Poem Literary Exploration - Essay Example

? Units 3 to 6: Unit 3: Poem Literary Exploration Unit 4: Persuasive Writing in Context Unit 5: Visual Reflection Unit 6: Novel Literary Essay English 30-2 Instructor’s Name Date Unit 3: Poem Literary Exploration The poem entitled “Those Winter Sundays” written by Robert Hayden would be evaluated in response to the question: What is your opinion of the idea that regret is a common human experience? The analysis would contain supporting details from the course handout “Understanding Poetry” and from the Learning Guide Module “Writing the Literary Exploration Assignment”. First and foremost, the poem focused on the theme of looking back and feeling remorse for not having appreciated what the father has done for the members of the family. The phrases that indicate feelings of regret were: “What did I know, what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices?” (Hayden, n.d., par. 3). This simply means that from the perspective of the narrator (the speaker), there was a sorry feeling that the good intentions and actions expressed by the hardworking father was not returned by family members who manifested actions such as “no one ever thanked him” (Hayden, n.d., par. 1) and “speaking indifferently to him” (Hayden, n.d., par. 3). The personal situation that was shown in the poem was a simple description of a typical Sunday during winter when the father gets up early in the morning to chop wood needed to warm the house. The tone was sad and melancholic as indicated by the feelings of regret exemplified by the use of the following words: cold, cracked hands, ached, austere, and lonely. From this central idea, one would realize that regret is a common human experience that happens in every possible scenario involving human relationships: in the family, with peers or teachers in school, with community members, and with other people where interpersonal relationships have been exchanged. I could empathize with the speaker as I am also guilty of not having much appreciated the good deeds, support, and love shown to me by my parents and loved ones. Most of the time, simple situations like having been served a good meal by my mother, being provided with the financial support by my father or the assistance in household chores by siblings pass by without proper acknowledgement or saying “thank you”. In situations when I am given the opportunity to look back at simple tasks, I realize that I share the same sentiments expressed by the speaker in the poem. Upon further analysis, the poem could be considered containing free verses where there was no clear rhythmic pattern. The numbers of lines per paragraph were also different: 5 lines for the first and third paragraphs and 4 lines for the second paragraph. On the other hand, there was no rhythmic pattern since the syllabications per line were diverse, as counted: 11-9-6-10-9 for the first paragraph; 11-7-8-10 for the second; and 9-7-8-8-10 for the third. The only pattern manifested in this poem was the repetition of words (cold) and the paralleling of ideas (indifference, lack of appreciation, chronic angers). The sound in the poem provided emphasis on the message being relayed. The recurrence of consonant sounds was clearer: blueback cold; cracked hands; cold splintering, breaking; chronic. There was a level of irony that was shown from the situation illustration by the words: “Speaking indifferently to him who had driven out the cold and polished my good shoes as well” (Hayden, n.d., par. 3). Also, the message that the father has to do all the hard work and chores for fear of facing the chronic angers in the house further presents a situational irony in terms of expecting worse to happen despite the good deeds being done. As I get to reflect on the theme and the message relayed, there is this pain of regret one felt for not having duly appreciated and acknowledged all the support and hard work that parents have done for their children, in general. Children have tendencies to take for granted that it is the obligation of parents to support, sustain and work diligently for the family. This is indeed correct; but children, too, have the obligation to show gratefulness and appreciation for the love that is continually showered to them. Unit 4: Persuasive Writing in Context Letter to the Prosper School Board 89-10 192 Place Hollis New York, 11423 November 25, 2011 Prosper School 138-11 35th Avenue Flushing, New York, 11354 ATTN: TO THE PROSPER SCHOOL BOARD RE: Proposed Video Game Ban Dear Sirs: In response to your solicitation of inputs from students, I, Leigh Sampson, a Grade 12 student, who is strongly affected by the proposed video game ban promulgated by the Prosper School Parents’ Association, am hereby presenting my views. I understand that the ban would explicitly prohibit playing or even possession of banned video games within the school premises. A review of the supporting and arguing statements of the issue revealed the following: Those who support the proposed ban argue that the move is significant to: (1) protect the youth from accessing video games classified as mature and with senseless violent contents, as indicated by the Prosper School Parents’ Association; (2) ensure that repetitive exposure to violent games would protect the students from being desensitized to the real violence (noted by Colleen Castellano, a Prosper High School student); and (3) adhere to rules enforced by school administrators that there are adult materials, including contents of video games, that should be restricted to minors (Ken Cheng, Prosper High School counselor). On the other hand, those who have