Jacob L Lit and Performance Blog

Color and sound provide some of the most vivid effects in poetry. How have at least two poems that you have studied used such visual and auditory aspects as these to enrich their poems? After reading two of Naomi Shihab Nye's poems I noticed that some of the poems talk about the visual details and auditory aspects when describing what is happening in the poem.  In the poem, "My Father and the Fig Tree,"  it talks a lot about the details and how the fig tree is so important to his father.  In the poem it said  " At age six I ate a dried fig and shrugged. "That's not what I'm talking about! he said, "I'm talking about a fig straight from the earth – gift of Allah! -- on a branch so heavy it touches the ground."  This talks about the past making us think what this fig tree looked like.   "I'm talking about picking the largest, fattest, sweetest fig." It goes into detail how great this fig tree is.  The poem says how they...

Blood: - There are 5 Stanzas - Talks a lot about the Arabs -  Seems like the Arabs believe in healing because of the watermelons - "Arabs know how to catch a fly"- Seems like they are somewhat good at the things they do, like this -  There are some stereotypes - Mostly negative descriptions -  In the last stanza she questions her country asking herself -  Seems like she is confused and doesn't know what country she is really apart of My Father and The Fig Tree: - What are figs? - Talks about the culture and how all he wants to do is eat the fig - I figured that the fig is part of their culture - The father seems lazy - It ended happily with an abundance of fig trees in Texas - Shows the importance of fig trees to their culture

The language of a poem is often that one thing compared to another. In the work of at least two poets you have studied, explore how poets have made their subjects come alive through different means of comparing them. In the poem I memorized by Emily Dickinson, this would be a perfect question for it.  She talks about this nobody compared to a somebody.  "Im nobody! Who are you?"  "How dreary to be somebody."  She is clearly comparing the two which are the nobody and the somebody.  She's talks positively when she finds this other person who is also a  nobody.  She talks about how terrible it is to be somebody, "How public like a frog."  I liked the way she separated the two stanzas to compare the two points of view.  I like how she made it short and simple and you could clearly see why she would rather be a nobody than a somebody.  The detail in the second stanza really shows how terrible it is to be somebody. ...

Success is counted sweetest (112) BY  EMILY DICKINSON - This compares the success with the nectar which is sweet.  It wasn't the sweetest nut came out with victory.   Wild nights - Wild nights! (269)  Launch Audio in a New Window BY  EMILY DICKINSON - She really shows her emotions in this poem.  The setting is taken at night and she is trying to make a statement.  Saying that wild nights are ,"luxury."  These nights are worth a lot.   “Hope” is the thing with feathers - (314) BY  EMILY DICKINSON -  She is comparing the theme of hope with the object of a feather.  She is saying how hope can be as light as a feather and go up as easy as a feather.  Feather is positive with many uses just like how hope is.   A Bird, came down the Walk - (359) BY  EMILY DICKINSON -The interaction between the bird and the man.  there is a lot of detail that seems real when it...

5. Select a passage from a novel you have chosen to study which provides an effective introduction of an important character or characters. How would you use staging, design and acting to ensure that this introduction would have dramatic importance for the audience? In the book I would choose the scene when Daniel crashes his car into the tree and Desiree was the one too see this happen.  This was an important introduction for Daniel.  This part was important because it showed the true connection Desiree had with Daniel even though they have never met before.  Desiree knew it was love at first sight.  For staging I would have the car crash happen then I would have just Daniel and Desiree together.  The spotlight would only be on Daniel and Desiree as Desiree is trying to save Daniels life.  I would show Desiree slowly touching his face and touching the blood with her hands.  I would have some  emotion from Desiree as she is using all of her brea...

I am the Director of MLML and I would show the seperation and difference looking wise between the rich and the poor.  The rich I would have them wearing dirty old clothes that havent been washed.  i would have the rich wear fancy clothers like collard shirts with ties and khakis.  This can clearly show the difference.  8 would have the gods on the top of the stage watching over Desiree and the peasants.  By showing that they are above I would place clouds in the sky.  I yhink there should be a couple levels, the first level, the peasants because they are the lowest class, then the rich who make them look less, and then the tird level I would have the Gods watching.  The Rich watch over the peasants but do not associate with them cause they know they are better. I wnat to place the gods on the third level because of power.  I feel like the way people look effects the story and what the audience might think of them.