This blog is an informal online location to post class news, relevant information, and helpful links for students in my ACE Writing class. Please note that this is not a thorough online representation of the class; instead, this site is simply an opportunity to enhance it a bit.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Poetry Exercise
Please post your poetry exercise assignment here...thanks!
2. The major theme in this poem is the beauty that can be found in people that can appear to most people as silent, depressed, or little. This short, four verse poem contrasts the words of the happy with the words of the silent. Dickinson begins the poem by discrediting the words of the happy by referring to them as “paltry melody.” Since the silent do not say, she says the “the words the silent feel [the silent feel instead of say given their silence] are beautiful.” It is admirable that Dickinson would be able to convey such a compelling theme in a mere four-line poem. 3. I tried to find a poem by Dickinson that did not focus too much on death, sadness, depression, etc. Given the title of the poem, I believed this to be an exception to her usual depressive tone. However, even thought the tone of the poem is not as dark and down, this poem is an as well an example of the typical Emily Dickinson poem-dark, short, powerful and compelling work of literature.
The poem i chose was another by Emily DIckinson titled "When I Was Small A Woman Died."
http://www.bartleby.com/113/4033.html
The major theme, apparent even in the title is death itself. After researching i saw that Emily Dickinson had many stages in her life where she concentrated on one aspect and wrote on it. In this time of her poems, Emily is concentrating on death and other aspects of it. In this particular poem, Emily illustrates the relationship between the mother and son, and his reaction upon seeing her dead. I'm not sure if i go the overall concept but it appears the son shows no remorse or pain to see his mother dead causing Emily to wonder is pride goes with one when he dies.
3. Like her writings in the reader, Emily concentrates on death. She always seems to address and illustrate death as a guest in ones presence, and never as a painful, dreadful circumstance.
"Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes, retrieved from .
(2) Langston Hughes' "Dream Deferred" is a rhetorical contemplation on what happens when your dreams or aspirations are delayed into the future. Each line refers to the consequence in an obviousy negative way. Each simile/metaphor has an extreme negative connotation: the dried-up raisin, the festering sore, the stinking rotten meat, the heavy load sagging, etc. His suggestion that a dream deffered has devastating consequences perhaps is a subtle reference to America's racism and resistance towards equality. Black America must have its dream deferred; left to dry up in the sun; to "fester like a sore"; to "sag like a heavy load"; and eventually, "explode." There is a focus on the incredible imagery; each line makes reference to an easily imaginable action that paints a clear picture in the mind, personifying the "dream deferred."
(3) Hughes' other poems, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "I, Too, Sing America," and "Theme for English B," similarly discuss racism in America, but with a differing tone and suggestion. While "Dream Deferred" talks of the consequences of racism in America, the other poems discuss how it is undeniable that black culture has become infused with American culture. Much like "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," Hughes uses imagery, as well as similes and metaphors to draw the reader in and capture attention. The imagery of being "lulled to sleep" by the Congo and "rais[ing] the pyramids aboce" the Nile invoke a mental painting in the readers mind similarly to the rotten meat and crusting over of Hughes' dream deferred. His "soul has grown deep like the rivers" much like his dream "fester[s] like a sore." Similar in form, they differ in tone and topic. "Dream Deferred" has a much harsher, negative connotation than his acceptance into American society in "I, Too, Sing America" and "Theme for English B" or his introspective contemplation in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."
1.The poem is Justice by Langston Hughes. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/justice/
2.The major idea of the poem is that justice is equal to everyone, no matter the race and gender. This is what comes out of the poem because he writes that Justice is a blind Goddess and that she has two bandages where there are some sores which could have been her eyes. This might mean that she might have at one time been able to see but she was not equal and fair to everyone therefore she lost her eyes and without them, she act on reason instead of appearances.
3.This poem is similar in the ideas. The idea that there should be justice and equality to everyone. He refers to justice as a blind goddess because people have to not care about what the other people look like to treat everyone equal. While in the poems in the reader, colored people are treated differently because of the color of their skin.