strong opposition towards the proposed ban reason that: (1) the ban is a violation of students’ rights and is seen as not directly relevant to the delivery and quality of education or safety of the school (Prosper High School Students’ Council); (2) playing video games are opportunities and outlets to release aggressive or violent tendencies and may in fact assist in decreasing the likelihood of committing real acts of violence (Owen Kerry, Prosper resident); and (3) the ban would send wrong and confusing signals to students on who to follow with regards to enforcing responsibility of imposing discipline (Maria Enriquez, parent). In this regard, after evaluating both supporting and counter-arguments to the proposed video game ban, I strongly believe that the move be accepted and approved as long as there are clear and stipulated conditions for the enforcement. I hereby proposed that the ban be enforced during school hours within the school premises since the primary reason for students to attend formal education is to receive appropriate academic training and enhance one’s knowledge, abilities, and skills based on the stipulated academic curriculum. Playing video games within the school premises during school hours is therefore contrary to the rules and regulations of the academe. In addition, since the students are within the school premises, they should abide by the rules and regulations imposed by the school administration. This could include banning playing video games that are not part of the course curriculum or identified not to promote academic learning within the learning environment. Further, the rules for enforcing the ban should be explicit and clear with regards to the penalties imposed for violating this rule. For example, if a student has violated the rule once, a reprimand must initially be given; followed by warning; suspension and expulsion, when repeated several times, despite knowledge of the consequences. I strongly believe that a conducive and effective learning environment must be free from materials that would distract students from learning; this includes playing video games within the school premises. In this regard, I hope that you would decide on accepting the banning of video games, as proposed by the Prosper School Parents’ Association. Thank you. Very truly yours, Leigh Sampson Grade 12 Student Prosper High School Unit 5: Visual Reflection A photograph courtesy of Murray Ronaghan represents “Nurses on strike in Calgary, Alberta”. Viewers of the photo could deduce that the photographer aimed to capture different reactions of nurses who were on strike that day. The photographer was positioned in front of the strikers, with the back of a man in a clown suit holding a megaphone situated near the viewers’ sight at the right portion of the photo. This man could be the leader of the strikers where the clown costume could depict a message to the organization where these nurses were apparently expressing their protests. Another man was beside him, wearing a white shirt and with a placard at his back. The light of the sun shone brightly at the forefront where four nurses were holding placards. These nurses were chanting as their mouths were wide open but with an eminent grin. The messages shown in the placards indicate that these nurses aim to reveal that the pay structure was low: “nursing does not pay” and “dedication doesn’t pay; not when dealing with the A.H.A)” (Unit 5 Handout: Visual Representation, n.d., p. 1) and “stay east young nurse, the west is not the best” (Unit 5 Handout: Visual Representation, n.d.) aims to warn young nurses from eastern countries not to seek employment from western nations. Aside from the crowd of striking nurses, the upper half portion of the photo also showed the background of the strikers where the view of the city was clear. There was the landmark sculpture of a man on a horse, a tree right at the center, and at the farthest seen sights were buildings, which indicate that the strike was located within a commercial district of Calgary, Alberta. The time of day could be surmised at almost noontime since the sun shone directly on the strikers and left no shadows that skew either to their left or right. Also, other nurses were wearing shades to protect their eyes from the glaring rays of the sun. There was a structure blocking the faces of the nurses at the left side so it means that there could be a tree that shades the strikers there. Since the photograph was in black and white, only the lighting and shadows give emphasis to the images. Viewers who get to see this photograph could have different reactions. They could empathize with the strikers and support the cause being fought for. Others could be amused since despite the strike, the nurses at the forefront were apparently grinning maybe due to a comical comment expressed by the leader in a clown suit. One would therefore conclude that visual representations tell so much about the messages being relayed in the photograph taken. By analyzing different techniques, the accuracy of the message intended would be successfully relayed and received by the target audience. In the photograph, various photographic techniques such as the camera angle (front), focus (clear), lighting and shading (through the sun’s rays and shadows), symmetry (the balance among images of the strikers and that of their background), the size, symbols (use of placards, raised arms, chanting, clown), and mood (different emotions ranging from formal, grinning, serious, adamant) have assisted in relaying the message that nurses were asking for change and improvement in their employment conditions. The