Poetry Notebook

Life Is Fine

by Langston Hughes

Description: We can know that the speaker was trying to commit suicide. Why would the speaker commit suicide? Maybe because the speaker thought that 'life' is too much hard to handle, the speaker tries to give-up. And there are a lot of people who commits suicide.
 
Synopsis:The first four stanzas are saying that the speaker is committing suicide. In the part "I came up once and hollered! I came up twice and cried!", he was trying to drown himself in the water but he couldn't so he goes to a building and tries again. But at the last stanza we can know that the speaker is still alive and says that life is fine.  I heard from someone that when you are sick and tired of the world and you a preparing to commit suicide, you finally learn what life really is.

The Road Not Taken

 by Robert Frost

Description: The poem "The Road Not Taken" is about the way, or a choice in life.The two ways symbolizes any major choice a person may make in their lives. It also leaves it up to the reader as to whether or not taking the road less traveled is the better choice, since "and that has made all the difference" doesn't suggest whether it was positive or negative difference.

Synopsis:  The author is in a wood and in a place where he has to choose a road to go. He chose the one which is less-traveled road. And that someday he will go to the other road too. But I think that he won't be able to go the the other road because I think that life is to short to reach the end of one road and then start a whole new road.

There Is Another Sky

by Emily Dickinson

Description: Emily Dickinson wrote this poem to his brother and we can realize that she expressed her message writing about nature. She tries to lead the reader in a positive and hopeful way (She indirectly makes a statement that there is a light, and warmth). So the title "There Is Another Sky" means that there are colorful, hopeful, and positive sky in the world so don't be depressed, if you keep living, someday you will see the other sky. Also the other sky can also be a person's personality that there is another side of them even though if it's a bad side.

Synopsis: I imagined that I was following Emily Dickinson in a forest. At first you don't like the bugs and the scratches that the branches make, but as you get more deep into the forest you look around and see what is around you not what is next to you, then you will see the other side of the sky, world,and people and think that the world has a beautiful part but it's just hard to find it.

Dream Deferred

 by Langston Hughes

Description: Langston Hughes questions us what will happen if dreams defers. But I think that all the bad things that he listed in his poem won't actually happen. Dreams are not over, it is just deferred. Some people who are dying that they can't earn their dreams and the people who are around them are not supporting, it doesn't mean that your dream will explode or smell like rotten meat. So I think Langston Hughes gave us the way to do what we have to do for our dreams and to mot give up our dreams just because it is deferred. Dreams won't be dried or sore.

Synopsis: There are no particular synopsis in this poem, I think the order of this poem is the impact of what bad, might happen if your dreams are deferred.

In This Short Life

 by Emily Dickinson

Description: It is saying about how short our life is.  And this poem makes us think that we should do something special and not waisting the life "that only lasts an hour", life does not actually last one hour, but it goes really fast that you don't realize how much far you came till the end, so I think this is why she wrote that life lasts an hour.  To add on, the part "how much--how little -- is within our power" might be about our

Analysis: This poem makes me kind of afraid and worry about what I have to do while I'm living a life, and how to spend my time that I won't regret. All people are afraid of dying and I'm afraid that at the moment that I'm dying I don't want to think: "What did I do until now? Did I live a 'good' life?" Also, I think that Emily Dickinson wrote this poem when she was worried what to do with life "that only last an hour"

Dream Variations

 by Langston Hughes

Description: In the first stanza of this poem-- Dream Variation--wrote about what Langston Hughes or people like now a days who are busy and people who are tired of societys' dream. Not a dream that you dream while you are in  a sleep. A dream that you really wish for. This is a digression but my dream is to go back to 2010, because I belive that that was the most happiest time in my memory. Anyway, Langston HUghes continues about that day that he dreams of but at the last line it is written:Night coming tenderly Black like me.  I think that this part means that his dream is over and it will disapear in the dark. Or: It is just a dream, that won't happen.

Analysis: The flow of this poem is a timeline of a day. Morning to Night. Moring is a symbol of bright,positive,hopeful,cheerful and Night is dark, spooky and hopeless (maybe this is why we dream at might, to get rid the hopeless). In the middle of the evening time he said:While night comes on gently,Dark like me-That is my dream! I think that he wrote himself as dark twice, in the poem and I think it is because most of the people has a depression somewhere deep in their heart.

