"NOT BAD, DAD, NOT BAD " by Jan Heller Levi the writer is telling us about a father and daughter relationship.The writer uses "swimming" through out the poem to show metaphor of the relationship between the daughter and father. For instance " I think you are most yourself when you're swimming;"(1). This lines shows that using the word swimming means struggle and trying to be the best that you can for me.
I really like this poem because the speaker shows the struggle that one father can have when raising a daughter. " I think how different everything might have been / had I judged your loving / like I judge your sidestroke, your butterfly, / your Australian crawl." I noticed this stanza out of all the stanzas because it talks about how the daughter thinks her father is doing everything wrong raising her "every stroke" was different and always wrong.
However, out of everything she understands what really matters. that effort is worth more than anything. Like in the last stanza, " But I always thought I was drowning / in that icy ocean between us, / I always thought you were moving too slowly to save me, / when you were moving as fast as you can." The writer explains that you can only do so much.  

The Total Opposite

By Kendrick Young

“If you look closely at a word, you'll find it contains its opposite” by Stephanie Gray is a very good poem. It's so weird with what she talks about but very true and it makes you really really think about it. Gray makes you think of the bad in something and then the good in something bad.

In the poem she uses repetition and she talks about a different topic every 4 lines or so. In the poem Gray starts talking about music hearing from lines 1-9. My favorite part of the poem is lines 2-5. Gary states “What part of deaf is hearing. What part of hearing is silence. What part of silence is noise. What part of I don't know is i totally know. What part of I totally know is i don't, really”. It makes you think what is she talking about. If you are deaf you can't hear period so there is no part of hearing anything. You can kind of hear silence because it's very quiet. Then she loses me by describing the i don't know part.

Gray also states in lines 22-23 “ what part of tickets to poetry are roads to nowhere. What part of roads to nowhere are keys to something. What I admire about them lines is how she mentions the road to poetry in a poem. I feel as if a road anywhere is a key to something because a journey anywhere has a destination and your destination impacts your life no matter what. I think that's what she means by that line.

Overall it's a good poem, she really makes you think and try to contradict yourself, because she has a lot of weird but interesting topics.

"Die soon"

                In the poem "We real cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks, Brooks uses only 4 stanzas to show that every action has a consequence especially with people who try to portray themselves as "cool", Which I personally think is great because some people don't understand the concept of consequences and they should know those who choose to do the wrong thing "Die soon" as quoted from line 8 in the poem, Brooks uses We a lot in the poem but instead of using it at the beginning of a line she uses "we" at the end, like a reverse litany.
                Brooks begins the poem with "We real cool. We/ Left school"  in lines 1-2 so they're obviously students, in the next lines 3-4 Brooks writes "We/ lurk late. We/ Strike straight", I would assume they would start fights with others throughout the night. But the line that stands out most to me or anyone for that matter would be the last line. Line #8 "We/ jazz June. We/ Die soon" because throughout the poem every action has had a sort of negative consequence and the last consequence of living a bad life would be a death that has come early.

Beautiful Woman of Terror

     In "Night Madness Poem" by Sandra Cisneros, the author uses profound diction and imagery. The speaker elaborates on her own characteristics, which reflect how pretentious she is. What makes everything a bit more interesting is that she knows it and also enjoys it.
     Line 29 says, "I'm a woman delighted with her disasters." The speaker is being provocative which actually is the tone of this entire piece. A prideful woman is boasting throughout this poem, which was the purpose of Cisneros. This poem allows the reader to feel every word written in this poem because it feels as though every word that drips from the speaker is softly spoken but very harsh at the same time. The combination of two completely different attitudes is sweet and sour, which is very appealing to the audience.
     In Lines 7-10, we see the speaker say "I'm the crazy lady they warned you about. / The she of rumor talked about - / and worse, who talks." The speaker is describing her lack of silence as the poet presents to us diction.  This woman isn't afraid of what others think, therefore she lets her tongue loose, although she knows it may backfire.
     The 9th stanza says, "Choose your weapon. / Mine- the telephone, my tongue. / Both black as a gun." Here, we see POWER! This is where we see the beauty! The Speaker understands that she may be a bit terrifying with her attitude and with her words but she also tells us that she understands that these are weapons which makes this entire poem exciting. Remember, that your words have a lot of power behind them, use them wisely!

Poetry Response 3

Makayla Sheffield

AP-Literature 1st hour

7 October, 2016

Poetry Response #3

“Potions” by Yusef Komunyakaa the speaker is telling us a story about how you can give people hope. In the poem the speaker states “They carried /Photos, locks of hair, nail clippings,/ & the first three words of a wish.” ( lines 14-16). These lines signify that the people visiting the potion lady were hopeful she could grant their three wishes.

