Look at the first group of five poems, read them out loud twice. Decide what these five different poems by five different writers have in common. Show me where you see that thread of similarity and discuss why it is important. Why should anyone care about it?
lex Cruzado
ReplyDelete"To Begin With"
I found a common theme in all five of the poems, I realize while reading the last one that they were all talking about life, how they want to live it, for whom and what they think they have to do to live their dreams. Each poem is very different, they have different moods and they all have different things that they want to live for, and different ways of getting there.
People should care about it because when reading them it could make one realize what they want out of there life, and make them think about how they are going to get it, and how to go about it. These poems can also make one think about there future, they can also make one realize that they have no plan for there life and they don’t know what they want and they don’t know how to get there and these poems can inspire them to do so.
Initially I thought these poems were about life, but I think it's more on how one interoperates life and how he or she goes about living it. These poems describe the importance of life, a life that is filled with painful and delicate moments. The impact one lets these moments take on them is how one's life is shaped. In each poem it describes how important life is no matter what hardships are brought about. The second poem alludes to America in the way it's the land of the free, do as you please, but be cautious of the consequences. The third poem is short but contains a moving message about the world being a harsh place and the difficult life one might endure if he or she is just a dreamer.
ReplyDeleteI think people should care about these poems because they really are inspirational. Each poem has its own way of saying how precious life can be. Everyone should care about their life and how they live it. Parents, brought together by love found in this world, give the gift of life, and that's the best present of all (love and life). Everything around one’s life just adds to the thrill and excitement. The last poem is filled with a lot of passion and I think that’s important to people because they should live everyday with the same passion as the next because the next day might not be there. I also find it very important because people should not leave their selves with the “what if” questions. Life is about the now and it really made me think of my dreams and aspirations in the views of reality and what is going to happen next.
While we are living, we are able to feel these emotions of love and hope. There is a much stronger theme of love and the faith it evokes in these poems which are fun so deep to keep us believing and keep us thriving. "You'll stay with me inside the apple until the knife finishes it work" (Amichai "Inside the Apple" l.15) tells me that there is an unconditional commitment that is understood when we have someone to share the work. There is safety within this haven of the apple, which is love.
ReplyDeleteE.E. Cummings, in "i carry your heart with me..." is also speaking to me of having faith and a selfless love. That we have courage and bravery because we love and are loved. It can conquer all and make all the wonders in the world that much more wonderful. "Language Lesson" by Heather McHugh tells me that we aren't forgotten, that we live on in legacy - like the relish! We do this because we love and want love. These poems speak to me of hope, dreams, protection and love, all very integral parts of living and being. It is one thing to simply breath and have life, but another to really live and leave a legacy. In "The Gift", by William Stafford, he tells me that love heals, that we must endure what time unfolds for us in order to appreciate the most by facing the least.
In these five poems, I found themes that were similar and some that were not so common. At first I couldn't grasp what it is these poems had in common, I thought it was time, but I think it is the emotions you feel throughout that time, no matter when it is. These poems also made it feel like you were not in it alone, the poem "Inside the apple" I truly felt that what emotions that were being displayed in the four poems that these two inside of the apple could get through it together. Lastly, I felt that these poems were very real because they didn't just talk about the happy emotions, they talked about the tough times of pain and suffering as well.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading these poems, i did see that they all really explained life. In my opinion, all of these poems talk about life and how people deal with them. Certain people look at many situations completely differently. Some might take finding someone they love as just another addition to their day, while some might think it's the greatest thing that has ever happened to them. Pain is something everyone has to deal with at some point and everyone has a different way of dealing with that pain. In "The Gift," the main point was happiness. Each individual has a certain something that gives them that happiness that was described. I thought it was also saying that when you do find such happiness, you should cherish it. Take in every minute of it. Find that happiness with either love of friendship. "Inside the Apple" to me, felt like it was describing a friendship. Everyone needs a friend to help them through all the pain that life throws at us and to share the happiness that is so valued.
ReplyDeleteEach poem has one thing in common, they all are in reference to life. To me, each poem describes a different way in which a person might decide to live out their life. For example, “The Gift” was in relation to whether an individual would take life for granted and something to wait around for, or accept each day to bring happiness and not let it go by. Others may choose to live their entire life keeping their dreams safe from the cruel world, such as those in Langston Hughes “The Dream Keeper”. Some may want to be mischievous, never being true to anyone, therefore never having anyone to share a life with. Many choose to live life by carrying on another’s memory, or decide to live as simple as can be, with a beginning and an end.
