Tag: love yourself

Posted in Hobbies, Home, Movie/Book Reviews, Writing

Love & Self-Discovery: Howl’s Moving Castle

Posted on by Moumita Dutta
Sophie and Markl (ss from Howl’s Moving Castle)
Sophie and Calcifer (ss from Howl’s Moving Castle)

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of many high-quality Studio Ghibli movies; I believe they transcend all linguistic and cultural boundaries and just universally capture the beauty of human creativity. I have a soft spot for them, and they all have a peacefullness and charm which I seldom see in other films.

( ◡‿◡ )♡  Dear readers, be forewarned: spoilers ahead!!!

While I was watching the movie, I couldn’t help but form a ‘directional statement’ in my mind; HMC shows how love can be a medium for self-discovery, and shows this through multiple relationship developments as the story progresses. With Sophie as our ever-tenacious, strong female-lead, her relationships with Markl, Turnip-Head, Calcifer, and—last but not least—Howl.

Admittedly, not all of my points are very deep or solid, but this is more of a thought dump of everything I noticed (´◡`) I think it might be because as a children’s or family movie, some points have to be a bit obvious to drive home the message.

Markl

Throughout the movie, Markl puts on a disguise when he deals with strangers and customers. His first interaction with Sophie is also quite prickly, as he is annoyed she found her way into the castle. But he slowly warms up to Sophie as they start to take care of the castle together. We don’t know much of Markl’s background, so we don’t really know why he came to be an apprentice under Howl, just that he’s currently trying to improve his magic. During the climax of the movie, he hugs Sophie tightly, saying “I love you Sophie, Please don’t go!” While he says this, his disguise disappears. I interpreted this as because he is comfortable around Sophie enough to show his true self and feelings. Of course, he is usually in his true form around Sophie anyways, but I think this is symbolic regardless (´◡`)

Turnip-Head

Our gentlemanly turnip-headed-scarecrow doesn’t have a huge amount of interactions with Sophie, but they’re all distinct in strengthening their relationship. He finds his true self quite literally, after he turns back into his human, princely form at the end of the movie. We’re first introduced to him as Sophie pulls him upright from bushes on her way to find Howl. He can’t talk, and his ever present grin is just the smallest amount of unsettling, but we quickly become endeared to him as he brings Sophie a cane for her travels. Through the movie, he continues to help Sophie, and becomes part of the HMC family. You could say that on a very basic level, his love for Sophie helped him find himself again (after her ‘true love’s kiss, he transforms). I like to imagine that past that surface level analysis, our turnip-headed prince found himself through his actions to help the group throughout the film.

(Also, can we take a moment to appreciate how he understands and accepts Sophie’s affections lie elsewhere? And leaves back for his kingdom gracefully? More people should learn from him (´◡`) )

Calcifer

With Calcifer and Sophie, I honestly don’t have many points leading back to my directional statement, but their relationship is so funny and wholesome that I just had to include them. Although we are given hints throughout the movie, we find out Calcifer is actually Howl’s heart near the end. But we still see the growing attachement he has towards Sophie—she’s the only other person other than Howl that he listens to. This can be chalked up to him literally just being a part of Howl, but its sweet regardless when Sophie kisses him and he returns back to his true form as a fallen star. So… another very physical show of self discovery (´◡`)

Howl

Howl’s changes are also physical, in addition to Sophie’s interactions with Calcifer when you consider him a part of Howl. As Howl and Sophie get to know and care for eachother, his ‘mysterious’, ‘otherworldly’ mask fades away into something much more human. When Sophie cleans and organizes the castle bathroom, Howl accidentally uses the wrong hair product; this eventually turns his hair black. When I watched the movie, I assumed that this could be a nod back to Howl’s natural hair colour—a sign that he was finally revealing his true self.

What I found harder to explain to myself was Howl’s transformation into his monstrous, bird-like form. Whenever he transforms, he loses a bit more of his humanity, and it become harder for him to turn back. Is this something that Howl accepts as part of himself to help in the war? Does it reflect the negative results he internalizes when offering his generosity to the world? His true self—his kindness and will to protect the places and people that he loves—manifests as an eerily beautiful transfiguration.

Maybe it brings out a strong message that everything about our true selves isn’t always good…and that’s okay (´◡`)

Bonus: Sophie

I think Sophie is one of the strongest, most self-assured female leads I have ever seen in a movie or a book. I love how she takes everything in stride and is very logical about the curse set on her. Although it isn’t explicit, I think Sophie and her love for others + herself transforms her back to her original appearance by the end of the movie. Her love for Howl is the major reason the movie points to, but I like to think that her personal journey through this movie also played a part in it.