The Speaker is presumably telling a story about a witch. Obviously why the title is

“Potions”. I can most definitely relate to lines (2-3), “ Candy for children/ Who’d bolt through her front door.” These specific lines are relatable because as a kid I would run for ice cream or to the liquor store to get a sweet treat. Komunyakaa connects with a younger audience by appealing to something that they would like. I believe this is a great way to generate a larger audience on one genre.

Also Komunyakaa organizes his poem so that each stanza is 4 lines exactly. This is unique because maybe the  number four holds some type of significance to the speaker of the poem or reflects him in some way.

Yusef Komunyakaa personalizes the story maybe to reflect some of his personal life but to also allow his reader to connect with him and stay interested.

Interchanges

Shaylia Smith
Ms. Locano
Ap Literature-1        
7 October 2016

                                                         Interchanges

     Interchanges by Yannis Ritsos is an extraordinary poem that has depth to it. It's a very simple poem which is one of the main reasons why I like it. It's simplicity has depth to it and it intrigues me a lot. It is very evident that she's the author of the poem, not the speaker.This short poem uses syntax, tone and imagery to help build the elements of this perfect poem.

      Ritsos uses the literary device syntax to his/her advantage. Her wordplay that helps the poem be unique in it's own way is beautiful. "If only you knew how beautiful your mouth is / you would kiss me on the eyes that I might not see you." lines (9-10). What the last stanza of the poem is expressing the desire of another person. It has a meaning of hope and I can relate to that. I believe that everyone should have hope. 

    The tone of this story is so calming. It really brings out the simplicity and bountifulness of the poem. The poem uses tone all throughout the poem and it gives off a vibe that I think is good to have and that I like. "They took the plough to the field, / they brought the field into the house— / an endless interchange shaped / the meaning of things." lines (1-4). The first stanza of the poem gives off an aura that is spread throughout the poem. The tone is so natural. I really enjoy the tone because it's easy to understand. I also noticed that Ritsos used a hyphen as an structural shift to show that the poem was about to get more into depth.

      Imagery in a poem is the best thing ever. It's better for me as a reader to be able to picture what the author is trying to write and what the speaker is trying to say. Imagery in this poem is an important element to notice and understand. "The woman changed places with the swallow, / she sat in the swallow’s nest on the roof and warbled. / The swallow sat at the woman’s loom and wove / stars, birds, flowers, fishing boats, and fish." lines (5-8). This stanza is an example of how important imagery is. This stanza helps readers understand what's going on in the story, what's happening, and etc.. Knowing what the setting was like and what the people in the poem are doing is very important. I like how Ritsos made sure to include some.


     This poem that is beautifully written by Ritsos is a poem that stands out. It stands out to me in a beautiful antique type of way. It embodies simplicity, is natural and is full of hope and I couldn't help but like it. It embodies all of the qualities and elements that is great for any poem and reader.



Interchanges by Yannis Ritsos

Kyannah Harris
AP Literature- 4th
October 7, 2016

Poetry Response #3

Nikki Giovanni's poem "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair" shows us a very vivid comparison between blacks and whites. In the poem the speakers talks about having to pick cotton meanwhile the other woman (white) has the luxury to sit inside all day and do nothing but have people cater to her. Giovanni uses imagery, and diction to depict slavery. 

In lines 5-6 Giovanni writes "she has lips soft and pink/" "my woman's lips burn in midday sun." This imagery helps show us how hard the work of this black woman actually is. And Giovanni also uses fiction to help her audience know that the woman whom she is comparing the woman of color to is  indefinitely white. She writes "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair," which really translate to the girl with blonde hair. But Giovanni makes her audience mind wonder what the heck is flaxen and what does this have to do with the character and that is your answer.

Nikki Giovanni is an excellent poet and I look forward to reading more of her poetry in the future! 

Just Another Poetry Response

            "The Victims" by Sharon Olds is a longer poem about the speaker talking to their father. At the start of the poem the speaker says, "When Mother divorced you, we were glad" (1). By only reading the first line of Olds' poem you can clearly tell that this is a story about a child and a father. As I continued to read the poem I noticed that the speaker hated their father just as much as their mother did. I felt like this happened because the mother wanted her kids to hate their father. You notice this when the speaker says, "She had taught us to take it, to hate you and take it / until we pricked with her for your / annihilation, Father" ( 15-17). In these lines, I can clearly tell that the mother wanted her kids to hate their father so that the mother can eventually get a divorce. As stated by the speaker earlier in the poem, the speaker, and their siblings were finally happy as their father left only because the mother helped to nurture that hatred.
            Later on, in Olds' poem you can notice a meaning shift from the speaker. The first half of the poem the speaker was talking about their hatred for their father and how the speaker was happy when he left. The second half of the poem the speaker goes to talk about their own self and how they realized just exactly what their father's life was like. This meaning shift happens in lines 16 - 18 when the speaker says, "until we pricked with her for your / annihilation, Father. Now I / pass the bums in doorways".