1. The poem is called "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/mother-to-son/
2. The main theme of this poem is to describe the struggles of a mother, but more specifically an African-American mother. The author describes a "crystal stair" as a metaphor for the good progression of life; furthermore the author describes through the speaker that this crystal stair is not one that she climbed upon, that it was one of that "had tacks in it, And splinters, and boards torn up." Then close to the end of the poem, the speaker says she "still climbin" and for her son to not "turn back."
3. "Theme for English B," also by Langston Hughes, has a similar theme to "Mother to Son" in that both describe issues that pertain solely to African Americans. Both poems do not use a rhyme scheme, and use the free verse instead, emphasizing on the wanting of more freedom for African Americans. In "Theme for English B" it emphasizes more on how he, an African American, is the same as any other person; in "Mother to Son" it pertains mainly to the struggle of life in general for an African American mother.
Writing 2 Ace Poetry Exercise 1) A Bird Came Down, by Emily Dickenson http://www.mith2.umd.edu/WomensStudies/ReadingRoom/Poetry/Dickinson/a-bird-came-down
2) In my opinion, I believe that in Emily Dickenson’s poem “A Bird Came Down” Is troublesome to understand. I believe. This poem’s theme is about a Bird who doesn’t know that it is being watched by someone else. I really can’t understand what t is about it’s still too vague to me.
3) The poem in the reader is about death and the poem online is about a bird. There both similar because they are really difficult to understand.
1. The name of the poem is Freedom's Plow by Langston Hughes.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/freedom-s-plow/
2. The major theme of this poem is freedom and equality. Some of the main ideas cover not only racial injustice that us shown in society, but Hughes illustrates how we are struggling with the injustice that we place on ourselves. The author displays these ideas in the beginning of the poem by exploring a mans potential and what he is capable of as he enters America.
3. The poems in the reader have the same concept as "Freedom's Plow" because the poem surrounds the idea that equality needs to be shown in America, just as America has advertised it to be. The writing style is also the similar because it is written like a free write and through this free writing form, it seems to be effective because even if the reader does not identify with the concept, he or she can still be moved because the meaning behind the poems are powerful!
1. The title of the poem is “The Words the Happy Say” and it is written by Emily Dickinson.
ReplyDeletehttp://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/7437.html
2. The major theme in this poem is the beauty that can be found in people that can appear to most people as silent, depressed, or little. This short, four verse poem contrasts the words of the happy with the words of the silent. Dickinson begins the poem by discrediting the words of the happy by referring to them as “paltry melody.” Since the silent do not say, she says the “the words the silent feel [the silent feel instead of say given their silence] are beautiful.” It is admirable that Dickinson would be able to convey such a compelling theme in a mere four-line poem.
3. I tried to find a poem by Dickinson that did not focus too much on death, sadness, depression, etc. Given the title of the poem, I believed this to be an exception to her usual depressive tone. However, even thought the tone of the poem is not as dark and down, this poem is an as well an example of the typical Emily Dickinson poem-dark, short, powerful and compelling work of literature.
Gustavo Diaz
The poem i chose was another by Emily DIckinson titled "When I Was Small A Woman Died."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bartleby.com/113/4033.html
The major theme, apparent even in the title is death itself. After researching i saw that Emily Dickinson had many stages in her life where she concentrated on one aspect and wrote on it. In this time of her poems, Emily is concentrating on death and other aspects of it. In this particular poem, Emily illustrates the relationship between the mother and son, and his reaction upon seeing her dead. I'm not sure if i go the overall concept but it appears the son shows no remorse or pain to see his mother dead causing Emily to wonder is pride goes with one when he dies.
3. Like her writings in the reader, Emily concentrates on death. She always seems to address and illustrate death as a guest in ones presence, and never as a painful, dreadful circumstance.
Spencer Watson
ReplyDelete"Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes, retrieved from .
(2) Langston Hughes' "Dream Deferred" is a rhetorical contemplation on what happens when your dreams or aspirations are delayed into the future. Each line refers to the consequence in an obviousy negative way. Each simile/metaphor has an extreme negative connotation: the dried-up raisin, the festering sore, the stinking rotten meat, the heavy load sagging, etc. His suggestion that a dream deffered has devastating consequences perhaps is a subtle reference to America's racism and resistance towards equality. Black America must have its dream deferred; left to dry up in the sun; to "fester like a sore"; to "sag like a heavy load"; and eventually, "explode." There is a focus on the incredible imagery; each line makes reference to an easily imaginable action that paints a clear picture in the mind, personifying the "dream deferred."
