A Cold Coming

This poem combines the images of war with the ideas of birth and death by using imagery. When the author speaks on sperm in his poem, he is speaking on both death and birth along with the war. When I think of war, I think of a bunch of people surrounded by air, fighting and dying so fast. One minute they're here and the next minute they're not. Birth an death are like the same way. When one person dies, another person is born. Then the author also states, "the sperm in one ejaculation equals the whole Iraqi nation". I'm not sure exactly what I want to say about that, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with war, birth, and death. I think the author uses this line to combine sperm banks and procreation to war. I think the author does this because he is trying ro explain to the readers how simple, yet life changing and tragic war can be. There are millions of sperm that gets released during ejaculation, but millions of them don't make it to their destination. War is just like that. Millions of soldiers go out their to fight, but millions of them don't make it to the end. I think it is important that the soldier is talking to a poet rather than a journalist because a poet could put the experience into perspective and create a sentimental type of feeling rather than a journalist who will put the experience into statistical perspective.

More: She Unnames Them

I have no idea what we are suppose to be doing right now, so I'm going to take a shot in the dark at this. Names are names. It is what it is. I believe every name has a meaning behind it, however, it doesn't describe who you are. Just because your name might mean kind and motherly for example, doesn't mean you have to grow up to be that person. My name, on the other hand, does describe how I am. That's a coincidence though.

Response: She Unnames Them

I really liked this person's work. I thought it was very interesting and it kept my attention. I really liked the quote the author used in the beginning of his work. When I was reading the story, I did notice that quote and I found it rather eye-catching. However, I did not find his response to be nothing like mine. I like it though. I like the idea that he stated, "See, I really don't like generalizations, stereotypes and prejudices". I think this was a great way to start off a paper if he wanted to go further with it. At first, I wasn't sure why he put that in his response, but after thinking about it, I realize that it makes perfectly good sense.

Lions vs. Lionness

Lions are very large male animals. They have a 'tanish'/orange fur. They also have lots of fur on their bodies and a mass amount of fur around their neck. They are fierce and dominant animals. I think it's also a symbol for a zodiac sign, (leo or libra).

A Lionness is a large female animal. A lionness also has tan/orange color fur on its body. The only difference is, a lionness is smaller than a lion and is also very dominant. I like lions/or lionness.

A Cold Coming

I have to say that this poem was a very strange poem. I'm not sure what the reading was even about. I did notice as I was trying to read the story that there was a few words I didn't understand, charred and Plasticine. I want to say that Plasticine is just a fancy word for plastic, but I'm not sure. I also wondered why the author put the words record, gotcha, sun, rewind, and play in all caps? But the part that confused me the most was why did the author compare the whole Iraqi nation to sperm? I guess what the author was trying to say was that a bunch of sperm get released, but in the end, a bunch of them don't make it to the egg...? I guess!?

Journey of the Magi

At first when I read this short story, I thought it was kind of hard to pick up on what the main idea was. It started off kind of basic, meaning the author was describing a cold winter. However, the more I kept reading the more I started to realize that the story started focusing on religion. It seemed to me like towards the end of the story, the author stated to explain judgement day. I'm not sure how I feel about this story. Its neither here nor there with it. I just want to know how the author went from talking about a winter day to death?

She Unnames Them

I found this reading to be very interesting. I often used to think what did animals really think of their names and how did they know how to respond whenever that name was mentioned? I imagine if animals could talk, it would sound a lot like what the author wrote. I thought it was a funny story. However, I found it kind of difficult to understand at times because there were so many big words that I didn't know the meaning to such as: alacrity, anonymity, ubiquitous, and ephemeral. So I looked them up in the Encyclopedia Britannica Online. I also became really curious as to what my name means. Monica is possibly greek for "solitary" or Latin for "to advise". It also can mean alone. I love the meaning of my name. It really describes a lot about me. I do like to be in alone for the most part and I am going to school to be a psychiatrist. Isn't that coincidence? I love it!!!

Leda and the Swan

It is so amazing how the short poem describes the Greek mythology in a different and more interesting way. I had a feeling that in the poem a girl was being raped. After I did my research, I realized that this is one freaky story. Leda was admired by Zeus. Zeus disguised himself as a swan and raped her. How in the world does a swan rape a human? If I remember correctly, she had or should I say laid two eggs. What kind of mess is that? I thought that the story was interesting, but weird as...! After reading all of that, I just had to go back and read the poem over again. I can't believe this! It really was a swan. In the first line the words-great wings. In the last line the word-beak. At one point, it seemed as though she was actually enjoying messing with a swan. This is one strange poem, but I can't stop reading about it!

Ulysses

I've heard this short story several times before, but I haven't heard it in awhile. The concept of this story was very familiar. However, this story relates or ties into the "siren song". Actually, if I am not mistaking, the "siren song" is a segment or part of what happens in Ulysses. What I didn't know was that another name for Ulysses is Odysseus. Other Greek mythology that relates to Ulysses is Penelope.