"The Victims" By Sharon Olds

 "Dis Poetry"

In “Dis Poetry”, Benjamin Zephaniah gives his perspective on how his poetry is composed. Throughout the entire piece, I can tell that Zephaniah does not care to obtain praise or criticism for his poetry. He writes in a way that readers can understand what he feels, something that I very much admire. “Dis Poetry” is written in its own unique language with each line carrying its own powerful meaning.

Zephaniah mentions in the first stanza that the speaker explains how his poetry is different and isn’t really meant to be analyzed. This is evident when the poem states, “Dis poetry is not Party Political / Not designed fe dose who are critical.” (8-9). I like the thought of poetry not being categorized and not having to over think what some lines mean, even though I’m doing that now.

In the second stanza, I enjoy how the speaker talks about who poetry is written for. The poem explains, “Dis poetry is quick an childish / Dis poetry is fe de wise an foolish, / Anybody can do it fe free, / Dis poetry is fe yu an me, / DonÕt stretch yu imagination / Dis poetry is fe de good of de Nation,” (29-34). Basically the speaker is saying poetry can be and should be understood by everyone.

Obviously, Zephaniah is very creative in his writing style. The colloquialism used in this poem makes the statements in the lines a little more familiar. The familiarity and combination of the words give the perspective Zephaniah was shooting for. “Dis Poetry” inspires me to become a little more creative in the way I write. 

Poetry Response #3 

   After reading "I can write the saddest verses tonight" by Pablo Neruda a couple times, I noticed that he uses the repetition of "I can write the saddest verses tonight" as a way of getting the words to stick and stand out. 

  
  I like this poem a lot because it's yet another poem that i'm able to relate and connect through from past experiences. It's like after each repetition of the phrase there's lines that basically explains the phrase and tells a story. For example, lines 11-12 "I can write the saddest verses tonight. / To think that I don't have her.To feel that I have lost her." Not only was that line helping tell the story but it also stuck with me because immediately after reading those lines, I could image what the speaker was feeling, how I was feeling, and who came to mind.

  
  What i also found interesting about the poem is the fact that the speaker used an example before telling the story, lines 2-3 "Write, for example, ""The night is full of star, / twinkling blue, in the distance."" It gave me an idea of what can be considered 'sad'.

Love VS Pain

Ariana Towns
Poetry Response #3


“is it true the ribs can tell
The kick of a beast from a

Lover’s fist? The bruised

Bones recorded well

The sudden shock, the

Hard impact. Then swollen lids,

Sorry eyes, spoke not

Of lost romance, but hurt.

Hate often is confused. Its

Limits are in zones beyond itself. And

Sadists will not learn that

Love, by nature, exacts a pain

Unequalled on the rack.”

                                                         "Some kind of love, some say"

               In the poem "Some kind of love, some say" by Maya Angelou, it talks about physical abuse being looked at as some form of love to those who believe abuse is only done because of it. In the poem, the speaker who is unknown implies that others do not understand the love and abuse that everyone else does. I interpreted this because it says in lines 11-13, "Sadists will not learn / Love, by nature, exacts a pain / Unequalled on the rack". The speaker is telling us that people who enjoy inflicting pain on others will never know that love by itself can cause a type of pain that isn't equal to the physical or sexual pain one causes. Sometimes it's merely something more than just sexual abuse. The poem helps the readers understand that so often abuse, violence or rape is couched as love. It is described as caring to try to lessen the harsh reality of power and control. It is placed in a category that some would say is love but others will not.

                Angelou believes poetry is a spiritual role and I agree with her because you have to be able to see something within one's writing. Two lines that stick out to me in the poem said, "Hate is often confused. / Its limits are in zones beyond itself" (9- 10). This caught my attention because the society I was raised in hate could only mean one simple thing. For it to be able to get confused with something else made me question what exactly qualifies as hate. The poem talks about the ribs being able to tell the difference between a violent and loving touch. How it keeps a record of shock, hits, and hurt. Although, how does the body know whether the violent hit is out of love or not? In my mind, this is how a person who deals with physical abuse would manipulate the situation into seeming less harmful. The speaker, however, wants readers to understand that there are limits to love and limits to violence and once those limits are crossed nothing will be equal ever again. 
                         

Poetry Response #3

Kirin Tate 

Ms. Locano 

AP Lit 

6 October 2016 

Poetry Response #3 - Don't Change On My Account 

     Shel Silverstein’s poem “Don't Change On My Account” is probably one of many poems by him 

that I love. Growing up I read so many poems by Shel Silverstein and didn't even know. I think that's why I'm in love with poems that rhyme so much because, I've grown up reading his poems. Almost all of his poems are super relatable and make me laugh. This poem in particular made me laugh because if it didn't have a title already the title would be “Kirin”. When I read the title of this poem I thought for sure that it was going to be sentimental, and about why you shouldn't change your personality for others. In the poem it even says “whatever you are is all okay” (line 9). I was reading and thought “wow this is such an inspiring poem.” The narrator tells the reader “If you're fat, that's fine with me. // If you're skinny let it be.” (Line 3,4) I was thinking the total opposite of what the poem actually was, and boy was I in for a surprise. 