A Dream of Trees

 by Mary Oliver

Description: This poem makes you draw an image in your mind and feel the poem. In my opinion I don't think that you interpret a poem, you feel the poem and think what it means. So Itried to think about the poem and I realized that most od the poems about dream that I chose ends hopless. The poetries are human too, I guess they want to dream to, but we are living in the world that disturbs you from earning things.And maybe dreams are just dreams, it doesn;t come to reality.

Analysis: It starts with a dreamlike mood. And the speaker seems to dream a place where it's far away from the society and have some margin.But at the end the poem "A Dreams of Trees" ends with the sentence:Who ever made music of a mild day? I tried to figure it out, what it means and I'm not sure but I  think it is like this: Why did someone ever make a music of a mild day which really makes me feel that I'm having a mild day. And I think the reader is rejecting the reality by accusing the person who made the mild day music.

i shall imagine life

by E. E. Cummings

Description: This poem is not for people who are beautiful as roses it is for people who are weed. It tells us that a weed can be beautiful than a rose and the rose will just smile. This poem is about life and it depends on how the rose smiled but at the end it all means that you can do it and one day the people will smile at you (because you made it), which in the poem it is written that the rose will smile at you.

Analysis: The meaning of the last stanza would mean that there are those that will settle for less than the best they can do and convince themselves that a weed is a beautiful as a rose, and the rose will smile at them.

An Innocent Death

A men should take his atonement when he went against the law and especially if he took someone’s innocent life.  And this is not an exception to Zimmerman-who killed Trayvon Martin (17-years-old, African American). Life is an only one chance and Zimmerman just took that only one chance from a young boy who was in an age to dream about his future.  When Martin was coming back from the supermarket with a skiddle and an ice tea on his hands-which are totally not overawe, Zimmerman called the police, saying that a black man looks “suspicious”; the police told Zimmerman to stay still and do nothing, and they will mobilize, but Zimmerman shot Martin.

The effect of “prejudice” in justice is major. People might take a wrong side-which there was a misunderstanding and after a misunderstanding, most will be highly influenced by his stereotype. Human are a weak creature, they get agitated.  And when they start to feel unrest, there won’t be a fair trial. The trial might incline to one side-which might be beneficial or disadvantage.

The individuals have a responsibility to protect the innocent by: being educated about how one’s life is precious and you never take one’s life without justification and also make the steps of gun ownership more complicated. It is hard to illegalize gun ownership because many Americans see gun ownership as much of a civil right as freedom of speech, religion and freedom of the press. They should intense the education of one’s life to the teenagers also the adults.

Gender can stereotypes influence people’s behavior by the outlook. Most of the people have a stereotype that men are strong and women are weak and men have to protect them. Usually men are the criminals when it causes force. Also when a man wears a criminal looking clothes, people will think that they are an actual criminal and starts to flatter-trying to look good so they won’t be harmed. On the other hand some people might call the police or move their body to a safe place. But when a woman wears her clothes like a criminal, people might think that she’s a prostitute. And treat her low-which means not treating like a human. They will think that they can beat her because she’s a woman.

Although Zimmerman is saying that he was self-defending, I think he knows that he is wrong. He should feel guilty for what he has done and people should learn that one’s life is something they will never get again and they must respect the others. Martin’s death is not a vain anymore to me. I deeply learned that you should never ever take one’s life, and people must have realized that they should never do what Zimmerman did. So Martin saved at least one life – which is very precious.

W.W vocabulary6 - TKMB chap 9

After Miss Maudie's house burned down, Jem told me that maybe some people might have conspired to burn her house. I asked him why and he said,
"Scout, Miss Maudie doesn't really gossips or even barely talks with the grown-ups."
"But not gossiping is a good thing. Isn't it?" I asked Jem again.
"I don't know that neither, it's the grown-ups thing to judge people" He answered.
I started to believe Jem's words. Miss Maudie was always meticulous with her place (especially the earth, according to what she said). A fire can't start from nowhere. This should be a calamity to her...