Siren Song

I really like this poem. After I researched Greek Mythology, I realized that I liked this poem more than I thought. Atwood's version of the poem, to me, was about a song that trapped anyone who listened to it. I liked the title that was chosen for this poem because it related to the poem and made it easier for me to understand. Once I read what this short story meant in Greek mythology, I learned that the sirens were some type of mystical creature that was part human, part bird. These mysterical creatures resided on some type of island and released beautiful melodies that caught the attention of anyone that was passing by, more specifically sailors. The sailors would follow the path of the music, which resulted in a terrible ending. I thought this was a pretty cool poem. Not the fact that a disaster happened in the end, but I believe that there is a moral to this story: What sounds good and looks good on the outside, might not be what it is cracked up to be in the end or don't fall for the hype! Related stories or Greek mythology that is similar to Siren song is Harpies.

SWA#8-9

SWA#8-9

Fasting girls: the emergence of anorexia nervosa as a modern disease
Author: Brumberg, Joan Jacobs
Publication Information: Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1988

In this book, Brumberg believes that despite the fact that this disease occurs in many young females either in middle/grade school or even the earlier years of college, this disease was around way longer than the current phenomenon that exists today.

Anorexia and bulimia: anatomy of a social epidemic
Author: Gordon, Richard A.
Publication: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: B. Blackwell, 1990

In this book, Gordon approaches anorexia nervosa from a psychological aspect. He also combines historical and cultural perspectives about anorexia and also adds his clinical views.

Eating disorders: Decade of the Brain
Author: Hoffman, Lee
Publication Information: Rockville, MD: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health; Washington, DC 1993

In this book, Hoffman will provide very useful information relating to young woman who are suffering from an eating disorder. This book not only helps the victims, but also provides information to friends and family members and anyone who is trying to get someone help. In addition to the above, this book also provides information pertaining to causes, treatment, and getting started with recovery.

Endorphins, eating disorders, and other addictive behaviors
Author: Huebner, Hans F.
Publication Information: New York: Norton, c1993

In this book, Huebner touches on information that pertains to the history of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, both of which are serious eating disorders. The author also talks about obesity and biologic basis of bulimia.

Anorexic bodies: a feminist and sociological perspective on anorexia nervosa
Author: MacSween, Morag
Publication Information: London; New York: Routledge, 1993.

In this book, MacSween explores different ways in which women who suffer from anorexia are simply trying to control their bodies through what they consume. This book also reveals information about how to oppose thoughts of what people would say is a “desire less body”.

From fasting saints to anorexic girls: the history of self starvation
Author: Vandereycken, Walter
Publication: London: Athlone Press, 1994

In this book, Vandereycken approaches modern eating disorders, such as anorexia from a psychiatric standpoint. In which she will deal with the disease in a professional manner.

SWA#10 and Extra Credit

SWA#10

Topic Proposal
The essay that I have decided to write about was Anorexic by Eavan Boland. The reason why I chose this essay is because I wanted to know more about this disease. Eavan Boland lived in London since she turned six (Famouspoets.com). I’m pretty sure this poem was written in London. I thought it would be interesting to find out what Anorexia was like in London around the 1960’s when this poem was written and compare it to what Anorexia was like in the United States during the 1960’s. I also thought that it would be interesting to research if anorexia is more common in females than males and if the results are true, then why. I also thought about taking on a psychological approach to this assignment and try to depict what goes on in the mind of an Anorexia Nervosa victim.

Extra Credit
Everything that one consumes is a person’s diet. However, when one is not consuming any food into his/her body, this is considered being anorexic. Anorexia Nervosa, or Anorexia for short, is an eating disorder where people starve themselves. Author Eavan Boland was born in 1944 in Dublin and lived in London for most of her life. She is a well established Irish poet who wrote a poem called Anorexic from her An Origin Like Water: Collected Poems in 1967-1987(1996). Anorexia is a harmful eating disorder and affects many people, young people, in and out of the United States. In Boland’s poem, this disease is mainly demonstrated by young females and demonstrates self-mutilation by not only physically harming oneself, but mentally and internally harming oneself.

Famous Poets and Poems.com

Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers

First and foremost, the short story version of this play is much shorter than Glaspell's play. The advantage of having a short story is it can keep the reader's attention. It will allow the reader to become more engaged in the reading and a shorter version of this play went straight to the point. However, just because the story is shorter, it doesn't always have advantages because of that. Some of the disadvantages of having a short story to this play is it didn't give much details and description of what was actually going on. In Glaspell's play, at the beginning, there was a vivid detailed desription of where the scene took place and what was going on in the scene at the time. Another disadvantage is that, sometimes rushing into the point might not always be the best thing. The whole idea of play's are to capture moments and rushing into them will not be as effective. I think the play would be easier for a Cultural/Historical analysis. The reason being is because the old woman was left out of the short story. That's not the main reason though. The reason is because it's longer, so it gives the reader a better chance to find more cultural things to analyze.

Anorexic

The title alone was caught my attention and I wanted to know more about what the author was saying. The historical context for the theme is basically a girl that is trying to desperately hard to be skinny. The cultural background is not clear,but I'm pretty sure it is a female. Whether or not the girl is young or old, the author doesn't make it clear in the story. I have personally never experienced this, but I had a friend who did. Some cultural/historical clues that are in the story are the words flesh, heretic, witch, burning, torching, self, milk and honey and vomited. These words are significant because they add to the meaning of the poem and they have symbolic meaning. I would like to research what the word anorexic really means and who suffers the most from this disease.

Holocaust Party/Battle Royal

Holocaust Party
Theme: I think the theme is for Joel, Amy, and her parents to listen to a Holocaust survivor tell her story.
Setting: This story mainly took place at Amy's house during a small dinner party.
P.O.V: This story is told from Joel's perspective.

