Blog post 2

Usually poems have rhyme in it, and there are specific sounds are repeated to increase the effect of one emotion. In Emily Dickinson’s poem, this feature is especially obvious. For her poem Hope is the thing with feathers, the last word of each lines has a slant rhyme. There are totally three stanza, four lines each, and 1 sentence in total. The slant rhymes are in the pattern of ABAB,CDCD,EFFF. Another feature is that for most lines of this poem, it starts with “that” and “and”, which has a regulation and makes the poem to continue.

The Poem Hope is the thing with feathers tells the process of a hope grows up in a person’s mind then crushed by storm. Each stanza expresses different emotion. For the first stanza, it expresses the emotion of happiness and joyness. Dickinson uses metaphor and describe hope as a feather, which is the figure of bird. This little bird lives in one’s soul and perches. It sings a song with no word and never stop. By using the word soul, it portraits how deep a person could believe in hope. It also means that hope is inherent; it is the origin of happiness, as the poem says, the little happy bird sings all the time. The last word of each lines in the first stanza are “feathers” “soul” “words” “at all”. They all have the really deep O sound. Through this repetition, it heighten the consistency of this stanza. As a result, when people are reading each lines, this repetition acts the role of leading readers to resonate with the happiness of hope. In the second stanza, the emotion has a big turning point. Suddenly, there is a big storm comes and bashes the hope. Here is another metaphor that describes the matters that may make one hopeless as a big storm in the gale. This big storm beat back the birds and make them no longer able to enjoy the warmness. The warmness in the poem also represent the happiness, which creates a contrast between cold storm and warm nest. As the first stanza does, the second stanza also has a slant rhyme scheme. “heard” “bird” “storm” “warm” has a pattern of CDCD. It has a different rhyme from the first stanza, so people can easily distinguish the emotional difference in these two parts. The main character is usually be introduced at the beginning of a poem, but in this poem, Emily Dickinson introduces herself in the first sentence of the last stanza: “ I’ve heard it in the chillest land - /And on the strangest Sea - /Yet - never - in Extremity, /It asked a crumb - of me.” It has a pattern of EFFF. She tells the readers about her own life experience that she knows the feeling of hopeless. The repetition of this stanza is not about the rhyme scheme but about the superlatives. She uses “chillest” and “strangest” to creat a feeling of desperation, lonelyness, and hopeless. She then uses the word “never”, which is not a superlative but still heighten the sadness.

Because of Emily Dickinson’s special life pattern, this poem of her could be interpreted as a portrayal of her life. She lives alone, unlike the other women in her time who get marry and take care of everything for the family. The reclusive life gives her loneliness but also freedom of doing whatever she wants. Herself is just like the feather, or the bird, in this poem. The bird is positive, sings all the time. Even sometimes storms may come, it still continue singing, “And never stops - at all.”

Blog post 1

A famous classical poet has said that the aim of literature is ‘to teach and to delight’. In the work ONE poet you have studied, examine some poems where both of these aims (instruction and something that pleases the reader) have been included, and show how that has been achieved.

 Literature has different definitions for everyone, just like people say: “There are a thousand Hamlets n a thousand people’s eyes.” Naomi Shihab Nye as a poet, her poetries have a clear definition for own her understanding of literature, which is “to teach and to delight.” Because the reason of her mom is American and her father is a Arab who really love his homeland, her poetries are always related to her religion and how other people view a Arab. The poetries Blood and My Father and the Fig Tree express distinct emotions. In Blood, Naomi teaches readers what a true Arab is like and what prejudice about Arab exists in the society. In My Father and the Fig Tree, Naomi shows the happy feelings of her father, which is a way to of delight.

When people hear the word fig, the first thing they think about is the succulent, sweet, juicy, and a little big bitter taste of this fruit. From the title of this poet, it already expresses a delightful emotion to readers. Because the title is My Father and the Fig Tree, Naomi’s father definitely has a special relationship with the fig. As in the first line, she makes it clear: “For other fruits, my father was indifferent.” Fig means more than a fruit, it is a symbol of Palestine, a symbol of her father’s homeland. He puts his feeling of nostalgia on this small fruit, which grows in Palestine but not in America. "See those? I wish they were figs." Naomi’s father hardly tell his wife and daughter how much he misses his homeland. Usually, he secretly tells his daughter by inserting his small wish of going back home to the stories that he tells to little Naomi. In those stories that has a Palestinian character, he says: “Once Joha was walking down the road/and he saw a fig tree/Or, he tied his camel to a fig tree and went to sleep/Or, later when they caught and arrested him,/his pockets were full of figs.” There are so many figs in the stories that makes readers think whether the father wishes himself could be Joha. After so many years passes, Naomi’s family moves to a new house that has yard, her father still rejects to plant a fig tree. Nothing can compare with the fig tree in her father’s heart, the fig that is “the largest, fattest, sweetest fig/in the world”; No fig in his yard could be “a fig straight from the earth –gift of Allah!” The firming, inspiring tone of Naomi’s father makes the poem more cheerful. In the last stanza, her father finally sees his dream fig. It is the time when Naomi moves out from her parents’ house, she received a call from her father in the middle of Dallas, Texas, where it has the same latitude as Palestine. There, his father’s dream come true: he sees “the largest, fattest, sweetest fig,” listens to the fig song, enjoying the fig that “was always his own.”