And that concludes my thought dump about HMC.
 If you read until the end... thanks! (´◡`)
Posted in Home, Poetry and Prose, Writing

Field of Stars

Posted on by Moumita Dutta
BTS World Heartbeat MV
Photo Credit: BTS World Heartbeat MV

I ran across the field of stars
Over my sun and ten thousand leagues far
Meteors rained down upon me as a storm brewed
But a wave washed me away to the frozen valley of forgotten moons
 
The sea of stars twists around me
sparkling and fading into distant galaxies
The colour of a universe is not one that all can see easily
Mine is a brilliant light unknown to man
 
Whales float across the sky
Birds by the millions ready their wings to fly
Goliath dragons roam the void for a place to call home
Among the creatures of the night I no longer felt alone
 
I traveled through eons of time just to realize a lie
Thought the noise of my tears were my battle cry
I walk across the clouds and among the beasts,
But then I fall back down to the sea

My mind twists dreams into a reality
Ever-present Celestials visit a place shrouded in mystery
The sun and moon are both high in the heavens
Creating for me a new haven of shadowed light.

Silent supernovae share a pulsing light and rupture colliding planets
Beautiful catastrophes wreak havoc
Battles continue through dawn and dusk, surrounding the cosmic shrine
Still, through it all, the universe inside me shines

(Please do not repost or use my works without my permission.)

Posted in Home

The Most Beautiful Home: Book V, Part IV: The Battle of Noctifer

Posted on by Moumita Dutta
Image Credit: Marvel Cinematic Universe (Thor Ragnarok)

Links to Part 1 and Part 2:
The Most Beautiful Home: Book I, Part I; Apotelesma — The Calling of the Muse
The Most Beautiful Home: Book II, Part VII: Sidereus — Truly, She Is of the Stars

Notes:

This is the last part of my epic poem fragment series (so far)! The interpretation of the poem is up to you readers!

Important Words:

Apotelesma — the influence that stars have over human destiny (Latin)
Noctifer — the evening star
Carina — dear, beloved (Italian)
Polaris — the north star
Sidereus — relating to or of the stars (Latin)
Antares — a star
Rigel — another star

Book V, Part IV — The Battle of Noctifer

Carina of the brave heart wielded her character as if it were her sword,
And with the strength of the fiery sun blazing through herself, charged forward.
Noctifer, he who had chained her mind for so long,
Became afraid as Carina’s soul finally sang its rightful song:

“O devil of the wicked deeds,
As I square with thee, my whole self aches and bleeds.
But no longer will I suffer this abuse that you lead!
In defeating you tonight, I can be free.”

Then the Night Bringer scoffed at this latest remark,
As he did not believe in this flame that had been kindled from a forgotten spark.
“Carina, you say this as if this is the most admirable,
Tis a shame that today your defeat will be brutal.”

Carina declared, “Perhaps today, fate is not on my side and thy victory be clear,
But I have realized that is no longer my greatest fear.
For you will never win over my mind,
As long as I have the good-hearted angels by my humble side.”

Hearing this, Noctifer rose from his throne,
And summoned the hordes of dark masses, the troops he called his own.
Carina braced for the attack,
As the dark masses pressed down upon her, and all that was seen was pitch black.

With one slice of her blade, she expelled the flood of darkness,
But the battle had just begun, and Noctifer was set to render her joyless.
So he sent his second in command, another frightful star:
Antares, who made people quake in terror as his power was rival to that of Mars.

Yet Carina of the brave soul drew her sword,
And after a fierce lock of their blades, drove it through his collarbone.
Shortly came the fearsome star Rigel, he who was master of all that was miserable and desolate,
When he had been a bright star, he betrayed the Guardians and closed the celestial gate. 

Carina defended her best against Rigel,
Who had made several blows to her form as she went under a painful spell.
But she recovered and shattered the helmet off ‘is mane,
Cracking it on the ground of the heavenly plain.

Now the head of Rigel lay bare,
And like a vicious predator taking its final leap before the kill, Carina met her mark with flair.
She brought Rigel down, channeling her great newfound euphoria,
The giant was down to his knees, and she drove sword through skull, the end of a dark era.

Finally, Noctifer acknowledged the striking truth,
Carina would not back down and could not be subdued.
For even now, during this battle, the angels were there, 
fighting off the masses of darkness so she could undertake the true dare.

The valiant ones were winning, more than half the dark army was felled
So in one final try, Noctifer yelled,
“You will never find true peace!
I will never allow it, lest my existence cease!”

And then, Carina realised what had been with her all along,
Some fragment of an idea that arrived with the people that had helped make her strong.
Noctifer was nothing to her, what did he matter?
She had already found true joy, and her own fate she did alter.

So in response to Noctifer, she whispered,
“You are wrong, peace came to me with my angels, my saviours.”
And with a blood-curdling scream stretching across the universe,
Noctifer was slain, ridding Carina of her grave curse.