Battle Royal
Theme: The author is thinking back in his life and is trying to find himself.
Setting: This story took place in a ballroom.
P.O.V: This story is told from the author's perspective.

No Name Woman

I think this title alone is totally relevant to the story. The fact that this girl had an aunt that she never knew about was...crazy to me. I can't imagine my mom or dad telling me that you have an aunt, but we don't speak of her because she killed herself in a well. I would not know what to do. I just don't understand why they would deny that she is part of the family. I know it was wrong for her to kill herself, but they can't continue living a lie.

Becky and Battle Royal

I thought the beginning of this short story was really interesting, in a wierd way. I don't understand why people were questioning why this white woman had two black sons. But I managed to follow the story. Then when it got to the middle/ending, I was so lost. Did she get run over by a train or something?

This story was ok. I think that for the author to say that he is the "invisible man" is kind of interesting. When I think of a person saying that they are invisible, I think of a transparent person. Perhaps not literally invisible, but maybe is an open book. Like the phrase, "I can see straight through you". But I think that this story really, or the first paragraph touched close to home for me. I am not naive, but I had a hard time figuring out who I am, and to be completely honest, I still am trying to figure that out.

America and If We Must Die

I am going to be completely honest...I really hate commenting on peoms because everytime I think one thing, it always turns out to mean something else. I know poems and text or any piece of literature for that matter can mean anything that the reader wants it to mean, but I'm always on another level. I'll give these a try and see where my luck gets me. In America, I thought from the first three lines in the poem, that this took place in a jungle because of the words "And sinks intor my throat her tiger's tooth". I pictured lions or tigers fighting outdoors and the tiger took a huge chunk out of another animal's throat. The poem kind of lost me towards the ending though.

If We Must Die was kind of easier to follow. I think the author is saying that if we are going to die, since we all have to, then let it not be like hogs or animals. Hogs are normally slaughtered when they are being killed. The author wishes to die in a more pieceful manner without blood being shed. However, I agree with the author, but I don't. The reason I don't is because we do not have a choice in how we die. It would be nice to have a peaceful death, but it's up to GOD, in my opinion.

How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie

I have to honestly say that I read this last week in class already! I was drawn into the story because of the title. I thought it was catchy and I wanted to know what the author was going to be talking about. I really liked it. It kept my attention, but it was kind of stereotyping people, especially females. I thought some of the stuff was kind of funny or interesting for the author to say, but at the end of the day, it was full of a lot of stereotypes.

Freewrite-Turret

Now that I actually have an understanding of what a Ball Turret is, it is easier for me to understand the poem. I think now, I have a better understanding of what the author is trying to say and it kind of makes me feel uncomfortable. Just the thought of being squeezed in a tight space like that will make me go crazy. Now the last line in the poem is even stronger to me because all I can picture is about two or three men walking normally to the turret and hosing the body out as if they were doing a quick car wash. It's a very sad image to imagine.

I can see why Jarrell wrote this poem because he served in the army.

I guess if I had to write a paper on this poem, the background on the author would be very helpful for me to write this paper. I think now that I know what a Ball Turret is, I would be able to write a little something on this poem. I'm not sure how interested I would be writing this poem, but I could do it.

Freewrite

WAR-When I think of the word war I think of people fighting. A war doesn't have to be a large group of people, it can be between two people. I picture the mood to be very dark and gloomy and sad. Colors that will represent this word could be earth tone colors-dark colors. Perhaps maybe black, dark brown, blue, gray, hunter green, or even white and red. The reason why I added red and white is because red is symbolic for blood and in wars, you are going to see blood. White to me represents light and that is what surviviors want to see when they finish the war-the light. The sound would be loud and disturbing.
GUNNER-Perhaps maybe a gun man! Someone who just shoots to shoot. Maybe a trained shooter. I honestly have no idea what I want to say about this word. The colors could maybe be a dark gray and whatever other color bullets are; maybe a gold. The sound would be really loud and sharp.
ATTACK-The word attack to me means harming someone. It can be animals attacking each other, humans attacking each other, or maybe even animals and humans attacking each other. I think it means harming something and the purpose behind it is to kill. The colors associated with this word would be red. The sound would be loud, but quiet at the same time.

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner

This was a short poem, but had a strong meaning behind it. I think the poem was about a miscarriage. The reason why I think this is because of phrases such as, mother's sleep, hunched in its belly, and when I died. It was kind of clear to me, that this is what the poem was about because of the last line in the poem. The author stated that, "When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. This poem could have also been about abortion too because the person didn't actually make it to the earth yet.

Historicism/New Historicism/Holocaust Party

I enjoyed reading The Holocaust Party because it was nothing like I have read before. It kept my attention and I think the story had a rather interesting ending. I found it quite interesting how Mrs. Isabel seemed so harmless and pure until she made that comment about "The Blood Test". I still am not sure what she meant by that. She made a statement about the Jews having thinner blood than normal blood. What kind of thing is that to say. I also wondered why she waited until it was just her and Joel in the room to say what she said. I also found the father's character to be kind of interesting. It seemed as though he could not keep still. I wished the author would have said a little more about him.