visual representations were accurately shown to the target audience and elicited the needed response. Unit 6: Novel Literary Essay The novel entitled Jurassic Park was written by Michael Crichton and was popularized in a movie of the same title (Crichton, 1991). The main plot of the novel evolved from the genetic and technological ability to recover, clone and give rise to contemporary dinosaurs using a DNA from a frozen tree sap. The challenges that the characters faced as a result of experiencing being flown in a private island off the coast of Costa Rica that contained real dinosaurs have set the appropriate tone, emotional appeal, and visual effects that considered the novel and the film a tremendous success. In this regard, the current literary exploration of the novel aims to consider the connection between the novel, one’s own experience, and the experience of others. Further, the discourse would establish the connection between the novel and one’s opinion of the idea that growth comes to those who take a risk. The highlights of the novel come in terms of reflecting on the possibility that dinosaurs could be resurrected to life through genetic engineering. At the time the novel was written, the developments in genetic engineering could already be seen as significantly venturing into cloning animals. This could have provided the idea for the theme of the novel where the dinosaurs have been reported to have ruled the earth before they became extinct. The possibility that fragments, bones, remains of these dinosaurs still remain and have been exhibited in various museums in the country. Another highlight was the effect that these dinosaurs could impact in contemporary human civilization. When they apparently existed, humans were not yet around. Therefore, the thought provoking opportunity given by the writer to image a world where dinosaurs and humans exist could be alarming, exciting, or totally unexpected. This is where the statement “growth comes to those who take a risk” comes in. One’s contention is that of total agreement to the statement given the situations presented in the novel and from one’s personal experience. In the novel, the risk of taking that frozen DNA of the dinosaur to clone and revive their existence could have paid off if the dangerous effects were controlled. The efforts and scientific skills of applying genetic engineering to clone these dinosaurs were unique and highly interesting enabling the readers and the audiences who viewed the film to be emotionally captivated. One could say that it could possibly happen. Relating this risk taking activity in one’s life, one’s reflection revealed that the activities that are considered risky for some could not be categorized as such by others. For me, just going out of one’s comfort zone is already a risky activity. This means that engaging in simple activities that I normally do not do is already considered a risk. For example, it is a general fact that individuals maintain a small circle of friends who are considered the peer group and those who we get to exchange regular communication and exchange thoughts, share ideas, and indulge in activities we are interested in. By trying to reach out to others in other social circles, this could already be considered risky since these groups could either accept or reject one’s interactions. These other social groups could be seen as the dinosaurs in the novel. By venturing into other social circles where nothing is known about, the outcome could be initially pleasing or gratifying; but, there are potentials for inviting negative reactions. As the power outage enabled the bigger and more aggressive dinosaurs to impose their presence and threat to humans, chaos and death eventually occurred. However, when one is so risk averse that opportunities are not captured, then, both personal and professional growth are compromised. The need to communicate and interact with diverse groups and social groups are needed for growth. If a student graduates, the risk taking activity is seen as most crucial to seek appropriate employment or to capture opportunities in the external environment. Again, linking this to the novel, there was a time when Dr. Alan Grant, the paleontologist and Dr. Ellie Sattler, his research partner, together with John Hammond’s (the owner of InGen, the genetic engineering firm that cloned the dinosaurs) grandchildren have to take tremendous risks when their lives were at stake as the dinosaurs were seeking them. By venturing out of the closed structures as the situation required them to put the power back on to restrain the dinosaurs, an eminent risk was taken to ensure that they could retain their security and safety. Therefore, in the contemporary environment where graduates seek employment in the midst of economic and financial crisis, one needs to take risks (going out of the comfort zone, marketing one’s talents and skills, assuming a more proactive than reactive stance) to be noticed and be seen as competent and qualified in the competitive world. In every relationship, there is also risk taking; as well as rewards for having achieved what one desired. Growth comes to those who take a risk. Just like in the novel, the characters all took the risk and, despite the challenges, difficulties, mistakes and trials, they all emerged victorious – having been enriched by the new and rewarding experience. Reference Crichton, M. (1991). Jurassic Park. Ballantine Books. Hayden, R. (n.d.). Those Winter Sundays. In Unit 3 Assignment: Poem Literary Exploration (p. 1). Bow Valley College. (n.d.). Unit 5 Handout: Visual Representation. Bow Valley College. Read More