The other poem Blood is written for the 9.11 event and to everyone who has prejudice to Arab. Same as My Father and the Fig Tree, the main characters are also Naomi and her father who is a true Arab. After the 9.11 events, many people think Arabs are all radical and extremely religious. In these people’s eyes, if one Arab is terrorist, then all Arab is terrorist. However, that is not true. This poem teaches people the truth that Arab cherish life, even the life of a small fly. “A true Arab knows how to catch a fly in his hands,” Naomi starts her poem by quoting her father’s words in vivid language. He “cups” the buzzer instead of smashes it. In the very beginning, the poem teaches that all lives should be respected, either men’s lives or little insects’ lives. A true Arab also knows to respect nature, as they believe “watermelon could heal fifty ways.” A true Arab also knows things that are borrowed need to be returned, even their name need to be given back to god. When a girl comes to Naomi’s house says she wants to meet the Arab, Naomi says they don’t have one. What the girl looks for is a Arab who is an extremely religious terrorist, but that is what Naomi’s father is, it is not what a true Arab is. Then, a brutal lesson comes---“A little Palestinian dangles a truck on the front page.” Every Arab is a small fig. This poor Arab died cruelly. Naomi confused. She is not sure if she is an Arab, or is she should wave the flag of Pales. “Who calls anyone civilized? Where can the crying heart graze? What does a true Arab do now?” Naomi asks her self, as well as the readers. She uses this poem to appeal to people to face the reality and cherish all lives.

Reading poems is just only for understanding. People should not read for the sake of reading. Poem brings enjoyment, which people should learn new things and relax while reading it. The process of learning should never end, so does reading poem.

Staging proposal

After reading the book My Love My Love, it gives me a special feeling, which is I don’t like the main character DDD. From my point of view, DDD is the most selfish and egocentric person in the whole book, so my personal preference is to make the play a totally tragedy. She disregards her mom’s warn, the god’s war, and even rejects Daniel’s grandma’s kindness suggestions. The whole book is a story to teach a girl how naive and normal she is. Even though DDD is surely saved by gods, it is DDD’s choice to go to the big city and be betrayed: No gods helped her in her life process. If I were the director of this play, I would make it as an ironic musical, and the god in the book only exists in DDD’s dream.

I really like the idea of changing background through the moving triangular prism. One said could be drawn with forest, which represent the poor village. Another side could be drawn with ocean and forest to show the path to the big city since the book describe DDD’s destination as a place where ocean and forest reach together. The other side could be drawn with fancy buildings, which represent the big city. Another is that two big screens is needed on both side of the stage so that the facial expression of characters can be clearly shown. For instance, when Daniel opens his eyes and look at TiMoune, audience may not able to see unless there are screens. When DDD is in the village, a tent and a grass mat would be used as her home. To show the wind and the tsunami, the light and the sound effect is really important. When the village is peaceful, the normal warm light and bird chirping sound would be needed to show that the village is in harmony. Then the really dark red light would be used when the big storm comes. Under the dark light, actors’ face can’t be seen clearly and hard to distinguish, so that the idea that all lives are equal in front of danger can be shown. The sound effect of thunder and rain should definitely be contained. When DDD gets on the way to the big city, the round white light is casted on the background and disappear every 20s to show a day has past. The third scene happens in the big city where people are all rich and cold blood. To show this feature and as a foreshadow of DDD’s death, blue light would be use since it gives people the feeling of coldness and isolation. When DDD comes into Daniel’s room, fancy furniture like bed and sofa would be used. Also, a fake balcony, a candle, and a bottle of red wine would be needed to bring out the romantic atmosphere.

The main characters are DDD and Daniel. Mama, Tonton, Daniel’s father and grandma are secondly important. Then the extra characters are the vendors in the big city and the peasants in the village. For TiMoune, her life has a really big change before and after she lives in the Hotel. She is really poor when she was in the village, as a result she doesn't have any nice clothes. So I think she should wear a ripped dress and with a hair band on her hair. Since she is black, she could keep her hair to be curl. Another really important point is that TiMoune should be bare foot since in the later of the book when she comes to the Hotel of Daniel, other peasants mock at her feet. To make her character reliable, she should have some dirt on her foot. When she lives with Daniel together, the book says that people made dresses for her, she no longer have to wear plastic shoes, and she starts to be over confident. As soon as Daniel falls in love with TiMoune, she claims the Hotel belongs to her. To portrait this kind of character, TiMoune needs really fancy dress with fabric, wearing comb that was decorated by jewelry, and ties her hair up, maybe makes her hair straight. For TiMoune’s parents, they are just normal peasants. Therefore, they should wear dark yellow or brown color clothes to represent their social status. For Daniel, he was born to be rich so he should wear shinny light blue tuxedo, just like what princes in Disney movies wear. His father should wear almost the same as Daniel but in brownish red color and have less decoration on his clothes to show his age and wealth. 