Glory of Women & They

Glory of Women-The strongest part of this poem is the last three lines: O German mother dreaming by the fire, While you are knitting socks to send your son, His face is trodden deeper in the mud. The reason why I think this part stuck out the most to me is because can you imagine not knowing your son is dead? I think that is every mother's worst nightmare, not knowing what is happening to your children. I think it was strong because I have a brother and I cannot imagine my mother getting something ready for him, and he is dead. I think it is scary and creates a disturbing thought in my mind.

They-I think this was kind of interesting. I find it ironic how in the beginning of the poem, the author states, "When the boys come back They will not be the same". After reading the whole poem, I realize what he meant by that statement. Whenever someone fights in a war, they will never be the same.

Anthem for Doomed Youth & Dulce et Decorum Est

Anthem for Doomed Youth-I have to be completely honest. I do not understand what that poem was about at all. I think it might have been about maybe a war or something and children dying? I am really speechless about this poem.

Dulce et Decorum Est-I have a better understanding of what this poem my be about. I want to say it is actually about a war and describes the different deaths. I like the second stanza the most because I can picture everything the author is saying. I can imagine hundreds of boys running around an open desert. All of them are moving at their own pace but still rushing. With or without a helmet, the war stops for no one.

The Soldier

I think this poem had a lot to do with the Cultural/History Inventory. I think the overall meaning of the poem is a soldier that is talking about his/her hometown, which is England. The author embraces England with such a strong meaning. It's almost like the author eats, sleeps, and breathes England. At least, that's what I interpreted from the poem.

Cultural/Historical Inventory

This reading was short but very interesting and it kept my attention. I think everything the author had to say was very true. Culture and the way people were raised, affects how different stories are told. I was raised in the Bronx, New York and I would describe September 11 much different from my cousin who was raised in Charleston, South Carolina . Although I just left right before it happened, that is my hometown, so it effected me. The same applies to Hurricane Hugo. I was not in South Carolina when it happened, so my explaination would be a lot different from my Grandma, who was born, raised, and lived in Charleston her whole life. Being that I am from New York, I do find myself thinking a lot differently from most of my friends who are Southern.

Concerns about Essay 2

I was concern that my paper was going to be too long. The cover of that cd is really animated and that alone can create a 5 or 6 page itself. I also thought about just analyzing a song, but I noticed that my paper was going to sound a lot like analyzing a literary text. There is just so much that can be done with this cd. Other than that, I think I'm straight.

Warm-Up

When I was making my poster, I was actually watching Making The Band 4. After staring at Brian for a good minute, I noticed Dawn's hair. (Brian and Dawn are on the show). I remembered watching the Tyra Banks talk show and she did a segment on hair weave. A lady on the show said that when she wore here weave, she became more confident. I decided to do my poster on that because I think it was kind of sad that hairweave gave someone so much confidence. I think people should be confident no matter if they have weave in or not.

SWA 5

1. The object I have chosen is Kanye West cd, Graduation. Since it is a cd that I am analyzing then I would say the artist main purpose or Kanye in this case main purpose is to express how he is feeling through music. Since I listen to this cd religiously I know almost all the songs by heart. However, the songs to me reveal that this person is very confident, even cocky, and anyone who chooses to listen to this cd is either extremely confident or cocky. Perhaps not all the time, but at that moment. I also think the message behind this is to demonstrate strength and not to give up. In my analysis, I think the cd cover is crucial, the title of the cd, graduation, and some of the songs such as champion, stronger, I wonder, good life, can't tell me nothing, and flashing lights. The reason why I think the cover is important because its design really does send a message out. I believe the intended audience to this cd is everyone. Music is not limited to its creativity, therefore it's not limited to who listens to it. However, I think the cd does catch the attention of japanese culture and african american culture more than any other culture, but like I said earlier, not limited to just these two ethnicites.

2. Thesis- This paper will argue that Kanye West's latest cd, Graduation, demonstrates confidence/arrogance, strength, and life changing moments that we all face in our lives. I will use songs from his cd to further explain my point and why I am analyzing this cd. The songs will include, "Champion", "Stronger", "I wonder", "Good Life", "Can't Tell Me Nothing", and "Flashing Lights". The reason why I chose this text is because it has sentimental value to me. Ever since I bought it, I was unable to remove it from my cd player until several months later. Even to this day I still listen to at least one of his songs on a daily basis.

Warm Up

A part of me agrees with Keedy's statement, "A worthy cause won't be sunk by an inept poster". I do feel like if a cause is strong enough, then the designs and advertisement should not convince me one way or the other. I feel like in our society today, people are focusing more on the images and the fancy designs instead of the bigger picture. I am somewhat of a stubborn person so once my mind is made up on something, there is no changing it or at least not that easily : )

Politics of Design/Design of a Text

I think this article was full of anger. It seemed as though the author was upset at the fact that advertising seem to be taking away from designing. At least that's what I interpreted the article to mean. I didn't care one way or the other. Perhaps if I was into designing, then this article would be more appealing to me.

I think I am going to like this next paper because I love to analyze things that interest me. I find it kind of easy to talk about something that you do on a regular basis. I think it is also a good way to start looking at some of the daily things we do in our lives. I found the girl's paper to be very interesting because she took a shirt that I thought was empowering to women and broke it down to mean something totally different. I think it also proved to me that this next paper could possible be on anything you like.