     When I finally read the last line of the poem, I bust out laughing. The way the reader is lead on to believe something completely different from the actual meaning of the poem is so funny to me. Silverstein uses a great shift right at the end of the poem. He set the mood and then totally switched it up. My favorite line, if it wasn't, obvious already is “I don't like you anyway.” (Line 10). That line made this one of my all time favorite poems. I do actually like people but sometimes that is exactly how I feel. There is always a Shel Silverstein poem to express my mood, or make me laugh. That's why he's one of my favorite poets. 

Home in Our Hearts

In the poem "Home" by Warsan Shire, she dives into the hardships of immigrants. The poem dips into several things you would see on your way out of a war torn country, like young children being apart of militia groups, having to hide inside trucks over long distances, and the painful choices you have to make along the way. In my opinion this poem means that your survival is more important than your pride. The speaker says in lines 29-34, "no one spends days and nights on the stomach of a truck / feeding on newspaper unless the miles traveled / means something more than the journey / no one crawls under fences / no one wants to be beaten / pitied..." Shire is expressing in these lines that even though this is something no one wants to do they do it because if they don't they may die or be subjected to more horrors. As you go on the road to a better life you must forget pride and accept help and shame to survive. That message is so powerful to me since I've never had to forget my pride for my survival, and this poem stresses how one may not be viable at all times with the other.

I love this poem because she uses so much imagery and tone to carry a powerful message to all readers. She emulates so many exhausting emotions that real immigration and refugees feel. Shire writes in lines 15-22, "it’s not something you ever thought of doing / until the blade burnt threats into / your neck / and even then you carried the anthem under / your breath / only tearing up your passport in an airport toilets / sobbing as each mouthful of paper / made it clear that you wouldn’t be going back." Tone and imagery are both at work there, it expresses that your country is no longer safe you have now been forced to leave and its very sad, but you still love your country. Doing the best for yourself is always hard when it's something you shouldn't be made to do. Which is why these lines, and this poem as a whole is so emotional and raw.

Poetry response to "My father's loveletters"

ANESHA PORTER-GRIFFIN

 In the poem "My Father's Loveletters " by Yusef  Komunyakaa, the author really reaches me on a personal level. The poem is about having parents in an abusive relationship and being there to witness it.
      The speaker says in lines 7-9 "I was almost happy / she was gone, & sometimes wanted / to slip in something bad." The speaker portrays the same feelings I had except I was gone with her, the dread of knowing that one day it can go back to how it once was is present in the words.
    In lines 5-7 "He'd beg her / return & promised to never beat her again"  words that are always said for a trap. Komunyakaa uses familiarity and mood to portray the emotions in the speaker.  In line 3 it says "the same letter" , meaning these are reprated words to the mother, broken promises she refuses to acknowledge.
       The author wrote of such a realistic experience it's hard not to become enticed all that's being spoken to me.
The author also used diction calling the silence they sit in "quiet brutality"(17). The lack of sound expressing their inner thoughts of either she'll fall for it and come back or that she'll rise above and stay gone never to return.
   The speakers story is beautifully portrayed by Komunyakaa.

   AP LIT(1st)
Poetry Response 3
      “If I Were Paul” by Mark Jarman is a religious poem. In the poem, the speaker is unknown but speaks as if they were Paul from the biblical story. The beginning of the stanzas begin with the word “consider” , making us think about the beauty of our lives. I interpreted this poem as Paul’s message when he sent the letter out to various churches. I gathered this from the last lines of the second stanza. “I send you this not knowing if you will receive it, or if having received it, / you will read it, or if / having read it, you will know that it contains my blessing.”(40-42). This poem is very dear to my heart especially since my family is deeply religious and I am familiar with the story of Paul.
     One line that resonated with me was in the eighth stanza. The lines read, “Bless each other with the heart and soul, the hand and eye, the head and / foot, the lips, tongue,”(33-34). This drew me in because it was what I was taught growing up. This is a lesson I still hold dearly today even if I do question my religion sometimes. Bless one another even if you are feuding, fighting, or scrapping. Bless and love with every fiber of your being because what you give is what you get. Love and don’t let go until the cows come home.

