Poetry Essay.... What would you grade it???

Linda Brown
Dr. Gerard Collins
English 1080
A Critical Analysis for the Poem “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”
“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas is from the perspective of a son to his father. Using examples of wise, good, wild and grave men, the speaker is trying to convince his father that, although each man is different, each faces the “dying of the light”, physical or emotional blindness, with the same resistance. He wants his father to resist as well.
In this poem, emotional blindness is a lack of emotions or feelings, and because life is comprised of these things we can further say that emotional blindness is a man’s inability to absorb life. The word “light” emphasizes the concept of losing sight. Light is what enables one to see and without it we could not. “Dying of the light” could indicate the inability to see the positive, bright things in life. The speaker is trying to show his father that he should never become emotionally numb, even if his father is “on a sad height”, or, is dealing with an emotionally blinding experience.
The wise men do not give up on life even if their words have “forked no lightning;” their words have not caused anything brilliant or wondrous to spread. The good men do not succumb to emotional darkness even when their “frail deeds” were not powerful enough to dance, or cause celebration, in a “green bay,” or their worlds, societies or environments. The speaker uses examples of men to show his father that all of them, regardless of their situation, do not let go of life so easily.

The poem’s diction creates contrast within each stanza to show that despite the opposites presented, each stanza ends the same. This structure reinforces the theme of striving to stay emotionally alive under all circumstances by showing that men should choose to resist when blindness approaches, and struggle to emotionally survive . There are beautiful, positive words, and dark, sorrowful words. Some words that give evidence to this are “bright”, “danced”, “sang” and “gay”, contrasted with “frail”, “grieved”, and “death”, each stanza ending with either of the repeated lines stating men should not lose connection with their emotional lives, whether internal, interpersonal or external.
The last stanza in this poem is especially significant. The speaker says, “Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.” This line indicates that the speaker wishes to be cursed and blessed with his father’s sorrows. Cursed because the tears indicate his father has now accepted that his life is forever changed, and this may be a hard realization, and blessed, for the same reason, and that they can now move forward and continue living life. He not only wishes, but prays, that his father will let the burdens be carried by him so he can continue to live. It is at this point the reader realizes the speaker‘s message. The two lines that have been repeated throughout the poem end this stanza, as a somewhat desperate plea to his feather to “rage against the dying of the light.”

Entry Number 50!

Since I am studying poetry in English 1080 right now I thought I'd post a poem that I wrote last year.


War Criminals


Did you hear the gunshot across the field?

I sense that it is time for us to go.

I did not think it was so hard to yield


The final contract, was confirmed and sealed.

Was I prepared to feel the final blow?

Did you see the gunshot across the field?


The bodies kept falling and being wheeled

Destruction struck us like a savage throw

I didn’t know it was so hard to yield.


And now to our own court we have appealed.

Us criminals of war will suffer so.

I did hear the gunshot across the field.


Our brothers’ graves are where we are found kneeled

As if we are the victims of sorrow

I didn’t think it was so hard to yield.


Of dignity and honour we’ve been peeled.

The blood of loved ones lost will always flow.

Did you hear the gunshot across the field?

I didn’t think it was so hard to yield.

My Loves and Hates of University

I need to get this off my chest.

Loves:
People stop harassing you because you're so cool to be in university now.
Your parents stop badgering you about doing something with you life.
There are lots of people and friends around to keep you occupied.
You don't get penalized when you don't show up.
There is a bar.
There is lots of food.
There is a massive library full of books that you can hide in when you want to be alone.
When it comes to student loans, the less you work the more money they give you.

Hates:
It costs a fortune day-to-day because you are constantly taunted to buy stuff.
It's just like high school.
The profs pretend that you are to think for yourself but really you have to submit work based on what you think they want.
It's not specialized.
You can go for years and years and never really get anywhere except in debt.
They offer limited options.
I feel stupid in university.
The profs mark in red pen and are ruthless- ruthless I tell you.
You don't have enough time to do your best, so you end up handing in half-assed work.

What I wish I could have in my education:
Individualized attention.
Hands-on work.
Specialized training.
Smaller class sizes.
A clear outcome of my future.

COLLEGE is definitely for me. I applied for a bachelor or arts in childhood development at Seneca College in Ontario for Sept 2009. I hope I get accepted. I'm getting really really frustrated with MUN. It's so over-rated. You just learn to be another zombie in the march of the walking dead.
The road to become... the same as everyone else.

*sign* Maybe it's just my stupid English essay (cough cough) that's making me this way. I thought i was good at English. I know I still am, but I don't want to write a certain way just because that's the way someone else wants it. I know I need to learn to write essays the was profs want, but if I'm not in university I can by-pass that. Oh my what to do.