ReplyDeleteThe similarities and dissimilarities of living one’s life is shown throughout the poems, for example, whether an individual is going to live their life with happiness and gratitude is one way expressed in some of the poems read. An individual may choose to carry on being afraid or mysterious, never fully living out the life they have been given. Each option is shown throughout the poems with examples. As mentioned earlier, Langston Hughes “The Dream Keeper” showed a way of living in fear and hiding from the world, “That I may wrap them, In a blue cloud-cloth, Away from the too-rough fingers, Of the world.” (Hughes “The Dream Keeper” l. 5-8). Although this individual is a dreamer, they are too afraid to live out whatever dreams they may be keeping. Another example of how an individual may choose to live their life to the fullest is shown in William Stafford’s “The Gift”, “Time offers this gift in millions of ways, turning the world, moving the air, calling, every morning, “Here, take it, it’s yours.”” (Stafford “The Gift” l.17-19). This line shows each day is a gift given to you and you have the right to choose how to live it out. It may be to lie around all day or spread joy to others for the day you have been given.
People should care about the way they live their lives. I think that your life is a gift and should be treated that way. Like the saying, live life to the fullest, do something you love with your life and don’t let it waste away.
A common theme that I noticed between all of the poems were that they all seemed to be referring to being somewhere. For example, in "Language Lesson", the author talk about being in Philadelphia. In "The Dream Keeper" the author talks about peoples dreams. I think that they all have a common theme of just being somewhere, either in person or in a dream or anything, and that all of these places mean something to you and there is something about them that makes them special. We all have places that we've been to that have special memories and think about, and thats what I think that all these poems are trying to talk about.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading these poems they had a reoccurring theme of life and how the individual decides to live his/her life. "The Gift" was describing how the main gift is the gift of life, and in this life you will be brought happiness it you want to turn your life around. ("The Gift",9-12). The poem "Language Lesson 1976" demonstrates the different uses for words and how individuals in different areas develop their own language ("Language Lesson 1976",5-8). "The Dream Keeper" was different then the rest of the poems because it showed how people keep their dreams to themselves in fear that people will make fun of them for believing anything is possible. Out of these poems, my favorite was "I carry your heart with me" by E.E. Cummings. I enjoyed this poem because it showed how much love this person had for another. It just showed how much someone can love you and care for you. That their life revolves around another. These poems all represent how people want to live their lives, either for another person or hiding who they really want to be.
ReplyDeleteI have created an image in my head which portrays each of these poems as a character, each with a belief in regards to what one can or will do with the time presented to them, and perhaps what will be the result of their choices made with this time. "The Gift" states very plainly: no matter what you do, sometimes it will hurt, sometimes it will not. But that is still no reason to not confront the unknown, as seen in the line "'Here, take it, it's yours'" (Stafford "The Gift" l.19)
ReplyDelete"Language Lesson 1976" Seems to be of the belief that no matter what you decide to do with your time, the world will deceive you with its language in the most subtle of ways, and you must always be on edge." (McHugh "Language Lesson 1976" l.11-12)
"The Dream Keeper" wears a sad smile, knowing that the ambitions one has are futile, yet he still feels obligated to support them.
"Inside the Apple" knows that some will put themselves in sticky situations "perhaps the apple is symbolic of the biblical forbidden fruit...?) and that impending doom (the knife) is survivable with the presence of a loved one.
Lastly, "I Carry Your Heart With Me" is stalwart in it's belief that love will defy all consequences in life. It will unarguably defy forces of nature "this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart" (Cummings "I Carry Your Heart With Me" l.13)
While Reading these poems I had a central idea of love within the first few, but them it seemed that life and life lessons became the central idea throughout all of them. The poem "Inside the Apple" talks about love with another partner and how they will stay in the apple which resembles life until the knife (death) approaches them. The poem by E.E. Cummings "i carry your heart with me..." is a lovely poem about carring the love of someone that you have lost inside your heart. Also the idea that even though someone has passed they can still live on. "The Dream Keeper" by Langston Hughes has a central idea that throughout life you must dream and dream big. Heather McHugh talks abut how the way you speak and speak to others will effect your life. The last poem "The Gift" by William Stafford, describes the past, present, and future of life. This poem has the most central idea of life and brings all the other poems together. It's like the glue to hold all the other poems togethere under one central idea of life and living your life to the fullest. This idea is important becasue life and living it to the fullest is a very important concept to get especially at a young age because if you wait too long then it could be over. One should care about this central idea becasue it is their life and the one that they are choosing to live. These poems should open their eyes to lessons and ideas about life and how maybe they could change their life.