Car Culture

As I was reading this article, one particular line stood out to me and grabbed my attention from the whole story, "New money is very Hummer; Old money(dating, say, from the 1980s), very Prius". I found it really interesting that the author would say the Hummer is new money, which in essence, it is new money. A lot of our celebrities are either driving a Hummer or riding around in one. I personally think the Hummer is overrated, but if I had about 100,000 to spend on anything, I guess a Hummer is not a bad idea (just kidding :). Nowadays we spend so much time on our vehicles and it is not a bad thing, but the ultimate common goal we all have is that the vehicle works properly. There's nothing wrong with a good car, but if it doesn't run right, then all it's there for is show.

Women today are ruling the automobile industry. As I was reading this article, I couldn't help but laugh because of the statement, "If the woman of the house does not want a certain vehicle i the family driveway, it is not likely to wind up there". I thought about my parents when I read this. When my mom and dad went to buy a new car, my mom wanted one type of car and my dad wanted another. Just like Caldwell said, my mom got the car she wanted. It's amazing how some people believe certain cars are for certain people. I think it's kind of interesting that in Europe the Volvo is seen as a nanny's car. I don't see the big deal in a car. I think a car is meant for anyone who wishes to drive it. However, I guess we all have our limits. I personally would not drive a truck and I don't see a man driving a pink bug with yellow flowers on it. I think the overall goal is to make sure the car is safe and reliable.

I find it interesting that car designers are willing to create cars that are not appealing to the eye. At the end of the day, I feel that people and car-lot customers are gonna be willing to buy a car that looks good. Whenever you hear someone going car shopping, you don't hear them say, "Hmmm, I think I want the most ugly car you have". This just sounds weird coming from a customer. In fact, I probably wouldn't even take you seriously if I was trying to sell you a car. However, i do feel like this concept is okay if you have the same number of people that are turning down the ugly cars wanting to buy the car. Or else, you would be loosing a lot of money and wasting a lot of time. I think this idea is very tricky because you have to take a chance with the creative idea. It could be both rewarding but devastating at the same time.

Mac vs. PC

Honestly, I do not pay attention to the brand or type of computer that I am using. I really don't. The computers that I use the most are the computers at school. I also use the computer at my house a lot too. Being that I don't really care what type of computer I use, or the brand, it's hard for me to state how I feel about it. What I look for the most, regardless of the type, is that the computer is reliable and works the way I need it to work.

Freewrite

There are so many songs that capture my attention, like Gossip by Lil' Wayne,"Stop analyzing, critizing, you should realize what I am and start epitamizing. Legitamite, I got the heart of the biggest lion. I'm confident like **** em all pull out my **** and ride it".

I really like this quote from the song Gossip because it is blunt and self explanatory and describes my personally 90% of the time and how I feel about almost every situation I go into. Its my favorite and plus you hear it when you call my phone!

Kanye West, "If somebody would have told me a year ago it was gonna get this difficult. Feeling like Katrina with no fema, Like Martin with no Gina., Like a flight with no visa, first class with the seat back I still see ya, In my past, you on the other side of the glass of my memories museum. I'm just saying hey Mona Lisa come home you know you can't roll without Caesar".

I find these particular lines in Kanye's song interesting because at the time I heard the song, I was going through a lot of complicated stuff. I interpreted every line symbolic for something in my life and to this day, it still creates different thoughts and self evaluating concepts in my mind.

Short Writing Assignment-Part 1 and 2

1. I chose the poem, "Swamp Song" by Kwame Dawes.
2. The text's main point is to show the readers that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
3. I feel like the whole poem is strong and it alone is necessary to understand the whole text. However, lines 11-14 and 19-22 are pretty strong. The lines are as follows: We all have dreams, I suppose, Me, I want me some shoes, nice clothes, a little learning, some sweet love and a promise of glory up above...and when they grow weary straing for that pandy mystery, They'll come home to the warm and damp of this sweet soft Carolina swamp.
4. This poem rhymes and is not difficult to understand at all. I feel as though the author put everything out there for the reader to see. I think the part when the author states, "a little learning, some sweet love and a promise of glory up above" is relating to education, a romance or a lover and to live eternal life in heaven.
5. This poem rhymes and I think it does add to the effect of the poem. I think it shows strength in the point the author is trying to make.
6. I think it contributes to the main point in this poem. First, the poem to me, is about a young girl or lady who is working in a field. Maybe back during slavery times. I think it is describing a white man who is fantasizing about the white women. I think it also describes the fact that the black women are working so hard and the white men never look at them that way. I feel the author has dreams and wants to go places in her life, so as long as the men are not looking at them in that way, they can accomplish their dreams and in the end, the white men will come to them. But whose to say they will want them then? I also thought this paper had a hint of rape in it as well, with lines 19-22.

Thesis
This paper will argue that even though african american women were involved in strenuous work, they were not looked upon as white women. This paper will justify that african american women struggled so hard and because of the dedication and strength of our ancestors, we are able to have dreams and accomplish those dreams.

Part 2-Introduction
Picture a young, black, girl, working what seems like an endless and useless amount of work. As she works hard and long, she overlooks a group of excited white boys staring blankly at a set of white women. She continues to do her work, dreaming of what seems impossible to come true.
As the white boys continue to engage in their erotic fantasies, she realizes that their dreams will grow old and she is what they will come home to. In Swamp Song, Dawes argues that even thougth african american women were involved in strenuous work, they were not looked upon as white women.