Make Tea, Not War

Fighting for peace is like smoking for air.
People being slaughtered is cruel and unfair.
The weapons we create for mass destruction
Those funds should go to helpful production.
Humans are starving a die from disease.
Appreciate what you have, and not take what others need.
Forget power and wealth and money that sings.
The oil, the riches, what of these things?
Billions of dollars spent on entertainment.
Million dollar rings as proof of engagement.
What about the kids without good nutrition?
Could we give them hope, a sense of ambition?
Eliminate differences between you and me.
Untie! Get together! Forget war, make tea.
How many wars will it take people to realize
That fighting and killing will not end in compromise?
There are countries in the world that won't stop - no suspension
Of the money fed in to military expansion.
Aggression and violence do not solve confrontation.
What is this method teaching future generations?
Opposing governments recruit young women and men.
Convince them the others the enemy, their duty is to defend.
As the leaders of nation's sit unaware
Young soldiers, both sides, left dead, in despair.
If we were all treated equally we'd have no reason to fight.
Agree to disagree, we should all have that right.
Humanity is suffering like a thousand times before.
Unite! Get together! Make tea, not war.

From Facebook

You have to be in my network on facebook to see this. Either St. John's or Memorial University

I love this!

http://www.new.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=37075624174&id=789625211&index=0&

Looking For Youth Interested In Research

I'm looking for young people of all different backgrounds that would be interested in participating in a research group focused on youth empowerment and leadership in educational change. The commitment level of the group depends on how much you want to contribute, it's totally up to you. We'll interactively, creatively, and openly engage in discussions around what empowers youth to take action and be change makers in their learning environments. There will be workshops held focusing on different areas of this topic, depending on the interest levels. We will be able to express our stories in the education system through a variety of multi-media activities such as art, music, drama, or whatever you can think of! SWASP funding is in progess, which means whoever wants to commit will be able (if they wish) to receive 100 dollars a week for 8 weeks and a 1500 tuition voucher at the end of the year. There will be all different types of things to participate in, all at your leisure. Such things include retreats where we go away and focus on a specific area of interest, community building activities such as camping, bowling, etc. We will be working on a publication (perhaps a book or film) of our stories as advocates of educational change, struggle within the system, or whatever else we like. This group is completely flexible, and allows you a free space to be who you are and express your ideas. Everyone's stories' and opinions' are valued and heard. It's the differences of each of us that makes this research so rich- our experiences, feelings, stories and thoughts are the contributions we make and they everything that goes on in our day-to-day lives is relevant in some way. So check it out! No obligations- you can attend as much or as little as you like. Come and explore your ideas of educational change, and your evolving role as an educational change maker.
The first meeting this year is tomorrow, Thursday, at 11:30am at The Murphy Centre. Ask for Ann's room. You can call me, Linda, anytime if you have questions or would like more information or to set up a one-on-one chat with a group member to familiarize yourself with the field we are interested in! The possibilities are endless!

Hope to see some interest! I joined last year and it has really contributed to my future path and has opened up a whole new world of understanding to me! I am making a difference right here, right now, and you can too.

My number is 579 8509 or you can reach me by email at tellalikelystory@gmail.com or on facebook!

Cheers!

MUN

Ah. University. A breath of fresh air, a kick in the guts, and a 740 spinning out of control. There's so much going on, but so little at the same time. Everything I think and feel agrees with parts of me and disagrees with part of me (mind you, not equal halves). It's a whole new world. It makes you feel like a kid again. I didn't have that opportunity in high school, and now that I've reached a higher point of maturity in my life I can relax and start feeling like a kid again. Weird isn't it? That's not all that's weird. The academics are easy- phew. Breeze, they are. BUt you know what's hard? Making friends. The homework and studying and reviewing critisizing reflecting.. all EZ PZ. But interacting with others? Oh god, i need a manual or a tutor for that area of expertise. I do know a lot of people here, which is nice. I've been able to spend time with old friends which is wonderful. I think the best part about it all is that I can be myself. I didn't think so for the first week- I didn't feel like myself. And sorry to day, myself isn't really all that it's cracked up to be. To be myself, I enjoy sitting in the Breezeway, having a beer, studying, reading or simply ranting on about school. I can sit here and have a beer and listen to good music WHILE I'M BEING PRODUCTIVE??? It's like my two worlds collided into one, a merge of my favourite things in life. Books, and beer. It may sounds like an odd combo, but as long as I have these things which I love I think I'll do good here. I still want to move away, I still want to go to the Soo, but I think I will stay at Memorial forever. Perhaps spend the ENTIRE 2009 summer in Sault Ste Marie, babysitting my cousins and hanging with my family, but as of right now, I like it where I am. I like getting up in the morning. I like working after school. I like staying up too late watching House and then waking up at 7:30, I like how on Tuesdays and THursdays I can sleep until noon if desired. I like how there are fun things to do here. I don't feel pressured. I don't feel guilty. I feel great. I'm starting to feel thinner. I feel like I belong somewhere, as I sit here at a table by myself while everyone else is around mingling. I can sit by myself and feel like I belong, and that's an amazing thing.