Found Poem

Guilt

Can't barely breath
A War
Why?

Stuck
It's almost dark
The ghosts are out
I can feel my blood moving
The trees are alive

Way too real
What's real?
What's going on?
All that's finished
This is all wrong

Waking from sleep
They're all dead
I should forget it
Nobody's fault
Excuses
My own fault
You don't forget

Harlem Renaissance

     As the imagery in the poem "The Barrier" by Claude McKay is analyzed, it is seen that though the words may seem simple, they hold a much deeper meaning. The phrase "Your sun-illuminated way" represents the seemingly sunny and care-free life that white people, not just the specific girl mentioned, live. The reader visualizes a sunny day where everything seems good and easy. This is then compared to the lives black people live by being separated by "the barrier of race." The phrase makes the reader picture a large menacing wall causing the reader to then sympathize with the author with emotions of fear, sadness, and anger.
     The poem has the pattern of ABAB end rhyme to make it more appealing to the ear. The method of rhyme also causes the rhyming words to stand out more within the poem.  This is apparent especially in the last stanza. The words "face" and "race" are rhymed to most likely make the reader focus on the word "race" because it begins the main point of the poem. "Spark" and "dark" are also rhymed for the same purpose of probably putting emphasis on "dark" because it is also within the main point of the poem.
     The use of personification is also used to add imagery to the poem to make the reader sympathize more with the author of the poem. The phrases "Your eyes are dawning day" and "the fascinating note, which, fluting like a river reed" are used to show the authors great love and admiration of the girl, despite their difference in race. The figurative language illustrating love could also be seen as a contrast to the simply-put feelings of sadness in the poem.

Modern Transcendentalists

Modern Transcendentalists

            A modern day transcendentalist is Malala Yousafzai. She is an education activist. She values imagination and intuition over reason and logic. She put her life on the line to get her message out. She knew, logically, that the Taliban would most likely come after her. They had already destroyed many girls’ schools in the area.  She, instead, chose to ignore logic and to go with what she thought was right in society.

            She embodies non-conformity and individualism. She stood up and stood out by making the protests she was. By doing this, she was taking risks. No one else was brave enough to do what she did and say what she said. She was being herself, an individual.

            Malala believes humans are divine. She showed this through her actions. She had enough faith in herself and others to continue on even when threatened. Believing that people can do anything they set their mind to, she, a young girl, stood up to the government trusting in herself.

"The Great Gatsby" Discussion Question

Why do you think Gatsby has his parties?

The Value of Poetry

     There are many advantages from learning about poetry. It can help someone to look at certain issues in a different way than they would maybe initially think of. For example, poetry causes people to think more about the subject, leading to different ideas and opinions. Poetry can express emotions in ways that may not be possible other ways. An example of this is: if something can't be bluntly said, it can be said through metaphors. Poetry also helps overall understanding of the English language through figurative language used. Due to these advantages, poetry is important. Everyone should learn about poetry at least once, but if poetry is forced upon someone more than needed, that person will learn to dislike anything to do with it. Poetry should be learned and appreciated in moderation.

The American Dream

         The American dream is something unique to each person. To me, it is the ability to get a good education. This will most likely lead to a job that benefits the individual in some way. This will then, hopefully, lead to success. Success, no matter how each person interprets the word, is the overall goal of the American dream. Opportunities are what can lead to this success if the person chooses the best path for their goal. To summarize the American dream in my own definition, education leads to a job, which then has the opportunity to lead to whatever success you strive to achieve.
         This is similar to the "usual" American dream. Both involve education. The "usual" most of the time involves going to college and graduating. After graduating, people would then pick a job that provides a steady income so they can then start a family. Today, the usual American dream is starting to change to fit today's society. Less people are picking the usual American dream as their goal in life. Instead, they're using the opportunities that may open up to them.