(3) Hughes' other poems, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "I, Too, Sing America," and "Theme for English B," similarly discuss racism in America, but with a differing tone and suggestion. While "Dream Deferred" talks of the consequences of racism in America, the other poems discuss how it is undeniable that black culture has become infused with American culture. Much like "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," Hughes uses imagery, as well as similes and metaphors to draw the reader in and capture attention. The imagery of being "lulled to sleep" by the Congo and "rais[ing] the pyramids aboce" the Nile invoke a mental painting in the readers mind similarly to the rotten meat and crusting over of Hughes' dream deferred. His "soul has grown deep like the rivers" much like his dream "fester[s] like a sore." Similar in form, they differ in tone and topic. "Dream Deferred" has a much harsher, negative connotation than his acceptance into American society in "I, Too, Sing America" and "Theme for English B" or his introspective contemplation in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."
1.The poem is Justice by Langston Hughes.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.poemhunter.com/poem/justice/
2.The major idea of the poem is that justice is equal to everyone, no matter the race and gender. This is what comes out of the poem because he writes that Justice is a blind Goddess and that she has two bandages where there are some sores which could have been her eyes. This might mean that she might have at one time been able to see but she was not equal and fair to everyone therefore she lost her eyes and without them, she act on reason instead of appearances.
3.This poem is similar in the ideas. The idea that there should be justice and equality to everyone. He refers to justice as a blind goddess because people have to not care about what the other people look like to treat everyone equal. While in the poems in the reader, colored people are treated differently because of the color of their skin.
Eduardo Urbina
Robert Moran
ReplyDelete1. The poem is called "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/mother-to-son/
2. The main theme of this poem is to describe the struggles of a mother, but more specifically an African-American mother. The author describes a "crystal stair" as a metaphor for the good progression of life; furthermore the author describes through the speaker that this crystal stair is not one that she climbed upon, that it was one of that "had tacks in it, And splinters, and boards torn up." Then close to the end of the poem, the speaker says she "still climbin" and for her son to not "turn back."
3. "Theme for English B," also by Langston Hughes, has a similar theme to "Mother to Son" in that both describe issues that pertain solely to African Americans. Both poems do not use a rhyme scheme, and use the free verse instead, emphasizing on the wanting of more freedom for African Americans. In "Theme for English B" it emphasizes more on how he, an African American, is the same as any other person; in "Mother to Son" it pertains mainly to the struggle of life in general for an African American mother.
Writing 2 Ace Poetry Exercise
ReplyDelete1) A Bird Came Down, by Emily Dickenson
http://www.mith2.umd.edu/WomensStudies/ReadingRoom/Poetry/Dickinson/a-bird-came-down
2) In my opinion, I believe that in Emily Dickenson’s poem “A Bird Came Down”
Is troublesome to understand. I believe. This poem’s theme is about a Bird who doesn’t know that it is being watched by someone else. I really can’t understand what t is about it’s still too vague to me.
3) The poem in the reader is about death and the poem online is about a bird. There both similar because they are really difficult to understand.
Ivan Lara
1. The name of the poem is Freedom's Plow by Langston Hughes.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.poemhunter.com/poem/freedom-s-plow/
2. The major theme of this poem is freedom and equality. Some of the main ideas cover not only racial injustice that us shown in society, but Hughes illustrates how we are struggling with the injustice that we place on ourselves. The author displays these ideas in the beginning of the poem by exploring a mans potential and what he is capable of as he enters America.
3. The poems in the reader have the same concept as "Freedom's Plow" because the poem surrounds the idea that equality needs to be shown in America, just as America has advertised it to be. The writing style is also the similar because it is written like a free write and through this free writing form, it seems to be effective because even if the reader does not identify with the concept, he or she can still be moved because the meaning behind the poems are powerful!