Fireside Chat

        My performance for the fireside chat was inspired by a Clint Eastwood movie i watched last semester. The movie was titled Invictious. When I heard the poem while watching the movie, it instantly became one of my favorite poems of all time.
     
    For my art medium, I chose to represent this poem by memorizing it, and then reciting it while showing an animation of images that relate to each stanza of the poem.

Here is the link as a reference
http://prezi.com/gcmsc-ja7glg/untitled-prezi/

"Out of the night that covers me black as the pit from pole to pole" - I chose an image of the night sky because it shows the vastness of the universe.

"I thank whatever Gods may be for my unconquerable soul" - I showed an image of the night sky except this image had a man looking up at the heavens as if he is thanking God.

"In the clutch of circumstance i never winced nor cried aloud" -  I chose this image because often no matter how hard we paddle against the current of life, our circumstances pull us into horrific circumstances. Its up to us to choose how we react to these circumstances.

"Under the bludgoings of chance, my head is bloody but unbowed" - I chose a picture of a man sinking in waves because there are times in life where by chance waves of trials come upon us and we must to everything we can to keep our heads unbowed below the waters.

"Beyond this vale of wrath and tears looms but the horror of the shade" - I chose a picture of sand dunes because life will never give us rest or shade until we die and part the veil.

"And yet the menace of the years finds and shall find me unafraid" - I chose a picture of this hiker because he has hiked a long ways and yet he is still looking up at his goal to reach the top of the mountain.

"It matters not how strait the gait, how charged with punishments the scroll." - .Even though bad decisions put us in desolate territory, we still have the power to pave our own path and get out of the territory.

"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul" - A picture of a statue being set free seemed to  visually exemplify this stanza the most because once we realize that we can choose our fate and how we feel, it liberates our souls

I was really moved by James McBrides story and how he came to the realization that he did not need to define his identity with his race.

My experience Darren helped me see the realization of the truthfulness of the poem Invictious. This is a story that I will always remember because Darren taught me that we are the master of our  fate and we are the captain of our souls.