Patrick Responds to "Jasmine" by Yusef Komunyakaa

In "Jasmine" by Yusef Komunyakaa. The speaker (a first person narrator) expresses the atmosphere of a jazz club while also telling the reader about a scent that takes him back to a familiar place.
 I admire the way the imagery allows you to be apart of the story. From lines 1-6 the speaker sets the tone for the reader and gives insight on how he feels.  He drifts between what's currently happening in the club, how he feels about it, and the sweet smell of jasmine that he can't figure out which of the two ladies he's sitting with is wearing.
 The insights to the club, /Elvin's sticks/ and /the blue fantasia of the clubs atmosphere/ (lines 2 & 3) and again with /Richard Davis plucks at the fat notes/ /of chance on his uprights/ (lines 14 and 15) allows the speaker to transition from his mind to the club and back to the women.
The speaker also shows how he's grown and  talks about people that have affected his life and how he views this very situation. In lines 5-7 he recollects / how I'd cross the street/ /if a woman like these two walked/ /towards me/. He the goes on and gives us this golden view of what his grandmother's would say if the saw him now /They'd say ,Boy the devil never sleeps/ (lines 11).
 The fragrance of jasmine close by is what the speaker comes back to repetitively. His thoughts about the past  and his in depth imagery of the club always ends back up with the scent of jasmine. The scent the woman (we later find out its the brunette) is wearing  bring the speaker to a place of attraction and lush.
 The way Komunyakaa has the poem flowing and shifting the reader's attention from point to point is what drew me to appreciate the poem as a whole. It's some references that went over my head on the first read but, I later figured out the intentions the more I  read it. The line breaks in the poem shifted focus with ease and the power that gave the poem was outstanding.

Liberty needs Glasses

https://allpoetry.com/Liberty-Needs-Glasses


Tupac Shakur's "Liberty needs glasses" Is just as true now as it was in the past. The speaker speaks  of issues and cracks we have in our justice system that we overlook or are sometimes overrode as misinterpertuations and things that should be forgotten when facts clearly state otherwise. When Shakur writes "Justice bumbed into mutulu /  and trippin on geronimo pratt / but stepped right over oliver / and his crooked partner ronnie" (Lines 4-8) talk about how racial injustice in the justice system. People who comitted crimes who were white were punished far less harsh than if you were p a minority. When Shakur writes " while justice is on a rampage / 4 endangered surviving black males" (lines 13-14) ; This is a metaphor for police brutality (our justice system) which is still very apparent today. Cops targeting black men for no reason and then making an excuse that they were resisting arrst or seemed threatening. If these instances do not result in their death they usually result to them losing their lives in jail.

This poem is a look into the past and the future. These things that Shakur wrote about in his poem years ago are still around today but much worse than what they used to be. It kind of shows  a build of how a problem has been festering and now is the response which is backlash and killing, riots and retaliation, and ultimately innocent lives lost . This is  because people are angry because we have been ignoring a problem that liberty and justice need glasses if things were fixed we wouldn't have as many issues as we do now . The speaker is surrounded in a world where our liberty and justice sytem need to be fixed and adjusted and it is much like the world we live in now which is why it resonates with me.

Sunny Side Up with a side of Divorce- PR #3 1st Hour

Owen Bullock

sunny day –

why not get

the divorce papers?

Humor can be found in everything.

Owen Bullock’s haiku lets readers witness the speaker of the poem come to a small and simple revelation. Bullock’s untitled poem is great, partly because he provides a contrast. When we think of divorce, we think of sadness, separation, rainy and lonely days...not sunny ones.

The simplicity of the poem is also great. In stanza 1,“sunny day- / why not get” (line 1 and 2) readers see the beauty in it. These simple words, tell us a little bit about the speaker. They seem to be the type of person who is happy-go-lucky and a go with the flow kind of person. We get another glimpse of the speaker's life in the last line; Line 3, in the one and only stanza, the speaker concludes their question,“The divorce papers?” This concluding part of the question, brings up many more. It makes readers wonder, why is the speaker getting a divorce? Why did a sunny day bring this decision on?

A haiku only has so many syllables to inspire its readers. However, this haiku, is not meant to inspire the readers. Bullock meant for this haiku to give insight to the speaker's life. So, while we do normally associate negative things with divorce. The speaker is inspired. An association between sunny days, divorce, and freedom can be seen. We see the speaker be influenced by the presence of a sunny day to find the strength to “get / the divorce papers” . And this comparison makes all the difference. For it really can just be that simple. To leave behind memories made, and to take a step into a new direction. It can be as simple as being inspired by a sunny day.  

So while this poem contains a contrast and comparison, a simple look at a life, and insight.

What this poem contains, that makes readers enjoy it, is as simple as the decision to get a divorce after witnessing a sunny day… it’s funny.

And that is why it’s great.