The angels rejoiced the victory of their companion,
And the guardians of the sky that loved the triumphant mortal felt their serene smiles broaden.
Now Carina and the angels embraced,
And then she said this as she was graced:

“Tonight I’ll fall asleep with all of you in my heart,
As you became my friends, and thousands of villains we did thwart.
For you gave me the most beautiful home in this vast universe I was once willing to depart
And I’m grateful to you all, for my life’s new start.”
Posted in Home, Writing

The Most Beautiful Home: Book II, Part VII: Sidereus — Truly, She Is of the Stars

Posted on by Moumita Dutta
Credits: Unsplash. Photographer Pawel Nolbert, One night at Joshua Tree

Link to Part 1: The Most Beautiful Home: Book I, Part I; Apotelesma — The Calling of the Muse

Notes:

Since these are epic poem fragments, they are organized into books, and then further divided into parts. If you have read my last fragment, you may realize that I am posting them in order. This is because my mini-project was to try and write different parts of a story. Finally, the interpretation of the poem is up to you readers!

Important Words:

Apotelesma — the influence that stars have over human destiny (Latin)
Noctifer — the evening star
Carina — dear, beloved (Italian)
Polaris — the north star
Sidereus — relating to or of the stars (Latin)
Antares — a star
Rigel — another star

Book II, Part VII: Sidereus — Truly, She Is of the Stars

 As the sun set on the thousandth of the blessed days,
The universe itself knew that Carina and the angels were impossible to faze.
Those days were known as the ephemeral ones
Lasting for beautiful fleeting moments just measured by the sun.

The muses hast shown they travelled the lands, seas, and never ending skies,
Helping all those in need that they would come by.
Battles were won and demons were slain,
But deities, pray tell, why the eight starry-eyed angels were somewhat unsettled all through the way.

For Carina was yet to conquer her own fears, dark and impure,
And was still haunted by the ghosts of the battles she had to endure.
More than the memories, she was still plagued by visions of darkness,
As Noctifer had not yet left her mind in silence.

One day as dusk drew near,
The winged stars came to a consensus to speak their fears.
The celestials looked on as they spoke the truth,
That rung through the ears of the troubled youth:

“Art thou not a hero now?
A face that many have seen and to whom blessings upon the hundreds are endowed?
So why do you disregard your ultimate vow
To win over your demons and make us proud?”

To this, Carina did reply in shame:
“O beloved companions, I am grateful for your compassion and role in what I became,
But, in battling and winning over my nightmares, what if I change?
And even so, I do not have means to achieve my aim.

The evening star is so great, so strong,
That even if  Polaris, the guiding star, were to aid me through the throng,
I would surely fail and lose my identity all while being wronged.
That, my friends, has been my fear all along.”

To this, the angels smiled,
As they looked upon this tender hearted child:
“Words cannot express our boundless love for you,
In this life or any other, we will always be with you.

And do not fear, for you have the strength of a thousand stars,
Because you will find the courage within to weather these scars.
We shall be right beside you in your battle; if need be, we shall be your lodestar.
You are not alone. We believe in all that you are.” 

Carina took a moment to reply,
As she again silently thanked the sky for her friends who had just promised to never say goodbye,
But finally she answered, her eyes brimming with liquid hope:
“You have set me straight, and I shall depart to face my foe.”
Posted in Home, Writing

The Most Beautiful Home: Book I, Part I; Apotelesma — The Calling of the Muse

Posted on by Moumita Dutta
Source: BTS Jimin Serendipity MV (Minor Editing)

Notes: This is the start of a series of my ‘epic poem’ fragments (epic poems tell grand stories.) Famous epic poems include the Iliad and the Mahabharata.

Definitions: Apotelesma — the influence that stars have over human destiny (Latin)
Noctifer — the evening star
Carina — dear, beloved (Italian)
Polaris — the north star
Sidereus — relating to or of the stars (Latin)
Antares — a star
Rigel — another star

Book I, Part I; Apotelesma — The Calling of the Muse

Sing through me, muses, my heart’s true desire,
The willingness to tell the events that transpired.
A wretch’d, insipid maiden whose sense was all twisted shadows,
As if  Noctifer ‘imself had brought the night upon her.
The girl could not escape the dismal mind she called her own,
And adored the stars so much that in lieu decided to call them home.
But still, as the Night Bringer pushed Carina of the spent soul to her undeserving fate,
The absence of all love felled her, and in flooded a bottomless hate.
And once the child could take no more,
From a ledge like a spear in the sky, so high that not even winged creatures could reach it,
She let herself fall down, down on to the forest floor. 
The stars that the girl loved so much came down and let the sky dark’n,
Drew nigh to save who they could not bear to lose.
Apotelesma, the influence that stars have over human destiny;
The girl found angels on Earth through some otherworldly silent plea,
As if the stars themselves had sent them down from the vast universe,
To make her life as blessed as a living heaven.
Still, the evening star was at large,
And the ineffable angels were compelled to teach courage and strength to their new beloved charge.
So, deities of the sky, sing through me the events that transpired 
As the girl achieved all that she ‘ad hoped to aspire.