The new age art of communicating with the world at large, courtesy of modern technology-welcome to the world of blogging. The quote by Robert Niles says it all, “Anytime you post online, you publish.” How apt, as each entry I have made floats in cyber space for eternity for infinite number of people today and tomorrow to chew on. Each blog I have made is actually a voyeuristic view into my innermost, private thoughts. The beauty of my blogs is that no planning is involved as in an essay or research project. No, just as I write this introduction, my blogs are an instant knee jerk reaction to writings that affect my psyche in some way. Each thought expressed starts in the deepest most folds of cerebral hemisphere as a nerve signal that extends to my fingers that move to keep up with my tandem physiological and psychological thought process. It is not a written piece of work in the true sense of the word, like an article or novel but is a conversation that invites debate, and discussion. It is not easy to choose what is termed as my best blogs, as honestly as each blog takes shape in my mind, I feel an attachment to it. Would a mother be able to choose among her children? Each blog is more than just a creation born of a seed in my brain, it is a glimpse into my soul. Each blog says, I have a voice, I matter, and I have spoken
Coverage
Look’s Who’s Talking
http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2011/05/look-whos-talking.html
Honey’s Love
http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2011/05/honeys-love.html
The Harlem Dancer
http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2011/05/harlem-dancer.html
What If This Were My Final – Old Pond
http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-if-this-were-my-final-part-1.html
Wanda Why Aren’t You Dead
http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2011/05/wanda-why-arent-you-dead.html
Wild Card – When One Door Closes, Another Opens
http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2011/05/when-one-door-closes-another-opens.html
Depth
The Harlem Dancer
My Informal commentary on the Harlem Dancer shows an in depth analysis that researches and reflects on present day dealings as reported in the media. And while no specific articles are referenced, I felt this was un-necessary as an overall general comment on the state of affairs was required rather than endless examples that would simply confuse my message. My musings also show my own thoughts based on what I have read or seen in films about prostitutes or strippers. This is quite a provocative piece as the subject matter is almost taboo and hardly discussed in society. We readily dismiss bar dancers as ladies of little repute without stopping to think if circumstances and little choice of alternatives made them part of a profession they neither like or are proud of.
http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2011/05/harlem-dancer.html
Interaction
Asim Lal’s Exactly 500 Words. Great Success
“More importantly, it is used to show Wanda’s inability to be happy with her situation. Because she is not as perfect as she feels she could be, or as perfect as society mandates, she beats herself up in a mental battle in which her pessimistic side will always win. This poem represents a problem that we all face. We need to stop getting angry if we do not meet expectations. Be happy.” While Asim has great philosophy to live by I asked questions to him in order to interact further with his thoughts. I wanted to point out that sometimes we need to acknowledge and have others also acknowledge that life is not always perfect. Rather, than just accept our lot we actually need to be angry. When we are angry at our circumstance and our life it is a form of self therapy. From this in the same way a alcoholic admits to it can we actually turn our life around. Don’t worry be happy is not always the answer but causes our acceptance of our situation with no reason for change.
http://asimlikesenglish.blogspot.com/2011/05/exactly-500-words-great-success.html?showComment=1306074013040#c6410249328311778664
Discussion
Wanda Why Aren’t You Dead
The post on the poem Wanda created a domino effect on discussion. I guess the poem is not clear cut and is open to interpretation which inspired people to say yes that’s how I felt upon reading this or to politely disagree and put in their point of view. The poem is also highly evocative from the title which is shocking in itself and controversy is always exciting to respond to. After all the title is a question and begs for a response and discussion.
http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2011/05/wanda-why-arent-you-dead.html
XenoBlogging
The Comment Primo
While Ash’s analysis on the poem was well written and interpreted and also the three literary devices were well chosen and explained, i felt some key elements were overlooked. I decided to make the comment primo in order to point out these so that it can become an overall part of the discussion and add to the analysis. Sometimes we make analysis and interpretations but when a poem which is open to free expression and thinking gives us clues to the background and mindset of the poet we need to acknowledge this or clearly state our opinion.
