What is Perfection, after all?

This reading is so very long,and there are so many points that I want to address but I simply cannot write about all of them. I certainly have a lot of different opinions about how this Utopian society is run. First, I applaud More for the intense detail and thought in which everything is written and portrayed. The Utopian society has definitely given me a lot to chew on, and I can’t decide whether or not I am for or against it.

The first thing that really struck me was the equality that is practically oozing from each principle. All men and women and children are required to work on Agriculture as the first and foremost job, taking a second, more personal job. What I liked about this was that the society must truly work together in order to survive. Men, women, and children are assigned duties based on their physical ability. Clothing is regulated so there is no distinction and discrimination between the people.  Emphasis on equality. Everything is perfect. People are treated equally, there is no discrimination. Everyone wears the same clothing. Everyone is required to learn a second trade, society continues almost flawlessly.

The moral principles of this society are truly amazing. The way the justice system is created, the way slaves are “enslaved” because of their offenses, and yet their children are not born into slavery. I like the disregard (and disgust) the Utopians show towards material objects, for example, why should a small gem be of any importance when the greatest gem is up in the sky?

As much as I enjoy all these principles however, I can’t shake a feeling of discomfort at this whole idea of Utopia. I don’t much like how everything appears the same. But is this discomfort because I come from a society that places heavy emphasis on being unique and asserting individuality? Utopia is one “perfect,” society, but wouldn’t it be boring?  What is perfection, after all? Is it a society that runs smoothly, with no problems? Can it be a perfect society if the people are unhappy? Then again, the Utopians see happiness differently.  But to me, I see perfection in the presence of “flaws.” I think that is the only thing that truly bothers me about the Utopian society: the lack of individuality. Perfection should be an integration of this Utopian society morals and principles, and what we have now – that is, the assertion of individuality – but also with an acceptance, appreciation, and love for all forms of individuality and differences among people. What do you think? What is your idea of perfection, and how would you create your own Utopian society? I think this is a project I would definitely like to spend more time on - to write my own "Utopia."

For Glory, God, and Gold, And the Virginia Company!

As soon as I turned to the page, I couldn't get this out of my head. Michael Drayton's Ode to the Virginian Voyage is a classic advertisement of the expedition of the Virginia Company. Tales and promises of heroic deeds, gold, pearls, adventure, a true paradise!
In this ode, the form is pretty simple. Each stanza has six lines - 1 rhymes with 5, 2 with 6, and 3 and 4 are a set. However, there is one stanza that doesn't exactly fit, and I'm here to ruminate on why:

"And cheerfully at sea,
Success you still entice,
   To get the pearl and gold,
   And ours to hold,
Virginia,
Earth's only paradise,"

Line 5 here violates the same pattern as the other stanzas. There are several reasons I think why this doesn't exactly fit the same format as all the other stanzas. My first impulse is to suggest that Virginia does not fit the form in order to place special emphasis on it - after all, it is Earth's only paradise. A second less plausible reasoning would be to suggest that Drayton simply lost focus. But perhaps I'm missing something? Something "lost in translation," that is, in the pronunciation of the word. This is where the "Pocahontas" clip above comes in: "On the beaches of Virginny, There's diamonds like debris." Was Virginia pronounced differently before, and therefore rhyme with "sea?" Perhaps it was called "Virginia" as we say now, but "Virginny" was the name bestowed on it by enthusiasts?
What do you think?