Sonny's Blues

The key words that were found in this story relate to the story's mood and plot in a straightforward way. The story is about an older brother reading in a newspaper that his younger brother was arrested for doing heroin. This pretty much sets the tone for the story. The mood is going to be sad and depressing. Music plays a big part in this story as well. Jazz and Blues music is used to calm the narrator down of his angry and depressed ways.

Inhabiting and Transforming a Poem Exercise

Character by Taslima Nasrim

You're a girl

and you'd better not forget

that when you step over the threshold of your house

men will look askance at you.

When you keep on walking down the lane

men will follow you and whistle.

When you cross the lane and step onto the main road

men will revile you and call you a loose woman.



If you've got no character

you'll turn back,

and if not

you'll keep going

as you're going now.


2. When I first read this poem, I didn't react to it any differntly from any of the other poems that we've read thus far. Either I liked it or I didn't. However, I thought this poem was really interesting. I found it kind of uplifting for women and gave off a positive message. I think it is preparing a young girl or women in general for the real world. I really found the last part of the poem interesting when the author stated, "If you've got no character you'll turn back, and if not, you'll keep going as you're going now". I thought it was interesting how she referred to turning back as having no character. I thought this poem reminded me a lot of a mother or grandmother telling a young girl how to carry herself in public when she is passing or being approached by men.

3. The plot of this poem is a young lady should be mindful of how she carries herself when out in public, for a man will not hesitate to slander her name if she graces them with her presence.

4. The speaker of the poem can either be a man or a woman. The speaker is addressing a young girl. The speaker is older than the person he/she is talking to. The speaker could possibly be related to the listener by blood, such as a grandmother or mother or father or sibling.

5. I think the poem means that women are beautiful and have strength in everything we do. I think it means that a woman should not settle for anything less and if a man cannot approach her in a respectable fashion, then she has every right to walk away and not turn back.

Sonny's Blues, Lost in the Funhouse, and Videotape

Of all of these stories, the only one that I was interested in was Videotape. I didn't understand what Sonny's Blues was about and Lost in the Funhouse was completely boring to me. I had the hardest time trying to stay focus reading the two. I had no interest in those two stories what-so-ever. However, Videotape was more of a suspense story so it kept my attention much easier. I like the fact that every now and then, the author would relate the little girl taping the man to family functions. It seems so real because most of the time at family reunions or functions, someone is ususually taping and the person t videotaping seems to get everthing on camera. Although I didn't understand how the girl managed to tape all of that happening to the man while driving and nobody heard any of it that was going on or saw the girl taping any of it. Maybe I was just reading it wrong, but It seemed kind of odd to me. I also didn't like the fact that the man got shot in the neck and the little girl wittnessed all of it.

Freewrite

As I was walking to class this morning, I was thinking about food. I am pretty hungry so I imagine it would have been food on my mind. I also thought about a conversation that I had around 2:30 this morning with someone very special : ) My mind was also thinking in rhyme; almost as though I was freestyling in my mind. Kinda odd because I am not the best "freestyler" out there. My color was red because it's my favorite color so it seems to stay on my mind. Red means passion and strength to me, and whenever something takes a lot of my consentration away, I consider it passionate.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven: Analyzing Question

I liked this story because it was written in a way that readers can understand. It flowed very well. In his remembered conversation with the police officer, the narrator is told that he's "making people nervous. You don't fit the profile of the neighborhood." What does the police officer mean? How does the narrator interpret his comment? When I read this part of the story, I immediately pictured a black man driving down an all white neighborhood. To me, it seemed like the officer was judging him and following sterotypes. "Making people nervous" means to me like the people that live in these houses are scared because they see someone who doesn't look and probably doesn't talk like them either. "You don't fit the profile of the neighborhood" is pretty much self explanatory. "The profile"? What is "the profile" and how does the officer know he doesn't fit it? That's the reason why I think he is sterotyping the narrator. The narrator interpreted his comment meaning "I'm way out of this world and no one is on my level. I'm way ahead of my time". Kinda like he is so out there that nowhere on earth is right for him.

Hills Like White Elephants:Analyzing Question

This was pretty difficult for me to do because I interpreted this story to mean something rather strong. What is the couple arguing about in the story? What specifc lines best illustrate their positions in this argument in the first half of the story? In the second half? I believe this couple is arguing about an abortion. Just recently I was faced with this same situation. Now I didn't have an abortion, but a friend of mine that I am very close to did. It was hard for me to deal with then, and it's kind of hard to deal with now when reading this story. I'm not to sure what is meant by position, but in the first half the man seemed more emotionless and irritated. The bottom of page 125 represents that. The women seemed more relaxed and calm. The bottom of page 125 and the top of page 126 represents that. In the second half of the story, when the couple actually starts talking about abortion, the man seemed filled with more emotion. The man seemed like he kind of cared, but he kind of didn't care. The bottom of page 126-128 represents that. The woman seemed jumpy and nervous. The bottom of page 126-128 demonstrates that as well. As the conversation started off, the man seemed as though he cared about her getting an abortion because he claimed it was the right thing to do. It was almost like he was trying to persuade her that it was right. However, when she was starting to agree to it, he would quickly change his mind and turn her against it. It was like he was playing mind games with her.

