Going to War

Feeling the shame

Hard story to tell

Like to believe that

We will behave like

A secret hero

Simply tap a scret reservoir of courage

And go to war

Drafted to fight a war I hated

No way out

I began thinking seriously about Canada

A moral split

I felt a sickness inside me

Like running a dead-end maze

I feared the war

But I also feared exile

Ridicule and censure

All I could do was cry

I went to the war

Embarrassment, that's all it was

I would kill and maybe die

Because

I couldn't risk the embarrassment

"Enslaved" by Claude McKay

Enslaved

OH when I think of my long-suffering race,

For weary centuries despised, oppressed,

Enslaved and lynched, denied a human place

In the great life line of the Christian West;

And in the Black Land disinherited,

Robbed in the ancient country of its birth,

My heart grows sick with hate, becomes as lead,

For this my race that has no home on earth.

Then from the dark depths of my soul I cry

To the avenging angel to consume

The white man's world of wonders utterly:

Let it be swallowed up in earth's vast womb,

Or upward roll as sacrificial smoke

To liberate my people from its yoke!




-Claude McKay

           McKay's word choice leads to most of the imagery in the poem. Strong word choice influences the reader and often helps a picture form in the mind of what the poem is about. The words "long-suffering race" helps the audience see slaves working on the plantation, being beaten by watchers and their master. This poem reminds the audience of the pain that slaves and their brethren have felt over the course of many centuries. "From the dark depths of my soul I cry" harbors a lot of desperation and agony, and the speaker is clearly trying to have his race be heard and for them to no longer have to hide who they are. 
           McKay has a love of rhyming in his poetry, so Enslaved has a Shakespearean sonnet rhyming structure (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG). It makes the poem flow beautifully and makes it cohesive. The lines seem very connected within the poem because of rhyming. He also uses consonance in line 11 with "w" saying "white man's world of wonders." For me, it leaves the line sounding bitter but yet still marveling at the world the white man built and how it seems so vastly different from Harlem at the time. 
           The poet uses figurative language to shape the main points of Enslaved. In line 10 he alludes to the angel of death and destruction that kills the first born sons in Egypt in the Bible. He prays to God that the white man will be overthrown and decimated, leaving the black man to raise himself up. The allusion leaves a very impressive picture in the mind of anyone who is familiar enough with The Old Testament. It is a metaphor saying that white people are the oppressing Egyptians and the black people are the Israeli slaves. McKay says "My heart grows sick with hate, becomes as lead" which is a simile saying his heart has hardened and grown cold from all the discrimination and animosity toward his race. Many people's hearts turned to lead and became unfeeling to the world around them, and it shows that anyone can turn hateful if enough hate is shown to them.

Modern Day Transcendentalists

My grandmother is a modern transcendentalists. She is an immensely spiritual person who works as a therapist and in healing using energy. But not energy as in electricity or heat, but from chakras. Even though logic and science claim that healing hands does not and cannot work, she continues to work with it and I completely believe in it.
She also finds a great pleasure in nature. Her whole front yard has had the grass taken out in order for her to have an even larger garden. She sees her garden as an oasis from everyday stresses. It is very beautiful and she works extremely hard on it. She sees nature as a beautiful work left untouched by human hands or helped along by humans, but should not be harmed in any way in order for any gain. In her opinion, people cannot gain from destroying nature, but by seeing every beauty in it and trying to make that last. She has beautiful landscape pictures and paintings all over her house, covering her walls as well.
Grandma is individualistic in many ways. She raised my siblings and I to never be what other people tell us to be. Whenever one of us would have trouble in school with bullies, she would help us understand that we should never give up who we are to make anyone like us. She said that they were not comfortable with who they are so they tried to make us the same way. But conforming has never been high on her list of things to do, so they same goes for me.

Up for discussion

Will Daisy ever publicly show her affection for Gastby? Why or why not?

What is the value of learning about poetry? Is it important or not important?

The importance and value of poetry is different for everyone. For some it is nonexistent. However, for others, it is some of the most influential literary work they have ever read. For me, poetry is very helpful on many occasions. It certainly helped me through a loss of a loved one I truly did not understand or get over for years. Teaching it is vital in education. Many people find an outlet through it. Of course that does not mean that it holds that same truth for all. Even if you do not like poetry, you can at least appreciate those who choose to write it and read it. Poetry is very complex, and it is a great way to learn about literature in an abstract way. Poems can almost be considered another language to some people, but, like a language, it holds huge significance to culture, society, and communication. This holds great value, even if not everyone can see that.

The American Dream

        The "American Dream" to me is a great horizon of the future. On that day break people will view everyone as equals and success is everywhere anyone can look. Success, however, would be different from person to person. I would want to one to ever forget the words "With liberty and justice for all."

        Most ideas of the American Dream seem to center around success. But more on a personal level. For oneself, but not necessarily for others. Also, success is usually defined specifically. Mostly business and monetarily related. Being rich and prosperous is very important to the majority of people. But success and prosperity can be seen as many things. Happiness and often a family can be considered success as well.

        The American Dream is different for everyone. There is no way to singularly define it. It is something many people hold in their hearts, whether they are in the U.S. or not. Some American Dreams have yet to start.