Animal Farm: Narrative Poem

Beast of England

Late one night on an English farm,
An old boar had a dream.
He gathered his fellow animals
To tell them of his scheme.

In old Major’s hopeful dream,
No humans were around.
The animals were free to rule,
And claim their piece of ground.

When old Major died,
His dream lived on within
All comrades worked together
To gain a victorious win.

Snowball and Napoleon,
Two pigs each with a snout
Led a rebellious riot
To drive the humans out.

After all was said and done,
Seven laws were written down,
Concerning the enemy –humans–
And their evil ways in town.

No animal should wear clothes
Or kill another beast.
No alcohol would be allowed
Obey these rules at least.

Two legs makes an enemy
Four legs makes a friend
All animals are equal
But then it all depends…

Craving the power for himself
Napoleon chased off Snowball
He convinced the other animals
This was better for them all.

One by one the rules were changed
Alterations made left and right
All seeming to benefit the pigs
And fill the rest with confusion and fright.

Napoleon changes one that clearly states,
No animals sleep in beds.
The new rule makes beds okay, but
Outlaws sheets instead.

All the rules are eventually lost
Power’s corruption is clear to see.
Yet the ignorant animals are oblivious
And keep on laboring readily

Late one night on an English farm,
The animals peered inside.
Napoleon had become quite human-like

And old Major’s dream had died.

Poetry Out Loud Performances: "Frederick Douglass"

Shawntay A. Henry's performance of the poem "Frederick Douglass" contained many exemplary characteristics for reciting poetry. Shawntay's physical presence as she began to speak seemed strangely unsure. But after only a few words, I could see that she was trying to convey a message to the audience. Her use of hesitation every once in a while made me recognize the dramatic tone of the poem. Through hand gestures, emphasis of certain words, and clear articulation, Shawntay displayed her maturity, poise, and deep understanding of the poem. The complexity of the theme of "Frederick Douglass" was thouroughly revealed through Shawntay A. Henry's performance.

Robert E Hayden's "Frederick Douglass" portrays the importance of freedom.
Freedom is as essential to life as air. Frederick Douglass was a slave who escaped and helped with the abolition of slavery. Because of him, many black slaves became free men and women. This poem honoring Frederick Douglass explains how vital freedom is. After hearing the poem, I finally learned to appreciate how privileged I am.

Mockingbird Motif

A motif is a reappearing object, idea, or arrangement in a peice of writing. Authors use motifs to show a main idea or theme throughout a novel or other writing. In To Kill a Mockingbird, for example, Harper Lee uses a reoccurring symbol throughout the novel of a mockingbird. Atticus tells his children in the story that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Miss Maudie adds to this by saying, "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for the rest of us to enjoy." This helps enhance the mockingbird motif.

A metaphorical mockingbird is an innocent person who does things for the benefit of others. Two of the mockingbirds in the story are Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Through revealing their similarities to mockingbirds, Harper Lee creates a closer feel for their lifestyles. A black man, Tom Robinson tries to do nothing but innocently help Mayella Ewell and is found guilty of raping her. Tom is a victim of unjust prejudice. Boo Radley stays in his house day after day, not harming anybody, but (if anything) helping them. Boo Radley helps Scout to grow in acceptance and understanding of differences. He helps her also to comprehend Atticus's words that she'd never understand another person until she stood in their shoes. These are just two examples of mockingbirds that Harper Lee uses to emphasize the major themes of the novel.

Scout: Compassion

In the selection I read of the dramatic reading, Scout realizes how Mayella Ewell "must have been the loneliest person in the world." And, as Tom Robinson continues his testimony, Scout sees that he will be punished for nothing but showing kindness to Mayella. Scout becomes compassionate toward Tom, but at the same time takes some pity on Mayella Ewell. The hands represent the sympathy Scout feels for others, even if the rest of Maycomb is too prejudiced to have kind feelings.

Life Lessons

I was only six when my sister left for college. As her nerves were building when she was preparing to move out, it seems everyone had some sort of advice for her. One of these helpful hints is perhaps the best life lesson I have ever learned. A saying my grandma often said was, "To have a friend, you have to be a friend." Although I didn't realize it at the time, my grandmother's simple yet wise cliché is something I will have with me for the rest of my life.

This powerful phrase is a motto that I do my best to follow. Whenever I don't know how to handle a situation, I can turn to this lesson, and my life becomes clearer. As I have grown older, I have realized how much an easy task such as being a friend can impact my life and the lives of people around me. Sometimes all people need is someone to be there, through thick and thin, including me. A friend will cheer me up on a bad day and laugh with meon a good day. A friend will be there for me when times are rough. And the best way to have someone there for me is to be there for them.