http://aishwarya-srivastava.blogspot.com/2011/05/wanda-why-arent-you-dead-by-wanda.html?showComment=1305818697866#c5989072818291809120
The Comment Grande
I chose Julie’s blog to give a comment grande as I liked the way she had taken a very difficult to interpret essay on language and had focused on some simple but thought provoking ideas. Her tangent on being special though drifting from the original essay made my own mind wander and inspired me to give a thoughtful response.
http://iloveenglishmorethananyone.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/no-such-thing-as-absolute/
The Link Gracious
My Wild Card Blog, When One Door Closes, Another Opens, was inspired and sparked by Julie’s blog Time Flies. Being so busy with wrapping up the year, and desperately just trying to finish off my endless IB homework not to mention those dreaded finals, I never took the time to consider the year ending. Julie reminded me that 11th grade is about to come to a close and this made me think how I feel about this and more importantly made me stop and consider what my feeling will be this time next year. These thoughts inspired me to write my wild card post.
http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2011/05/when-one-door-closes-another-opens.html
http://iloveenglishmorethananyone.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/time-flies/
Wild Card
When One Door Closes, Another Opens
Julie’s blog As time Flies inspired this point as I simply extended my thoughts from a localized personal response to a grander more general scale. We are all on a train journey desperately trying to reach our end destination. But as we close one chapter of our life and in effect get off the train we wait at the station to board the next train. Life is indeed a journey! I hope this blog relieves some of the sadness of endings, as endings signify a new beginning, a new chapter in our lives. The story is not finished yet…..
http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2011/05/when-one-door-closes-another-opens.html
Sunday, May 22, 2011
When One Door Closes, Another Opens
The end of the school year is indeed bitter sweet, but this year will be a cake walk compared to next year. Imagine actually the year closing and we are leaving forever!! I guess at times like these we need to remember the old adage, “when one door closes another one opens.”
Yes, isn’t it interesting that we spend our entire childhood trying to grow up. We don’t want to be told what to do, we want independence our own earnings, the ability to stay up late and eat dessert before our dinner, get our driving license and not eat our greens etc etc. The list is endless. We spend our formative years wishing the years would pass quickly.
And the years pass by and we find ourselves middle aged .The years have finally caught up with us and we deny our age and dye our hair in an attempt to hold onto our youth. But, the aching knees and tell tale signs don’t allow us to forget the truth. We can never really do what we want as there are still rules to obey, and now our mum is replaced by our boss, and unfortunately we cannot wrap the boss around our little finger and the boss does not bake cookies for us. Yes we have money, but there are bills to be paid, mortgage payments to be made and responsibilities. Yes, growing up is not all it was cracked up to be, after all. We look at kids playing in the park and wish we could turn the clock back to a simple, carefree time. We wish we had paused for breath and enjoyed our childhood, as we only get one. But we cannot turn back the clock, as it keeps on ticking. And that damned clock reminds us of our own immortality. Did we not think we were invincible and would live forever?
Be careful what you wish for, you may just get it…
Yes, isn’t it interesting that we spend our entire childhood trying to grow up. We don’t want to be told what to do, we want independence our own earnings, the ability to stay up late and eat dessert before our dinner, get our driving license and not eat our greens etc etc. The list is endless. We spend our formative years wishing the years would pass quickly.
And the years pass by and we find ourselves middle aged .The years have finally caught up with us and we deny our age and dye our hair in an attempt to hold onto our youth. But, the aching knees and tell tale signs don’t allow us to forget the truth. We can never really do what we want as there are still rules to obey, and now our mum is replaced by our boss, and unfortunately we cannot wrap the boss around our little finger and the boss does not bake cookies for us. Yes we have money, but there are bills to be paid, mortgage payments to be made and responsibilities. Yes, growing up is not all it was cracked up to be, after all. We look at kids playing in the park and wish we could turn the clock back to a simple, carefree time. We wish we had paused for breath and enjoyed our childhood, as we only get one. But we cannot turn back the clock, as it keeps on ticking. And that damned clock reminds us of our own immortality. Did we not think we were invincible and would live forever?