I really hope the play could be musical so that people could make their voice deeper to show there depression and when they dance and sing can show their happiness. Also the reason why I want it to be a musical is that DDD has lots of part, which she sings to Daniel. It would be too weird to suddenly sing a song while reading scripts. Therefore, singing all the time can not only explains why she sings but can also easily show emotions.

in class writing

Although MB and TiMoune are both poor peasants who live in village, MB had more life experience and lives longer. His experience tells him that TiMoune, as a peasants girl, will never be able to be together with Daniel, a rich man who study in France and owns a hotel. Marrying Daniel is unimaginable for every villager, except for TiMoune. She believes "(she) now belongs in the big city. Daniel B is there waiting---his hear is beating for her." TiMoune is more brave and believes she was born differently than others, which is what makes her believe Daniel can fall in love with her. Since everyone else in the village are normal people, who was never helped by god but still believe in the gods, TiMoune feels she should go to a fancier place where there are rich people who are as special as she does. MB keeps the same opinion with Mama Euralie, because she said: "Mama Euralie has come through many great storms in this life." We can say that Villagers' horizons are not broad enough, but TiMoune also has never been to the big city before. Except for TiMoune, villagers all have much more experience, and they clearly know if two people have a huge gap, these two people are not going to live happily together: "Keep one's heart where one can feel its beat."

In class writing

TiMoune is really poor when she was in the village, as a result she doesn't have any nice clothes. So I think she should wear a ripped dress and with a hair band on her hair. Since she is black, she could keep her hair to be curl. Another really important point is that TiMoune should be bare foot since in the later of the book when she comes to the Hotel of Daniel, other peasants mocks at her feet with no shoes. To make her character reliable, she should have some dirt on her foot.
When she is lives with Daniel together, the book says that people made dresses for her, she no longer have to wear plastic shoes, and she starts to be over confident. As soon as Daniel falls in love with TiMoune, she claims the Hotel belongs to her. To portrait this kind of character, TiMoune needs really fancy dress with fabric, wearing comb that was decorated by jewelry, and ties her hair up, maybe makes her hair straight.

Notes for chapter 6,7,8,9

note 4and 5

5 senses chart (unfinished)

Hearing

1.        As she listened to the camionettes passing on the road, to the croaking frogs, the rasping crickets, and the hooting birds in the woods, she knew that nothing in the world could compare with the sweet softness of pure brook water. P21

2.        A torrential rain fell. P23

3.        Silence, too. P26

4.        Drumbeats sounded from the hills. P26

5.        They met instead outside of huts to talk, to complain, to drink rum and shout of their grievances to each other. P27

6.        Then came a resounding crash, so shattering that she knew a giant star had fallen to smash their tiny village. P27
7.     She strained, listening to the fading sound of its engine. P14

Smell

1.         Mud huts dissolved and sank beneath the thickening currents. P41
2.     The air was wet---even the air in the cabin. P43
3.     A smell of death invaded the cabin through his festering sores. P44
4.     
5.     Needles of water drilling down into the earth softened it into mud. P42

Touch

1.        They put the young man on the pallet and carried him up the hill, where they placed him on a mat in the sheltered stone house… P41

2.        …she lay on the sandy bottom, letting water rush to thicken her hair and cool her head. The water massaged her neck, her body, her tired feet.  P21

3.        She has the smoothest skin, the peasant girl. Black. Silk at the calves, stain on her thighs, changing to velvet blackness as it spread up her shoulder, her neck, her face. P21

4.        Stomping knee-deep through mud P24

5.        She let the falling water woo her. P25
6.     ...touching the peasant girl gently on her head as he passed. P14

Sight

1.        A man in black who perched inside the window, his clothes as dark as the night behind him… P46

2.        His shirt was torn to shreds. He had lost his old hat, and his hair stood up white and thick on his head. A gray beard had grown on his chin. P52

3.        The hill is covered by the richest land, which run like a river for miles. P53

4.        They looked at the woods, where standing trees supported those that had fallen, and knew that within that tangle of the trees lay their future. They saw the water rushing off, seeking outlets to the sea, and they laughed and shouted their victory. P48

5.        He looked from her to stare around the mud hut. P40

Taste

1.        Others went out to take care of the needs--- some as simple as filling empty bellies with rainwater. P43

2.         But during these hard times when peasants were reduced to eating only millet or cornbread cereal, even vegetables of poor quality were better than none at all. P15
3.     The old woman drank some. The peasant girl drank the rest. 
4.     The seeds the peasants planted become seeds they were forced to eat. P22
5.     In minutes the peasants' possession had disappeared beneath the rising water. P41