something you need to do, which is often the case, but writing in a different place and different ways helps you grow stronger in the other genre, type, style, you write in. In other words write for fun and experiment! For instance writing an essay and writing in a journal about your day is very different. Also after writing it helps you realize how much effort goes into the book you are currently reading. When I am struggling with a plot and then I read a book I appreciate the complexity of that plot. Or I notice character development more or the use of imagery. Writing is also important because you can process things better after writing them out, seeing your problems in words on a page can actually not look as bad, but if you keep everything bottled up in you then you can never really move past if or feel like it is over. At least that is what it is like for me. Also it is important to have fun and if writing or reading is that fun thing for you go do it! Writing and reading both are way better than any video game!

C.S. Lewis Quote:

“Whenever you are fed up with life, start writing: ink is the great cure for all human ills, as I have found out long ago.”

(The Letters of C .S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves [30 May 1916], para. 7, p. 104.)