Girl: Analyzing Question

Finding a question to analyze was kind of difficult for me to do because I found this story to be the most interesting for me. What does the primary speaker believe about the world, and women in general? I feel the speaker is very close-minded and believes the world only gives to certain people. The speaker strikes me as a person who thinks that the world is design to have the rich and proper or the poor and proper-pretenders. She give me the impression that the world is judging people but in reality she is judging her daughter. The speaker appears to think that nothing is free in this world, which is a true statement. I also feel like the the speaker believes women have a certain role in the world. I feel she thinks that women are suppose to cook and clean and basically be a "housewife". I think the speaker is very judgemental and feels as though if her way isn't the right way, then no way is. I feel the speaker's mentallity consists of women are not meant to accomplish things in the world; we are meant to be accomplished. Meaning, people can accomplish me as a female and that all my dreams are meant for someone else-a man-to accomplish.

Girl

As I was reading "Girl" by Jamaica Kineaid, I immediately starting picturing images of an afican american, elderly woman who is directly talking at a little girl. Perhaps maybe not a little girl, but a girl that is around 12-14. I found it quite interesting and a little weird that every so often, the author would relate the girl to becoming or has become a slut. I also kinda thought this was a little funny because it reminds me of my mother when I was little. My mom used to tell me to do this and to do that and leaving no room for me to get in a word. But in the mist of my laughter, I also thought it was a little sad because it gave me the impression that as a female, all the girl was allowed to do was wash clothes and cook and clean and do all the things a "perfect" female is to do. However, in today's society the "perfect" female rarely exists. I thought it kinda gave females a bad name because she periodically referred to the girl as a slut. It made me think that if this person is calling this girl a slut, then what is stopping others from doing so? How would it build her self-esteem?

Golden Grove

I think the second translation or the one that begins with " The grove of golden tress has fallen silent" is better. The reason is this translation makes more sense to me. This translation seems like the author is actually speaking to me instead of at me. However, the two translations do have something in common. Both stories are talking about the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. They both use similar words, if not the same words in their stories. But it seems as though the second translation is a little bit frustrated or disgusted with something. That something being the past of the author's life. I like this translation also because the author expresses more feeling and emotion in this story.

Freewrite

Desert-Dry, camel, water, sunny, hot, heat, sand, lumps, humps, windy, holes, people, music, dance, videos.
Universe-mine, me, monica, egocentric, world, god, blue, earth, oceans, stars, shapes, water, life, school.

Freewrite-Shephard

When I close my eyes, the first thing that comes to mind is a german shephard, dog, little boy, farming, more animals, and the outdoors.

Close Reading

Close reading for me is carefully reading or re-reading a specific text. To me Close reading for me is also analyzing a specific text line by line or even word by word.
I am honestly not sure what the word pastoral means to me. Considering I have never used it or heard it a day in my life. According to OED, pastoral means of relating to, or composed of shepherds or herdsmen. the etymology of the word pastoral is Middle English, from Latin pastoralis.
When I think of the word mistress I think of a seductive/sassy lady whose goal in life is to seduce men. OED definition of the word mistress is : a woman who has power, authority, or ownership: as a : the female head of a household. The etymology is Middle English maistresse, from Middle French, from Old French, feminine of maistre master.
The word nymph to me is a mystical creature. OED definition is : any of the minor divinities of nature in classical mythology represented as beautiful maidens dwelling in the mountains, forests, trees, and waters. The etymology is Middle English nimphe, from Middle French, from Latin nympha bride, nymph, from Greek nymphE.

Carolina Reader-The Flea

This poem stood out to me because I found it rather interesting to relate a flea to sex. I came up with this notion because of lines 3-4. It stated, "It sucked me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be". The flea is the representation of the actual sex. That thing or aura that fluctuates between two people when they are exchanging bodily fluids; which are the two bloods mingling. Somewhere in the poem, I found it rather interesting that a baby was conceived. In line 8, "And pampered swells with one blood made of two". Two becoming one to me, represents two people making baby. The words "swell with one blood" symbolizes a baby that is growing with a mixture of its mommy and daddy's blood, thus creating one blood. Also in line 10 it suggests that this is a family of some sort because of the words "three lives". I only chose to write about the first part because it was the part that stood out to me the most.

Carolina Reader- In the Desert

I found this poem to be very short, yet filled with lots of mind wandering details. The speaker could either be a man, woman, or another creature. Lines 1 and 2 "In the desert, I saw a creature, naked, bestial". These lines represent to me the speaker wandering in an open place with no sense of dirrection and suddenly stumbling upon a beast-a naked beast or creature. Lines 3-5 "Who, squatting upon the ground, Held his heart in his hands, And ate of it". I imagine a big, nasty, hairy looking animal crouching down eating organs. However, I don't believe the organs belong to the beast. I think it belongs to someones else that was stranded on the desert, that either died or was killed. "His heart" represents an alike creature, someone that he loved and he is eating it. The word "Heart" means love. So in essence, he is eating someone that he loves. Line 6 "I said, Is it good, friend?" This is the speaker watching the beast eat away at his dead love one. Lines 7-10 "It is bitter-bitter," he answered; But I like it, Because it is bitter, And because it is my heart." Bitter, meaning cold and gone; similar words used to describe death. He likes it because it is gone and because it's someone he loves.