Be careful what you wish for, you may just get it…
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Wanda Why Aren't You Dead
At first glance, upon reading this poem the reader gets the impression that someone is reprimanding a black, woman of low social standing. This person could be her mother, boyfriend or a rejected suitor. However, since the poet herself is Wanda and through,
tone, diction and structure we may assume that Wanda is speaking to herself.
The tone of the poem is scolding and insulting. This single black woman, “being black” who has a poor standard of living, “why ain’t you rich: and “can’t you afford to move out of this hell hole”, is having a hard time to raise her children, “ready made family” under slum like conditions. She may have been abandoned by the father and is being judged by society. Being black is a discrepancy in itself, add to this the stigma of being a single parent and to top it all being fat and perhaps unattractive puts the icing on the cake as far as societies pre conceived notions and prejudices.. It is possible she is repeating in head the insults she hears repeatedly from her former lover or mother or due to her frustrations is beating her own self up. All in all she wonders why she is not dead under these horrifying conditions of hardship and self loathing and revulsion.
The diction which has bad English shows that she is from a low family background and has received little education. The use of “ain’t,” “gonna,” and “you joking girl” show local colloquialisms of her community. Word usage to insult her feet, “how come your feet are so goddam big,” may be further proof that she herself and not a third party is looking at her own body and has full view of her feet. It is interesting that she has chosen the word usage” black” but does not enter into any racial slurs but tells us that being black has its own way of life “what is it like being black”. She does not like black men revealing her own prejudices or bias due to past experience. She has removed herself from herself and is looking at herself almost in a mirror, “if I were you”.
The structure of the poem is revealing to the story being told. Wanda and I is never capitalized. Of course this could be due to lack of education. However, more profoundly, it shows that she sees herself in a self demeaning manner and feels she is not at a level to be given importance or respect. The poem lacks punctuation to give it a sing song conversation and the lack of a question mark means she does not require any answers, it is a statement not a question. Repetitions, “were you” and “that” may not be stammering but reinforcement and confusion. The spacing at the end shows her thoughts are fading but emphasis on “ALWAYS” protrays anger.
tone, diction and structure we may assume that Wanda is speaking to herself.
The tone of the poem is scolding and insulting. This single black woman, “being black” who has a poor standard of living, “why ain’t you rich: and “can’t you afford to move out of this hell hole”, is having a hard time to raise her children, “ready made family” under slum like conditions. She may have been abandoned by the father and is being judged by society. Being black is a discrepancy in itself, add to this the stigma of being a single parent and to top it all being fat and perhaps unattractive puts the icing on the cake as far as societies pre conceived notions and prejudices.. It is possible she is repeating in head the insults she hears repeatedly from her former lover or mother or due to her frustrations is beating her own self up. All in all she wonders why she is not dead under these horrifying conditions of hardship and self loathing and revulsion.
The diction which has bad English shows that she is from a low family background and has received little education. The use of “ain’t,” “gonna,” and “you joking girl” show local colloquialisms of her community. Word usage to insult her feet, “how come your feet are so goddam big,” may be further proof that she herself and not a third party is looking at her own body and has full view of her feet. It is interesting that she has chosen the word usage” black” but does not enter into any racial slurs but tells us that being black has its own way of life “what is it like being black”. She does not like black men revealing her own prejudices or bias due to past experience. She has removed herself from herself and is looking at herself almost in a mirror, “if I were you”.
The structure of the poem is revealing to the story being told. Wanda and I is never capitalized. Of course this could be due to lack of education. However, more profoundly, it shows that she sees herself in a self demeaning manner and feels she is not at a level to be given importance or respect. The poem lacks punctuation to give it a sing song conversation and the lack of a question mark means she does not require any answers, it is a statement not a question. Repetitions, “were you” and “that” may not be stammering but reinforcement and confusion. The spacing at the end shows her thoughts are fading but emphasis on “ALWAYS” protrays anger.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
What If This Were My Final - Old Pond
If today was May 23rd and I was faced with the poem Old Pond by Gary Snyder for my final, my process would be as follows;
1) Firstly, I would read the poem repeatedly until I have the gist of it.