My Sister; My Friend

I guess I should call myself lucky. I have the best sister and friend in the world. My friendship with Kristen is closer than with anybody else. We talk on the phone for hours about nothing in general. We can laugh until we cry (literally) but can later have serious life conversations. Kristen collects Curious George memorabilia and loves to watch sunsets. She has some very adorable clothes that she always lets me borrow whenever I want. We have everything in common with each other. She is always there for me and helps me with any problems I might have.

Kristen is by far the nicest person I know. She is -unlike what she believes- completely selfless. She could definitely be described as an altruist: she is often concerned about the well-being of others. She is a creative and unique person, and is -in many aspects of life- is my inspiration. Although we don't always see eye to eye (as I'm sure all siblings do) I love my sister.

Point of View: 1st person

Some of my favorite childhood memories lie in a large, blue Rubbermaid box. This bursting-at-the-seams box contains oodles of dress-up clothes, which have brought countless hours of fun to me and all my friends. Perhaps the best times dress-up provided were with my two closest cousins. Although their visits were rare, and we didn't see each other much, by the time we really got into dress-up, we would be the best of friends. It was always the same at any occasion they visited for: the grown-ups would all sit in the living room having "boring" conversations. The youngest of the three of us, Brad, would run out in the living room, and announce the characters: "Introducing the clown princess and hat lady!" Then Angela and I would waltz in costume into the living room and give a fashion show for the adults. We were butterflies and hula dancers. We were pilgrims and Indians for Thanksgiving, and reindeer for Christmas. Afterwards, we'd run back to my bedroom for a costume change.

Our shouts could be overheard through the closed door. "I want to be the fairy."

"No fair, you got to be it last time." Reaching my tiny hand into the giant box, I'd pull out a purple feather boa - the perfect match to my ballerina tutu. Angela picked out costumes for her brother, Bradley. He would argue with outbursts such as, "Boys don't wear dresses!"

We would always work out the costumes and look great for our parents and grandparents who would often applaud but would sometimes ignore us and rudely carry on their chit-chat.

The box now sits in storage, but once in a while I rummage through it to find outfits for a party or another dress-up event. Although I've outgrown most of the clothes, the contents are too sentimental to toss. But even after the dress-up box is gone, I will always hold its memories close.

The Bean Trees: Motif

In a previous post, I mentioned that the dominant literary feature of The Bean Trees was imagery. Although the book is loaded with imagery, as I continued to read, I realized that a new element was introduced a little past halfway through the novel. The new literary feature I will be focusing on is motif.

Barbara Kingsolver uses many examples of recurring symbols in The Bean Trees. In many cases, plants are used to represent Turtle’s experiences throughout different stages of her life. Turtle is thrust into Taylor’s life on her journey from Kentucky to an unknown future. Two-year-old Turtle changes from a silent, isolated, and fearful child to one who is cheerful, open, and talkative. Although many different plants are used as symbols in the book, one of the most common ones is wisteria (also referred to by Turtle as "the bean trees"). The symbolic level of the life processes of plants advances the reader’s understanding of Turtle’s character.

~~Amy~~

Outside Reading

As I began reading The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, I was immediately intrigued. The Bean Trees isn't the kind of book that is slow-going, as I could tell right off the bat. Even in the first couple sentences, Barbara Kingolver sets the mood of a light, humorous story.

Within the first one or two pages, I was almost positive that I should focus on the imagery, as the novel is abundant with figurative and descriptive language. Perhaps this description in detail is so the reader sees pretty much exactly what the author envisioned. The imagery of the book definitely opened my eyes and made me eager to read more.

The tone of the book is a little hard to put a finger on. Much of the story is whimsical, because of the friendly, funny, eccentric way the main character, Taylor, views life. But as the plot moves along, there are more and more dramatic and sentimental events.

The Bean Trees is an interesting and relatable book. I am very glad I chose it for my Outside Reading assignment.

Writing About Reading

Ever since I was five, sitting on my mom's lap, stumbling across a story about a bird looking for its mother, I have loved reading. It is rare for me to find a novel I don't enjoy. I love the smell of a fresh, new book, the sound of the spine cracking, and the feel of each page; thin, but essential to the story.

As much as I love reading, I hate starting books. At the beginning of a new book, there is nothing to focus on except learning a new setting, characters, and plot. I wish books could start out exciting, but I know the storyline has to work up to the climax. Knowing that there will be a climax full of suspense and excitement is all it takes to make me stick through the beginnings of books. After all, it will only be a matter of time before I won't want to put the book down.

I read best in silent and solitary environments. Curled up in a comfy chair, I could get lost in another world of books. Over my years of reading, I've traveled to Narnia, the Oregon Trail, San Francisco, and China just to name a few. I'm looking forward to the places I might visit in books in the future.