Strategies 6E

Grandmother-My mother's mother... My dad's mother-in-law...My aunt's mother...My grandfather's wife...My greatgrandmother's daughter. All these title's relate back to my grandmother. The word grandmother is important to me, but not on a level as most. I'm not that attached or close to my family so the "kisses and hugs" and "baking cookies" never existed to me. I lived in New York for most of my life so I wasn't around my grandmother often. When my family and I eventually moved to South Carolina, I was at the age where I didn't want to develop a closer relationship with my grandmother. Don't get me wrong, I love my grandmother. When I think of the word grandmother, I think of an elderly, strong, black women who has a head full of gray hair and lives confidently alone in the house next door. She has an army of people who would protect her and take care of her. I think of a lady who daily says she is painful, but somehow manages to make it to church on Sunday mornings : )

Strategies 6D

I chose to read the story "Black Elvis". Overall this was a good story. It kind of confused me in the end, but I managed to form my own ideas about the ending. The characters in the story that had metaphoric names were Black Elvis and Butch. Black Elvis was kind of self explanatory to me. He was trying to impersonate or immitate Elvis. This was kind of easy to figure out due to the clues in the story. Black Elvis played a guitar and sang some of Elvis's songs. His clothing also played a part in his title as well. He wore a dark suit and used eye liner. The eye liner part was kind of tricky because eye liner comes in different colors but usually when people put eye liner on, it is usually black or some dark color. What i really found interesting was the fact that Butch's name was really metaphoric. His name was Butch and he works at a late night joint cooking slabs of ribs : ) Kind of ironic? Butch, according to Black Elvis, was also responsible for booking the gigs at slab's. Even though the title of this story is "Black Elvis", I don't think the point behind the story was strictly about Black Elvis. I think the story was trying to blend different races together. We all know that Elvis is white, so the title "Black Elvis" was already a culture blend. The Korean guitarist that is from Memphis and loves ribs in Atlanta was kind of cool too. I think the relationship between the title and the story was to prove to people that music and areanas have no color, to end stereotypes.

Beyond Words Review Questions

1. Some examples of text are books, movies, magazines, TV productions, music, clothes and art. Books, magazines, movies, TV productions, and music is pretty self explanatory in the form of text. I chose to add art to my list because although you cannot read art, words are hidden within artwork. Just like the quote states, " A picture is worth a thousand words". By artwork I mean paintings, scultptures, collages, murals, etc. I also added clothes because someone's personal style is a form of art. You can create mental stories about someone or tell a story just by their outfit.
4. Genre is a category for a specific thing. For example, there are different types of genres in music, text, or as they stated dogs. The reason for genres is to classify or identify a specific type of interest. Genres in music are rap, r&b, classical, jazz, heavy metal, etc. Genres in text are fiction, nonfiction, mystery, romance, etc.
14. When you take a text apart, you should be looking for unity. This usually reveals the theme or feeling. Look for sequences. This links events or different parts of a text. Look for parts. This breaks the whole down. Look for patterns or repetition. Look for arrangement and balance, contrasts, and heirachy in texts. Heirachy meaning some things are more important than others.
15. Details are important in a text because they sometimes make up the text. For example, "Its cold and raining outside" compared to "The shivering, cold, icy, tingling sensation increased on the spine of my back as the sharp, transparant, liquid pierced through the air colliding with the damp grey cement". Details create a vivid imagination in the mind of the reader and makes it easier to understand the text.
17. Perspective is defined in the text as the illusion of depth in paintings. Perspective varies depending on the person and what you are reading or looking at. Perspective is closely related to experience and point of view. Both are internal opinions and the way the reader views things.

Strategies for Reading

The first thing I noticed when I started reading this assignment was the quote at the beginning. Francis Bacon stated, "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested". I thought this quote was reasonable and true. The tasted books are the books that readers just read to read. There really isn't any meaning behind it except for enjoyment. When I hear the words tasted, it symbolizes a treat or mouth-watering satisfaction. The swallowed books are the books that readers read and understand. Perhaps maybe store away in our memory for awhile. Lastly, the chewed and digest books are for readers to understand and meditate on what they have read. Its moreso for long-term purposes. I personally am not a fan of reading. I don't like to read for assignments and seldomly I will read for enjoyment. However, I noticed as I was reading, that I have to be able to distinguish pleasure reading and academic reading. I also realized that I am a passive reader. Sometimes I have to read lines and words over and over again just to understand what I have read. This usually happens when I am completely uninterested in the reading. I'm not too interested in annotation either. To me, it complicates the reading more. I personally like the skeleton outline. However, during the Black Elvis reading, I felt the skeleton outline was unneccesary because the story was self explanatory. I believe that poems and lyrics are closely related because music is a form of poetry and art to me. Most poems rhyme as lyrics do also. Lyrics sometimes use metaphors and symbolizism just like poetry. However, they differ because poetry usually consists of a few words or stanzas. Lyrics consists of bars. In a song called Flashing Lights, Kanye West stated, " Like a flight with no visa, first class with the seat back I still see ya...In my past, you on the other side of the glass...like my memories museum...I'm just saying hey Mona Lisa you know you can't roll without Caesar". To me this song lyric could also be used as poetry. There is a lot of symbolizism and metaphoric action going on in this bar, just like poetry. Illustrations and collages are another way to express poems. There is a saying, " A picture is worth a thousand words". I believe this is a true statement. On page 85 of the Strategies for Reading book, there is a collage of the short story "The Welcome Table". A quote is in the collage and it states, " Ever wonder where we'd be if history had been herstory"? To some this may be a statement, to me it was poetry. This quote could have gone so many ways. Overall, I thought this reading assignment was rather long but I have formed a new insight on reading and how to approach it.

HI