2) Along the way I would make note and mark obvious metaphors, repetitive language, unique structure, and identify the speaker and audience;
a. Structure of the 2 stanzas is similar where the first 2 lines are indented further towards the right, and those 2 lines are the descriptive segments of the poem. The poem ends with the word Splash, which is indented in the same manner. This word is made to stand out in the poem and brings the readers attention to it, it is also the only action that occurs. Also, you can notice that short, and choppy sentences are used throughout, which are fairly descriptive
b. A lot of alliteration is found in the 2 stanzas; for example hemlock half, ragged rocky, little lake to name a few, which adds rhyme and beat to the poem
c. As the poem is highly descriptive, there is imagery of; Blue mountain white snow gleam, and use of several colors; blue, white, brown, which are all tranquil and peaceful colors
d. The setting is evidently at Five Lakes Basin, which is an old pond surrounded by mountains
e. The audience is perhaps someone who is currently present at the lake, who is providing a description of the place. Perhaps, by using ‘up through time’ it indicates a definite time period has passed since this person has visited the lake. Perhaps by using ‘a naked bug’ it represents the person’s closeness to nature
f. The diction consists mostly of adjectives and lacks verbs
g. The mood/tone of the poem appears to be tranquil and serene
h. I don’t see any metaphors or similes, and also any irony.
The poem, at first glance seems very simplistic in styling, and almost child like. I seem to imagine a white male youth who is enjoying nature, though age is not indicated. The poem in my mind has an American feel to it though technically the beginning as the commentator has mentioned could be anywhere in the world which houses scenic beauty of lakes and mountains. It is for me reminiscent of the protagonists of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckelburry Finn, as it conjures up the imagery of small town boys enjoying nature on a hot Summer’s day. The commentator is very detailed and prolific in his analysis and makes some very thoughtful comments. He sums up the poem’s theme as being contemplation to action, where the first 12 lines are dedicated to contemplation and only the last two are given to action. He likes to compare many parts of the poem to the style of leading poets such as Wordsworth, Kafka, Basho and Byron which is perhaps unnecessary in the analysis of a poem of a stand alone poet. The poem starts with colors and the commentator says rightly that these colors represent nature, but I disagree with his statement, “The sky that’s blue and not the granite mountains”. While it is apparent the snow covered peaks of the mountain do hit the blue sky, it is also possible the poet did refer to the mountains as blue and not the sky. After all the light reflecting from the sky to the white peaks could appear blue to the eye, and further in America there are the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
I like his interpretation of calling the mountains “ragged” which suggests unraveling rather than the expected highly strong and masculine, jagged. His analysis of the bird was a surprise to me as I was not aware of any flute like substitute of a Judeo-Christian God. I also would have thought the short sharp sound of the bird would disturb the tranquility of the mountains and not lead one into a trance of luxurious silence. I was also intrigued to learn that the title is reminiscent of a phrase from a classic Japanese haiku.
It is particularly interesting when the commentator muses if the poet who dives in the water will emerge or not but contradicts himself by stating the poets recollection by writing this poem tells us the answer.
1) Firstly, I would read the poem repeatedly until I have the gist of it.