"Jem!I have a new idea of what we can do in our play! I'll be Miss Maudie and you be the person who started the fire." I exclaimed.
"No, you two won't never do that!" Atticus bowled.
"No, but.." I said, with my voice in a very small tone, noone can hear it. We always have a dissesion
about the play with Atticus. Atticus warned us again and went to his room. Jem's eyes followed Atticus and checked if Atticus closed his door.
"We're still gonna do the play okay Scout?" said Jem quietly.
Although we know that the day when Atticus realizes it is imminent we were already discussing about how our play will end. both of us wanted a happy ending so the criminal will get apprehended and he will also pay Miss MAudie the money back to recover her house and her garden again. We also decided that he has to work 200hours of service, picking up trashes as Miss Maudie will wish to do.
And we found a perfect twig to use it as a shackle to arrest Jem at the end of the play.
"But who's Dill gonna be?" I questioned.
"Maybe he could be the other man, I guess" he said. "Or he could be Boo Radley watching the people burning the house."
"But that will be really boring to Dill" I said
"Who cares. He will find his own play" Jem said.
I should've realize that this play was getting to realistic. And also Miss Maudie looking at us.

Dear May

Dear May,

May, times elapsed  since you've left us. We had a calamity after you were gone, but we still love you. I know you won't get this letter but I believe that you are always beside me. And I know you will read this letter.

Lily, that little girl is already taller than me. She is learning how to love with Zach and the bees. Zach became a lawyer as his dreams and he's preparing a wedding ring to Lily (and we are conspiring also. I think their marriage is imminent) . He's very meticulous to Lily right now. Oh! I forgot to tell you about Zach after he got apprehended. Do you remember the white lawyer whom Zach used to deliver honey?He helped us to release Zach and the next day you left us, we saw Zach coming out from a car with a shackle around his arm, but he was still smiling at us as of nothing had happened. The white lawyer just tolled me that Zach was arraigned for spending time with Lily at apublic place.When he came inside, we didn't interrogate him what has happened - we just tried to assimilate him like how you would do.

Remember when Neil and June had dissension about their marriage? I have a clear image of your face when they were arguing - I won't say it because I know you you'll feel embarrassing. They said that they had an anarchy in that time but I think that it's an excuse. Anyway, they are married and they have three cute daughters which they are collecting honey with Lily right now. They kind of lionize Lily and I don't know why. And also the last girl, really reminds me of you. Why? Because she also sometimes has a bizarre behaviour.

Rosaleen is still a single because she thinks you're a single too, so in her words she's saying that she can't leave you alone - but I say that it's 'self-justisfication'. Even though she's not married, she's always happy and smiling so you don't have to worry about her.

Now, I have to go teach June's daughters, sweltering outside to teach them how to clean the bee house. I'll soon write another letter for you.

Bye Honey.

Love From, August

The Problem We All Live With - Norman Rockwell

The Problem We All Live With

The picture 'The Problem We All Live With " which was a painting of a very famous painter in the 1960s named Norman Rockwell, shows the major problem very simple but abound meanings at U.S. back then

When you look at the picture, first of all you will see a little black girl (Rudy Bridges) wearing a pure white dress which makes her skin look more darker, holding her school materials on her hand and walking with four mans encompassed around her to protect her from the white people such as K.K.K (if you see the top left corner, you will see a scribble written K.K.K and also written 'NIGGER' on the wall.) because they threw stuffs like tomato which is actually drew on the painting, to give her fervertion. And to add on, her body looks very stiffened but not only her, the guardians too. Norman Rockwell hasn't draw the face of the guardians but I predict that they were sure not smiling at all.

When people move their eyes on the picture, most of the people might think "Oh, it's a painting about racism" and just pass by, but Norman Rockwell didn't draw this painting to make people just think and pass by, I think he wanted every one to remember the day when black people felt a deep pain on their heart and mind. But on the other hand, few people would think how Rudy Bridges have felt and also how they woulf have falt. In my opinion I'm not brave enough to walk through the hates just to go to school.

Even though Norman Rockwell had used few bright color at his drawing, don't know reason but it has a dark feeling maybe because of the mood. And also the proportion, she seems to walk fast to arive at school fast so she won't hear hurtful word from white people. Because, between the guardians at the back and Rudy, there's a gap and Rudy is nearly catching up the two guardians at her front. I hope there will never be a child like Rudy, hurted their innocent heart just because of 'Different skin color' anymore in the future

Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society

“Oh Captain, my captain, who know where that comes from?” asked Mr. Keating, the new English teacher in a school named Pelton. Todd, who is a very prudent student, looks up as if he knows the answer, but says nothing. “Not a clue? It’s from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now, in this class you can call me Mr. Keating. Or if you are slightly more daring, Oh captain, my captain.” Mr. Keating or Captain continued’.  The students laugh slightly. Everybody showed interest to Mr. Keating because the teachers in ‘Pelton’ are extremely strict; the students secretly call the school, ‘The Hell-ton’

         Day by day, Mr. Keating’s English class became appealing to everyone. But one day, Mr. Nolan the principle of Pelton saw Mr. Keating’s class ripping their poetry book. This was how it had happened. Mr. Keating asked a student named Neil to read a page that was entitled ‘Understanding poetry.’ After Neil had finished reading, Mr. Keating said, “I mean how can you describe poetry like American Bandstand? I like Bryon, I give him a forty-two, but I can’t dance to it.” Students suddenly appeared to show interest in the class. “Now I want you to rip out the page” voiced Mr. Keating. Everybody looked up at Mr. Keating just as if he was a mad man. “Go on, rip out the entire page. You heard me, rip it out. Rip it out” Charlie who wasn’t paying attention looks around the class than his own notes (which consist a drawing of a naked woman) and slovenly tears the entire page out. From outside the classroom, Mr. Nolan sees all the students ripping out their book and he bursts in to the room. “What the hell is going around here?” he exclaimed. “I don’t hear enough ripping” said Mr. Keating without noticing Mr. Nolan. “I, I, I didn’t know you were here” said Mr. Nolan. “Well, yes I am here” answered Mr. Keating with serene. This was the start of everything.

             One day, the students found an old annual of Mr. Keating. To write a depict about the photo, there was a black inked word written, ‘The Dead Poets Society’ at the bottom right corner, under a photo of someone. He replied to their question about what is the ‘Dead Poets Society’, “The Dead Poets were dedicated to sucking the marrow out of life. That's a phrase from Thoreau that we'd invoke at the beginning of each meeting. You see we'd gather at the old Indian cave and take turns reading from Thoreau, Whitman, Shelley; the biggies. Even some of our own verse. And in the enchantment of the moment we'd let poetry work it’s magic” “You mean it was bunch of guys sitting around reading poetry?” Knox asked. “No Mr. Overstreet, it wasn't just "guys", we weren't a Greek organization, we were romantics. We didn't just read poetry; we let it drip from our tongues like honey. Spirits soared, women swooned, and gods were created, gentlemen, not a bad way to spend an evening eh? Thank you Mr. Perry for this trip down amnesia lane. Burn that, especially my picture.” He said. After Mr. Keating had left, Neil said, “I say we go tonight” Most of the students seemed to nod except for Meek who had a lackadaisical. Todd was planning to not attempt the group but Neil entreated him to come so Todd decides to go.

            “Welton chapter. The meetings will be conducted by myself and the other new initiates now present. Todd Anderson,            because he prefers not to read, will keep minutes of the meetings. I'll now read the traditional opening message by society member Henry David Thoreau. "I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life." Neil voiced. “"To put to rout all those was not life, and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.” Neil started off his poem. And several boys whistled softly in reaction of Neil’s poem. The other boys start their poem even though it’s pointless or a joke. They seem to enjoying the group, ‘Dead Poets Society’ but on the other hand they were also very conscientious.

      The next day, Mr. Keating suddenly steps on his desk and ask the students, “Why do I stand up here? Anybody?” “To feel taller” said Charlie very playfully. “No! Thank you for playing Mr. Dalton I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way.” said Mr. Keating. And he lets every student to stand up on his desk. And also he gave them an assignment to write their own poem and they have to read it out front of their class. Todd seemed to look very worried and wraps his poem that he wrote at the moment when Neil enters his room. Neil said that he will go to an audition to be in a play of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midnight Summer’s Dream’. Todd continued to say what if your father doesn’t let you? Or What if your father finds out? And Todd’s worries were quite rankled Neil. He got furious at Todd but soon became calm.

The day after, which was a day they had to present their story, someone’s poem was about love and someone was “A cat sat on the mat” (but Mr. KeatingKeating turns Todd around and points at a picture on the wall.

 “Say the first thing that pops into your head, even if it's total gibberish. Go on, go on.” Said Mr. Keating

 “Uh, uh, a sweaty-toothed madman.” Answered Todd.