-Sonya Williams

Poetry Response #3

La'Coriona Walker
Mrs. Locano
AP Literature- 4
6 October 2016

Poetry Response #3 -The Mother

                Gwendolyn Brooks poem “The Mother”, really opened my eyes to a lot. For starters what’s being said in this poem is quite sad, here you have the speaker telling you the perks of abortions and basically how the situation is looked upon on when woman decide to have abortions. I personally like this poem because it speaks so many volumes. Brooks knew exactly what she was doing when she decided to write this poem, it’s such an eye opening. Personally I think it would have people reconsidering abortions simply because they’re taking away opportunities that never got a chance. The speaker kinds of plays with the people’s conscious by these lines Abortions will not let you forget /You will remember the children you got that you did not get” (1-2). So here you have this powerful line stating how once you get an abortion it’s something that sticks with you forever also not to mention how you conceived this child but yet didn’t even give it a chance on living to see what it would of became.

                Honestly out of Brooks poems this one is the one that I read more than once to really get the gist of it, I didn’t understand it completely until I read it a 3^rd time. That’s when I realized what an amazing poem this was and how she put so much effort into it. The speaker indeed makes it emotional even touching my heart when in line 18 how they say, “If I stole your births and your names/”, not only did this line give me chills but just really had me thinking thoroughly on this topic, if our parents gave us a chance why not give this innocent baby a chance as well? If you didn’t want the baby, why not protect yourself more? I defiantly thought about these things when I read the poem, I just love how Brooks never once took it upon herself to bash anyone that had a abortion/ wanted to consider it but just gave them something to really think about when they want to do it. Brooks shows that in the end whether you do it or not at the end of the day you’re the mother and this lives on your conscious but what I got from this poem is, is it really worth taking a baby’s life before it begins.. Just a food for thought.

A Mothers Child Poetry Response #3

In the poem "Ballad Of Birmingham" by Dudley Randall a young girl begs her mother to allow her to attend a freedom march in downtown Birmingham. She does this by saying in stanza 1 lines (1-4)" Mother dear, may I go downtown / instead of out to play, / and march the streets of Birmingham / In a freedom march today.This wonderful poem is made up 9 short stanzas. I loved the way Randall uses line breaks throughout this poem it gives me a better understanding of what is being said.

In my opinion to me this poem meant a mother will always think about their child's safety before anything. No matter the situation.

Response #3

Camron Grant

Mrs. Locano

AP Literature

6 October, 2016                         Poetry Response #3: "Bad Decisions"
                                              CLICK HERE TO READ "WE REAL COOL"
 

      In Gwendolyn Brooks's poem "Bad Decisions" the speaker in four short stanzas let readers know, when you make bad decisions, "We / Die soon." (7-8). I like how she gives examples on what people do when they think they "real cool" and how everything catches up with them when they make bad decisions (hence the title). Brooks puts out a meaning that really means something to me. Every action has a consequence! and the speaker says all the actions they do like in lines 1-3, "We / Left school. We / Lurk late." Leaving school and lurking late is a bad action especially if you are in school . Then will follow their soon to be consequence dying soon. But there is something I don't like in the third stanza, "We / Sing sin." (4-5). What that supposed to mean? I hope the speaker not talking about what I think the speaker talking about. I think... the speaker is talking about rap music, because certain types of rap songs do have a lot of sin imbedded in them. But it could mean something else.



       "We real cool" conveys other meanings other than bad decisions. The speaker uses we (as in two people or more) and is speaking for the other person, already determining his or her death. I feel like one of the people in the word "we" isn't as committed to making bad decisions as the speaker says they are. What if that person was pressured into doing such things just so they can seem "real cool". Only brooks and the speaker truly know the meaning of this poem and I don't think it means what most people might think.

These Little Things - PR#3

                                                                These Little Things

       "Little Things" by Sharon Olds makes me appreciate the smaller things in life, as it leads to the bigger things. The poem starts off with Olds giving a vivid image of the speaker cleaning up her daughter's mess after she goes to camp, "After she's gone to camp, in the early  / evening, I clear our girl's breakfast dishes from the rosewood table" (1-3). The speaker says "our" (2) instead of my because the speaker is speaking to their significant other. The speaker finds a pool of sugary maple syrup and it instantly makes them think about their father. This is when the meaning shift occurs in the poem, "As if I could read it, this raised dot of / amber sugar, and this time, when I think of my father," (8-9).

    This poem is a very detailed poem. I like how Olds uses diction to describe how things are in the poem. She uses words like "Vulcan-blood red" (10) to describe the color of the drink that he had in his glass. She also used these words to put an image in my head. Olds uses similie to make the poem relatable. Comparing a peeling sunburn to the peeling of an insect's wings (18-19), makes the poem more relatable to me. The poem ends with a great message - little things complete the big picture.

Poetry Response #3

Piper Furman
Ms. Locano
AP Lit & Comp
5 October 2016

Poetry Response #3

           In the poem "The Crazy Woman" by Gwendolyn Brooks, the speaker talks about singing. The speaker expresses what times are correct to sing and how they will be sung. This is not the opinion of others, but the speaker's own opinion. This is not the typical type of singing: "I shall not sing a May song. / A May song should be gay. / I'll wait until November / And sing a song of gray." (1-4) The mood I get from this is depression. I know that's jumping from one thing to another, but that's the tone I feel throughout this poem. Depression isn't a easy thing to just throw on a reader or person. Yet, I think that's what Brooks was trying to convey in "The Crazy Woman."