2) Along the way I would make note and mark obvious metaphors, repetitive language, unique structure, and identify the speaker and audience;
a. Structure of the 2 stanzas is similar where the first 2 lines are indented further towards the right, and those 2 lines are the descriptive segments of the poem. The poem ends with the word Splash, which is indented in the same manner. This word is made to stand out in the poem and brings the readers attention to it, it is also the only action that occurs. Also, you can notice that short, and choppy sentences are used throughout, which are fairly descriptive
b. A lot of alliteration is found in the 2 stanzas; for example hemlock half, ragged rocky, little lake to name a few, which adds rhyme and beat to the poem
c. As the poem is highly descriptive, there is imagery of; Blue mountain white snow gleam, and use of several colors; blue, white, brown, which are all tranquil and peaceful colors
d. The setting is evidently at Five Lakes Basin, which is an old pond surrounded by mountains
e. The audience is perhaps someone who is currently present at the lake, who is providing a description of the place. Perhaps, by using ‘up through time’ it indicates a definite time period has passed since this person has visited the lake. Perhaps by using ‘a naked bug’ it represents the person’s closeness to nature
f. The diction consists mostly of adjectives and lacks verbs
g. The mood/tone of the poem appears to be tranquil and serene
h. I don’t see any metaphors or similes, and also any irony.
The poem, at first glance seems very simplistic in styling, and almost child like. I seem to imagine a white male youth who is enjoying nature, though age is not indicated. The poem in my mind has an American feel to it though technically the beginning as the commentator has mentioned could be anywhere in the world which houses scenic beauty of lakes and mountains. It is for me reminiscent of the protagonists of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckelburry Finn, as it conjures up the imagery of small town boys enjoying nature on a hot Summer’s day. The commentator is very detailed and prolific in his analysis and makes some very thoughtful comments. He sums up the poem’s theme as being contemplation to action, where the first 12 lines are dedicated to contemplation and only the last two are given to action. He likes to compare many parts of the poem to the style of leading poets such as Wordsworth, Kafka, Basho and Byron which is perhaps unnecessary in the analysis of a poem of a stand alone poet. The poem starts with colors and the commentator says rightly that these colors represent nature, but I disagree with his statement, “The sky that’s blue and not the granite mountains”. While it is apparent the snow covered peaks of the mountain do hit the blue sky, it is also possible the poet did refer to the mountains as blue and not the sky. After all the light reflecting from the sky to the white peaks could appear blue to the eye, and further in America there are the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
I like his interpretation of calling the mountains “ragged” which suggests unraveling rather than the expected highly strong and masculine, jagged. His analysis of the bird was a surprise to me as I was not aware of any flute like substitute of a Judeo-Christian God. I also would have thought the short sharp sound of the bird would disturb the tranquility of the mountains and not lead one into a trance of luxurious silence. I was also intrigued to learn that the title is reminiscent of a phrase from a classic Japanese haiku.
It is particularly interesting when the commentator muses if the poet who dives in the water will emerge or not but contradicts himself by stating the poets recollection by writing this poem tells us the answer.
The Harlem Dancer
The Harlem Dancer by Claude McKay, makes use of the literary terms, metaphors, diction and irony among others to set the tone and overall theme of his sonnet.
The theme of the poem shows itself strikingly in the irony of the couplet at the end of the sonnet.
But,looking at her falsely-smiling face
I knew her self was not in that strange place.
The poet is one of many youths lapping up the erotic song and dance routine of a young prostitute. So captivated is he by her mesmirizing performance that his senses focus on her voice and her young sexually attractive body. Only at the end he makes the epiphany that she is putting on a false show of happiness and engagement for the sake of the drunk audience who fail to look beyond the glitz and false smiles. The young prostitute has sold her soul to the devil for reasons known to her but could be due to economic need. While she is ready to give her body to the audience for a paycheck she keeps her heart, emotions,and her soul to herself as these are commodities not for sale. And here lies the irony as the audience in their eagerness fail to recognize that she is not revealing all to them and had duped them to part with their money on false pretences. She gives them a fantasy but the reality is far removed from this fantasy. Further, irony is shown in the choice of words to describe her such as "danced gracefully and calm". You may be mistaken to think the audience is watching a graceful ballet dancer giving an elegant performance in the opera house, instead of a highly erotic dance to feed the rowdy audience in a seedy, backstreet smoke filled dark club of dubious nature.
Further irony is further portrayed by the usage of metaphors.