“Good God, boy, there's a poet in you, after all. There, close your eyes. Close your eyes. Close 'em. Now, describe what you see.”(Keating puts his hands over Todd's eyes and they begin to slowly spin around.)

“The sweaty toothed madman whose stare pounds my brain.”

“Yes! Excellent.”

“And all the while he's mumbling.”

“ What's he mumbling?”

"Truth. Truth is like, like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold."

“ Forget them. Stay with the blanket. Tell me about that blanket.”

"Y-y-y-you push it, stretch it. It'll never be enough. You kick at it, beat it. It'll never cover any of us. From the moment we enter crying to the moment we leave dying, it will just cover your face as you wail and cry and scream."

The class applauds at Todd.

“Don’t you forget this” whispered Mr. Keating

But this happiness didn’t last long. It started from Neil. His dad realized that he’s doing the play but Neil begs to continue being the on the play. But after the play when Neil arrived home, his father told Neil that you have to be a doctor and graduate Harvard. Neil tried to say something but gives up. And that night, he gets a gun from his father’s drawer and decides to suicide. Every one was shocked and especially Todd which was Neil’s roommate. The school tries hard to find out the reason and they found the “Dead Poets Society’ group and Meek had already told Mr. Nolan and let them sign a scripture that Mr. Keating had avoid Neil, to death.

Mr. Keating had entered the class to get his personal stuffs when Mr. Nolan made one student to read out loud, “Understanding poetry’. There was a smile on Mr. Keating’s face. When he opens the door to leave, Todd stands up on his table and say, “Oh Captain!My Captain!” Mr. Nolan yells to him to sit down but at that moment, “Oh Captain! My Captain!” exclaimed Knox. And one by one, few students stood up their table. Mr. Keating stand in the doorway, staring up at the boys with wonder and a smile comes to his face. “Thank you boys, thank you” It was his last words.

http://middlemindz.blogspot.com/2011/12/wordly-wise-wednesday.html#links

A book Ms.Rees recommended

Book Ms. Rees Recommended

Every Fridays Ms.Rees' 'Reading for Pleasure' group goes to the Media Center and browses books and also recommend it to a friend. At that time, I had already finished my book which was 'Shug' and I have a lack of deciding which book I should read now. So I moved my eyes to Prashansa and asked, "Do you know any books that I would like?" "You should read the Harry Potter!" She answered very rapidly with excitement in her voice.

“Okay, I will.”

             I actually didn’t like the Harry Potter book (this is also another confession). It was all fantasy, and I lied to her that I enjoyed reading it but I told her later that I didn’t like the book (she didn’t have an emotional change.) I asked Ms. Rees, “Could you help me find a book so I can read?” “What type of books do you enjoy reading?” She answered. “Um... A book about someone’s life” I said. She told me to wait until she will find a book. While I was browsing a book named ‘The White Darkness’ I heard Ms. Rees’s foot steps coming toward me. I turned back and I saw a book named ‘TheIsland of the Blue Dolphins’ and ‘Kissing Doorknobs’ in her hand. “You will like this book” she said.

I really really am regretting what I said which was: “I’m enjoying this book!” because after than I always had to lie that I was enjoying it. And I really disliked the book but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings because she liked reading it. To add on in Reading for Pleasure class, we always talk about what book their reading, and soon it was my turn to tell about it. “I’m reading The Blue Island of the Dolphins.”I murmured. “Ah, that book is so bad” “Tat book is so boring!” When I hear all these comments about the book I was reading, I said, “But I like it” although it totally was not. I could realize that Ms. Rees was staring at me (Maybe it’s not true, but I felt it like that) so I kept saying the fake good things about the book. At that moment Ms. Rees said “Eunbin, there’s a movie of The Island of the Blue Dolphins if you want to watch it” Please no… even though my mind was trying to say something totally in a different way, I answered, “Really?” Ah.. and I also asked her if she liked it and she said, “Yes, I really liked it.” (I don’t get the good thing about this book but she seemed to know the entire good thing about the book and the movie)

One day I told Prashansa that I really don’t like the book and she tried to tell Ms. Rees and I tried my best to stop her (which was successful). Maybe because I didn’t wanted her to know that I lied to her, but now I confess that I hated ‘The Island of the Blue Dolphins’ (And I hope no one tells her about it and I really hope with all my heart that she won’t read this confession.

http://middlemindz.blogspot.com/2011/12/confession-tuesday.html