ReplyDeleteAll of these poems have a similar message that is being delivered. The poems are talking about the meaning of life and love, yet everyone experiences these two things differently. Everyone has different hopes and dreams when it comes to living their lives. The poem "The Gift" talks about how some people chose to take their life for granted while others enjoy every minute they are given to live. "It's the way life is, and you have it, a few years given:" (Stafford "The Gift" l.6)In the other poems for example "The dream-keeper" dreams are talked about, and how some people live their lives through dreams. Some of these dreams may be with a loved one or the hopes of finding someone to spend the rest of their life with. "I carry your heart with me( i carry it in my heart) i am never without it:" (Cummings "I carry your heart with me..." l.1) Some of these poems talk about life and love with a significant partner, this idea is seen in the poem "Inside the Apple" Everyone should care about the life they chose to live, for its with our decisions that shape each of our lives in different ways. Some of us may dream of the type of life we want to live out while others may actually live their dream.
ReplyDeleteAs I read these 5 poems my initial connection between all of them was love and how the presence of distance had no role in their hearts. Yet life is also something that is present in these poems. You have the several different mentioning’s of, "you'll stay with me in the apple till the knife finishes its work," to another poem talking about "I carry you in my heart," then another one saying" bring me all your heart melodies that I may wrap them in a cold blue cloud cloth”, the next one said, "and let me be the one you never hold,' and the last comparison was ,"time offers this gift in a million ways." These 5 quotes are all examples of how different everyone’s lives are, yet somewhere in the mix of everything love has been achieved and the thought of it one day being gone is sad but that is a part of life. One day you have everything you ever wanted, and the next day it’s gone just how you wish the pain was of losing a loved one. Though each poem had its obvious different moods, it was easy to get a feeling of similarity throughout. This is important because it lets the reader get a feel of different writers’ type of writing about the same topic, yet allows one to become more diverse in the meantime from the different structures and symbols. We as readers should care because it helps us to open our eyes and become more aware so we will be able to pick up the meanings and stories the author is trying to get through to the reader.
ReplyDeleteEach of these poems has their own endless amounts of meanings while interpereting them, but i think they are similar in having a topic of life, love, and emotions. When reading "The Gift" I felt a mood of endless time and space where your surroundings effect you in the now but have effected you throughout your life. In many of the other poems i felt a connection to life and emotion. "The Dream Keeper" to me was about harnesting imagnation and hinted that the world around u may sometimes destroy that imagination: "Bring me all of your heart melodies that i may wrap them...away from the too-rough fingers of the world." With "Inside the Apple" i felt a mood of comfort and softness, where the apple was to a place of infinite trust and understanding, and outside of the apple could have been the world which many of us are influenced by in our everday actions and thoughts. It is important to look at each poem individually to be able to add their meanings and feelings to the overall picture or perspective so one can be benefited in their outlook on life. Each of these writers have seemingly concrete flow in their words and descriptions. But for some like "The Dream Keeper," the writer uses simplicity in 8 lines to imply a large concept or idea. In each of these poems there is the endless possibility of interpretations, which i think is a talent that each of these writers have the ability to write something like that.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading all 5 poems my first thought was the similar theme was that they all are about life and how we fulfill our lives while we are on earth. I understood that in each of our lives there are different obstacles we each have to over come for example the short story after "the dream keeper" the young student had to over come the horrible situation in Cambodia to live but yet still is striving to live a content life with everything he or she is doing here in the U.S.A. I also thought a theme was death for example do all can do while you have that life and fight for all that you can while you have the chance. I thought they were very intense and motivating.