/similes which helps to set the tone and theme.
" her voice was like the sound of blended flutes
Blown by black players upon a picnic day'
Her voice is being compared to blended flutes which conjures up the imagery of the Pied Piper of Hamlin who was able to hyptonize rats into following him. Here the rats are the uncouth youth who come to look at a cheap show for their own satisfaction. While the flutes signify dignity of a sophisticated recital the truth belies this. The imagery of picnic day allows us to think of the outdoors on a bright Summers day where children with their families play happily. This is in stark contrast to a musty nightclub in the wee hours of the morning where families would be tucked in bed safely at home not gawking at scantily clad ladies of the night.
Another metaphor is striking in it's usage,
"to me she seemed proudly swaying palm
Grown lovelier for passing through the storm"
The imagery again reveals daytime and the beach setting. The storm refers to the blowing breeze that dishevels the palm in the same way the prostitute who is working long hours is now disheveled in appearance but loses none of her appeal as this look adds to her sexuality. Like her a palm stand alone and tall and is difficult to touch the fruits she bears and proudly displays. The storm may also refer to the storm that rages within her which denotes her unhappiness and is hidden by her outward calm.
The diction is used to show the overall sexual tone of this sonnet. The audience are high testosterone youths drugged by sexual desires. This is shown by, "tossing coins in praise", and "eager passionate gaze " they are lusting after a woman they have objectified. They believe her she exists only to fulfill their desires and have no regard for her feelings or any respect for her. Their lust is shown by "wine flushed bold eyed boys " this shows that the boys are young and do not yet have maturity or the wisdom of age. They follow their hormones and basic carnal instincts with gay abandon. However, such is her power that " even the girls" are amazed at this creature that can with her magnetism captivate an audience into submission. Use of "devoured " again brings the image of animalistic nature in the same way a carnivore devours it's victims the prey.
And here lie the real irony and theme of this sonnet. The actual victims are the audience who have fallen for the sexual prowess of a prey that teases and taunts them while keeping her distance and is far removed from the debauchery of their antics.
"I knew her self was not in that strange place"
Often prostitutes and strippers are thought of badly by the general public. And yet their lives remain a fascination to us, and so many books aand movies are inspired by their lives. I remember watching the Bollywood mmovie Umrao Jaan and reading the book Lace. Both detail young girls sold into prostitution for no fault of their own but circumstances that lead them to lead this unhappy life. We often hear about human trafficking and hear stories of child abuse that forces women to make lifestyle choices they themselves do not approve of. Rather than condemning we need to understand and help these women support themselves with dignity.
The theme of the poem shows itself strikingly in the irony of the couplet at the end of the sonnet.
But,looking at her falsely-smiling face
I knew her self was not in that strange place.
The poet is one of many youths lapping up the erotic song and dance routine of a young prostitute. So captivated is he by her mesmirizing performance that his senses focus on her voice and her young sexually attractive body. Only at the end he makes the epiphany that she is putting on a false show of happiness and engagement for the sake of the drunk audience who fail to look beyond the glitz and false smiles. The young prostitute has sold her soul to the devil for reasons known to her but could be due to economic need. While she is ready to give her body to the audience for a paycheck she keeps her heart, emotions,and her soul to herself as these are commodities not for sale. And here lies the irony as the audience in their eagerness fail to recognize that she is not revealing all to them and had duped them to part with their money on false pretences. She gives them a fantasy but the reality is far removed from this fantasy. Further, irony is shown in the choice of words to describe her such as "danced gracefully and calm". You may be mistaken to think the audience is watching a graceful ballet dancer giving an elegant performance in the opera house, instead of a highly erotic dance to feed the rowdy audience in a seedy, backstreet smoke filled dark club of dubious nature.
Further irony is further portrayed by the usage of metaphors.
/similes which helps to set the tone and theme.