           Another part in the poem that makes me look at the poem like it has a depressed tone is stanza 3. It talks about the other side of singing a "gray" song: "And all the little people / Will stare at me and say, / "That is the Crazy Woman / Who would not sing in May."" (9-12) When Brooks refers to little people talking about "The Crazy Woman", it makes me think that they don't really know what's going on with the speaker. The little people don't know what the speaker is going through or why she is waiting to sing a gray song in November. I like this poem because it's like Brooks structured the poem to have multiple meanings for reader to look for. 

The Crazy Woman

Kyla Scott
Ms.Locano
AP Literature
5 October 2016 

Poetry Response 

Analysis #2

"Still I Rise"

Maya Angelou 

                 Maya Angelou "Still I Rise" is a poem about strength, endurance, and affirmation. In this poem you can clearly see signs of rejection and racism, for example in the first stanza can be connected to slavery "You may write me down in history/ With your bitter, twisted lines./ You may trod me in the very dirt/ But still, like dust, I'll rise.(lines1-4) consist of the history of slaves in America that has been contolled by whites. Also Angelou's theme of perseverance is present in these lines with the use of the word "dust". Dust has often been referred to as abinding, something that lasts forever.

               The second stanza continues with the speakers tone "Why are you beset with gloom?/ Cause I walk like I've got oil wells/ Pumping in my living room." ( Lines 6-8) the speaker states that they refused to be walked all over on, and while the listener may be expecting her to be broken. The speaker describes their strength and defiance are clear. 

              Angelou also provides the speak of oppression and violence in the following lines "Did you want to see me broken?/ Bowed head and lowered eyes?/ Shoulders falling down like teardrops/ Weakened by my soulful cries" ( lines 13-16) and also in the stanzas " You may shoot me with your words./ You may cut me with your eyes./ You may kill me with your hatefulness./ But still, like air, I'll rise." (Lines 21-24) at this part of the poem we hear a more spiritual tone in the speakers voice. The speaker describes that not even death will destroy their presence.

               I like how the poem transforms itself. The message Angelou was going for was that nothing will destroy someone's will. Her techniques and structural decisions in this poem makes the poem powerful and unique. She uses useful and appropriate words to make the theme clear.

'Stopping by'

        In the poem "Stopping by woods on a snowy evening" written by Robert Frost, The speaker seems to be in an unfamiliar location and is curious as to who owns it but knows that during they have goals to reach and knows that they shouldn't rest until they are done as read from lines 13-16 "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,/ But I have promises to keep, / And miles before I sleep, / And miles before I sleep.". The repetition of the line "And miles to go before I sleep" gives me a feeling that the speaker is focused on their plans but are enjoying themselves, It stood out to me because it reminds me of me because I'm so aloof yet I know that I have things I must do. Frost used only a few to capture a deeper meaning and he does it so well reminding me that I often procrastinate even though I know there are more important things to handle but I still choose to enjoy something that will only last for a short time period. The speaker of the story is a very delicate being seeing from line 13 they call woods "lovely"  this story is sort of relatable in a deeper sense         

The Oxymoron in “For a Lamb”

What is an oxymoron? It's a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory appear in conjunction. In layman's terms it's basically when two very unlike things are placed together. One poem that emphasizes this well is the poem, “For a Lamb” by poet, Richard Eberhart.  

Chapter 10 talks about tone and how this poem has more of a realistic tone based on the words he used. However in my honest opinion it seems quite grim. Yes it may be the natural part of life but the words the poet uses change the tone. In line 1 the speaker says, “I saw on the slant hill a putrid lamb,” The word putrid just seems like such a disgusting word. Also, this is one of the points that has evidence of oxymoron. When I think of a lamb I think of something clean, cute, soft, and innocent. However, with the word putrid said in front of lamb it presents a different tone. Based on the word it seems more like death, than life. However in the next two lines  it says, “Propped with daisies. The sleep looked deep, / The face nudged in the green pillow” (2-3) Though these two lines represent the death of the lamb, it seems a lot more peaceful and serine. The words such as sleep and pillow gives it that calmer tone. The next line changes up the tone once more, “But the guts were out for the crows to eat.” (4) It’s this shift in tone that makes it stand out much more, especially since the two lines just before it had a opposite tone.

Desmond Barber Poetry response #2

            In the poem " Dreams" by Langston Hughes, he focuses on a major issue that a lot of people have yet to discover which is the power of a dream.