ReplyDeleteWhen I began to read the first poem, "The Gift" I was a bit puzzled as to what the underlying message or theme could possibly be. As I continued reading the rest, it all started to make sense. The Gift talks about how people sometimes take their lives for granted, and not valuing things for what they are. Only we can change our lives, whether it be for better or worse. (Stafford-The Gift l.9-12) Basically the common theme throughout all these poems, is life itself. Each poem has its own interpretations and views on life, but they are beautiful in their own way. The poem that touched me the most, "I Carry your heart with me" by E.E. Cummings. I was almost on the verge of tears because I felt so much emotion...I could relate to it in so many ways (E.E. Cummings I Carry your heart with me l.5-9) These poets are very talented and special in their own ways, and the fact that they can say so much in a couple lines just amazes me.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very good start, but I would like to see the lines from which you draw your main ideas, and I'd like to gain some understanding of how you arrived at your ideas please. That would be a big help to me when you respond to these types of questions.
ReplyDeleteGood start! The only things missing are the lines from which you drew your major ideas and some explanation of how those lines helped you arrive at your ideas. I like what you have to say, but I'd like to see you be more specific when you respond to this type of question please.
ReplyDeleteAs I read the next group of poems for this week I realized a few common themes. I realized a theme of lost and that every speaker was working through a life journey but proud of what they have surpassed in their lives.In (Cowper- The Negro's Complaint l.5-9)this person goes through his or her journey of being a sold as a slave to do the work of their owners. But in l.7-8 he says "minds are never to be sold" I thought this can be as even though the person and body is being sold he still has his own ideas and thoughts. Yes he has loss his liberty but still reserves his thoughts and opinions on his life. Also in "Journey of the Magi" it's a journey told l.34-36 after describing his or her journey it's clear that during their life they would go through this challege just to get to a better place the gain is much better than the suffering and loss. In the poem "The song of the banana man" is seems also to be a journey whether being that banana man is great or the worst thing he will do it proudly and to the best of his ability.The strive for life is always worth the effort and each of the people in these poems have a purpose in life they have fought for.
ReplyDeleteSlonski
ReplyDeleteAs I read these 5 poems I see that they all talk about life. Each poem relates to life and how people take life. There is good and bad wether your by yourself or with someone else. You take life as you want and the way you go in your life decides if your happy if your sad. The poems show perspectives on different feelings. They are important because they are different emotions and can get people thinking about the past the present and the future. The way people communicate to what a person dreams brings about life and how someone will go about their life. Everyone is different and can carry their own dreams and in order to achieve them you have to go for them. The Dream I feel says that their are many dreams out there and you need to make them present and then go after them. These poems made me think about now and what I am looking to do in my life and as I continue my college career.
The common theme among all the poems is to enjoy the simple things in life. "There are people, unlike me and you,-who do not yearn after fame or love or quantities of money-as unattainable as that moon;" (l.16-18 "I Have News For You" Hoagland)
ReplyDeleteWhy do we waste our time pursuing the ultimate dreams to live in fame, fortune, and luxury when true luxury lies within the things we perceive on a daily basis. Like eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast has become such a autonomic function for us that when don't taste the grain of the cereal we don't let the sweet milk melt on our tongues. Instead society has made us ask ourselves, while we eat cereal, "Why can't I have Eggs Benedict and Caviar for breakfast?"
Why do we waste our time being prejudice and judgmental towards others who are different "if being the slave is having no rights-being the master is having no conscience" (l.21-22 "Ay, Ay, Ay, de la Grifa Negra" De Burgos) Our conscious is filled and occupied with judging other people. "Ay, Ay, Ay that am kinky-haired and pure black;-kinks in my hair, Kafir in my lips;-and my flat nose Mozambiques.." (l.1-3 "Ay, Ay, Ay, de la Grifa Negra" De Burgos) We should not see her as a person who has kinky hair and a flat nose, we should see her as "a person" not a person with "something" just a person.
Why do we waste our time filling our imaginations, the greatest thing a man can poses, with such meaningless thougts "My forelock swung in my eyes,-my neck arched and I snorted.- I shied an skittered and reared" (l.31-33 "The Centaur" Swenson) What if instead of inventing weapons of mass destruction we imagined ourselves as horses galloping through fields. Would not the world be a better place? Why don't we read shakespeare and play solitaire and violin and turn the lights on at night (l.22-25 paraphrase "Notes from non-existent Himalayan Expedition" Szymborska)