" her voice was like the sound of blended flutes
Blown by black players upon a picnic day'
Her voice is being compared to blended flutes which conjures up the imagery of the Pied Piper of Hamlin who was able to hyptonize rats into following him. Here the rats are the uncouth youth who come to look at a cheap show for their own satisfaction. While the flutes signify dignity of a sophisticated recital the truth belies this. The imagery of picnic day allows us to think of the outdoors on a bright Summers day where children with their families play happily. This is in stark contrast to a musty nightclub in the wee hours of the morning where families would be tucked in bed safely at home not gawking at scantily clad ladies of the night.
Another metaphor is striking in it's usage,
"to me she seemed proudly swaying palm
Grown lovelier for passing through the storm"
The imagery again reveals daytime and the beach setting. The storm refers to the blowing breeze that dishevels the palm in the same way the prostitute who is working long hours is now disheveled in appearance but loses none of her appeal as this look adds to her sexuality. Like her a palm stand alone and tall and is difficult to touch the fruits she bears and proudly displays. The storm may also refer to the storm that rages within her which denotes her unhappiness and is hidden by her outward calm.
The diction is used to show the overall sexual tone of this sonnet. The audience are high testosterone youths drugged by sexual desires. This is shown by, "tossing coins in praise", and "eager passionate gaze " they are lusting after a woman they have objectified. They believe her she exists only to fulfill their desires and have no regard for her feelings or any respect for her. Their lust is shown by "wine flushed bold eyed boys " this shows that the boys are young and do not yet have maturity or the wisdom of age. They follow their hormones and basic carnal instincts with gay abandon. However, such is her power that " even the girls" are amazed at this creature that can with her magnetism captivate an audience into submission. Use of "devoured " again brings the image of animalistic nature in the same way a carnivore devours it's victims the prey.
And here lie the real irony and theme of this sonnet. The actual victims are the audience who have fallen for the sexual prowess of a prey that teases and taunts them while keeping her distance and is far removed from the debauchery of their antics.
"I knew her self was not in that strange place"
Often prostitutes and strippers are thought of badly by the general public. And yet their lives remain a fascination to us, and so many books aand movies are inspired by their lives. I remember watching the Bollywood mmovie Umrao Jaan and reading the book Lace. Both detail young girls sold into prostitution for no fault of their own but circumstances that lead them to lead this unhappy life. We often hear about human trafficking and hear stories of child abuse that forces women to make lifestyle choices they themselves do not approve of. Rather than condemning we need to understand and help these women support themselves with dignity.
Honey's Love
The sun shines down on God’s golden garden on a bright Summer’s day,
The Beauty and peace, the cooling breeze deceive the nearby dangers lurking beyond,
And the mother looks on lazily watching her innocents, carefree, happy at play,
Evil rears its ugly head to threaten the tranquil, waters of their pond,
A mother’s instinct perks up, radar comes on high alert, ready to defend,
Love bears no cross, no hesitation, no doubt as her body belies fear,
A tower of hope, she prepares her powers, strength, and defenses to lend,
Game set to play, she rises, to protect all that she holds dear,
A mother’s inborn love, comes forth selfless, sacrificial, gracious and always giving,
Willing to do what it takes to ensure her babies go on living……
Happy Mother's Day!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Look Who's Talking!
Amiri Baraka essay deals with how speech is linked to our cultural background and its social aspects. Words exude power, a well spoken person is revered is seen as educated, influential and perhaps wealthy. Whereas, a person who uses incorrect grammar, local slang will be perceived as uncouth or illiterate and ill informed about the world, and therefore will not be in a position to command respect. It is often our inability to speak the language of another country that causes a gap in understanding a different culture which leads to suspicion and misunderstanding. As the article explains, the Blacks bought as slaves were unable to speak English and therefore were termed as “heathens.” In modern terms when the US invaded Iraq United States and the United Kingdom New York
Language is all powerful and has many serious connotations. An insult thrown at a group of people can bring on a war, not just of words but physically. We need to understand the power of words and think before we speak of any ramifications Communication with each other is how the world operates and functions and we need to respect and not abuse this most powerful of tools.
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