           I honestly feel like this particular poem is talking to me especially when the speaker says "Hold fast to dreams / For if dreams die / Life us a broken-winged bird / that cannot fly." (1-4). To me this means that no matter what I have to hold on to my dreams, for if I don't there will be nothing to keep me going and striving for what I want. Thats basically what this poem is about. In lines 5-8, the speaker states, "Hold fast to dreams / For when dreams go / Life is a barren field / Frozen in snow." This states that without a dream life is colder than what it's made out to be.  A dream sets a system in your mind, it sets a goal that you, yourself have planned to strive for. 

         Although this poem was very short. It had a gigantic meaning, of striving for something or working for something that has a meaning to you. I think thats why he titled his poem "Dream"; to all in all tell us never to stop dreaming. I really enjoyed that poem out of every poem I've read thus far.  

Makayla Sheffield 2nd Poetry response

  Response to "The Whipping" by Robert Hayden (1913-1980)

In "The Whipping" by Hayden the speaker is recalling an elderly woman chastising a young boy. Later in the poem the speaker changes to the boys perspective for just a brief moment, and then back to the original speaker. In the 4th stanza you can evidently see the shift in speakers that I mentioned. 

Personally I can connect with this poem although it is a child getting in trouble. As a child I most certainly took a couple of whippings ! So it's interesting reading something that I relate to. Especially when the author writes, "She strikes and strikes the shrilly circling boy till the stick breaks in her hand( lines 9-11)./ His tears are rainy weather to wound-like memories: (lines 11-12)/.

 If you grew up in a house hold such as mine you'd know the whipping does not stop until your parents are tired, especially if you did something incredibly wrong. This poem let me walk in the shoes of my past and allowed me to relive an experience. Albeit not a good one. It is easier to read a work of art when you can identify with the main elements.

Although the poem's literal meaning is about a old woman most likely the child's grandmother chastising him, if you dive deeper it's about how a child's outlook changed and how the woman thought she was correcting her wrong doings when she was younger. Truthfully that's the reason a lot of children are punished today, because their parents want better. Mr. Robert Hayden does an excellent job of demonstrating this concept and connecting with his audience

Poetry response to "Ars Poetica"

Anesha Porter-Griffin
4th hour
        In the poem "Ars Poetica" the author Archibald Macleish portrays the expectations of a poem. In lines 1-3 Macleish writes "A poem should be palpable and mute/As a gobbled fruit,/Dumb" it puts into perspective that poetry isn't something that should be extremely complex but something to understand and relate to, for the simplest of minds to comprehend.

   There's a lot of different views as to what a poem should  be Macleish writes in line 23-24 "A poem should not mean/ but be". I feel as though that is a perfect description of poetry. Life is for comprehension the entire poem is about making sure your writing can be understood. Too many poets work to be abstract and unique and they miss giving their poem meaning and depth and a reason to truly read it.

   I strongly relate to the feelings and message being portrayed within this work. I too feel as though poetry is a reminiscence of an experience as said in lines 17-18 "A poem should be equal to/ Not true".  An experience is never just what happens but what it fells like as well, something of equivalent to give the reader more insight. This poem let's me know as a poet to let a reader feel and not just know.

Poetry Reponse #2 ~ Lost Love

Adryanna Hickman

Ms. Locano

AP Lit-1st Hour

27 September 2016

Lost Love

In this emotion packed poem “ Ending,” written by the late Gavin Ewart, he captures his readers by pouring out the feeling of emptiness the speaker experienced. Ewart writes this poem to engulf his readers with the profound sadness the speaker was feeling. In lines 1-4 it states that, “ The love we thought would never stop / now cools like a congealing chop. / The kisses that were ho like curry / are bird-pecks taken in a hurry.” This quote is a prime example of the loneliness he/she is feeling, one in which most people, including me, can relate to. The feeling of utter love, the kind that sweeps you off your feet and you hope that you don’t have to blink because you don’t ever want to miss a second. I can imagine how the speaker must feel to loose something that you never thought could be lost nor replaced.

I am currently in a long term relationship with a guy I want to marry, therefore the poem speaks to me in a fearful way. When I read this poem I instantly thought of my boyfriend. What if we don’t last? What if I turn out to be like the speaker? Are our electric charges going to die out too? This poem was emotional and relatable because of the fact that most readers have a heartfelt breakup. “ The feet  that ran to meet a date / are running slow and running late / The eyes that shone and seldom shut / are victims of power cuts.” (7-10) These quotes mean that at one point you had all this energy but now you suddenly don’t want to be bothered. I can relate this quote to one of my exes who I broke up with because I  was bored in the relationship and it came to the point where I forgot I was even  in a relationship.

Even though this poem really confirmed a huge fear of mine I still loved it because of the straightforwardness, addition of pathos to connect with  the reader, and use of diction. Examples of diction would be “victims of a power cut,”(10) and “ congealing chop.”(2) The poem is very easy to comprehend and decipher, but also promotes deep thought.

In conclusion, I would refer this poem to anyone who has gone through a breakup and can relate to the speaker's situation.