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Welcome to our poetry blog dedicated to our novel, Black Boy by Richard Wright.  For the second poem, we are experimenting with haiku and tanka.  Traditionally a form of poetry exposing the true elements of nature, English I Honor students are using the two poetic forms to highlight issues met by young Richard as he comes of age and finds himself amidst his struggles.

Today you must include one haiku and one tanka dedicated to one of Richard's internal and external conflicts found in Chapter 4 of our novel. When you are done, you must include a graphic, gif, song, or artistic medium of a NATURAL ELEMENT that captures the true essence of Richard's conflict. Think about it, if Richard were NATURAL, what would he represent?

Be sure to comment on at least three of your classmates' poems, giving them encouragement or enlightenment about their beautiful poetry.  Remember, spread light and love all while capturing the darkness of this novel.

The assignment is due Tuesday, April 24, 2018 (before class begins).  The blog will be locked promptly at 2:25 p.m.

Thanks!

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Your haiku should follow the format and include the direct quote from Richard Wright cited in MLA format.

Don't forget to add a gif and respond to three classmates.

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Lightening strikes the earth
Destroying the world I love
Bringing pain to us

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Clouds have two faces
They are dark and far like the night
But I didn't say goodbye

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It is every where
It is found with yourself
Just find it inside

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Roaring skies whimper
yelling a powerful song
like a lion roars

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Just light striking hard
Revealing hearts, aggressively
When you see, believe

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Falling from the sky
Lighting up the night
Followed by a roar

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Beauty comes from light
Shine so bright it likes light
Show me im the light.

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Angry sky above
Scolding us for wrong doings
Yet making things worse

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Thunder and Lightning
Crackling through the sky, bound
to disturb the peace

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Where emptiness sits
The urge to eat, reappears
Consuming false images
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This haiku poem was inspired by Richard Wright's text declared in chapter four, "Once
again I knew hunger, biting hunger, hunger that made my body restless, hunger that kept
me on edge..."(103).

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Light stabs, like the truth
Destroying path's for the rest
Cannot comprehend
Dirty mouth numbed,  by the lies
Left behind is the ugly
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This tanka poem was based off of the text that was implied by Richard Wright, stating, "I was expecting the the boy who sat in front of me to devise some lie to save me...(105).

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Your soft hands, like clouds
Your glass-like eyes meeting mine
Pouring out your love
Imagining the warm sand
On the magical oasis.
<3

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The trees banging
Hard against the window seal
Like a broken glass
Shattering the love I had
oh how does the day go by

This piece comes from richard wright  black boy  "but I  never forgot the look of astonishment and bewilderment on the young woman's face when I had finished reading and glanced at her"(121)

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As I wonder by
I see them watching me close
My heart starts pumping

This piece was insprired by Richard Wrights novel Black Boy "I was struck behind the ear with a piece of broken bottle;the cut was deep and bled profusely" (83)

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Like weeds draining a prim rose
Or clouds covering the sun
You follow malevolent

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love is unexpected
My love for you can't be seen
like a great horned owl
My love for you won't be killed
love is so unexpected

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Cloudy skies crying
waiting for the right moment
for the sun to shine

This piece was inspired by Richard Wrights Black Boy "I was so hysterical that I was crying"(135)

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Where is He, I ask
In a room filled with people
Yet, I feel so alone stag

This poem was inspired by " I had not settled in my mind whether I believed in God or not," (115).

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One day at a time
God Holds my hand through tough times
I may not know it
But someone is over me
My grandma tried to help me
But i can't seem to believe

"Many of the religious symbols appealed to my sensibilities and I responded..."(112).

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It sank deep away
It was small and became big
Constantly not there
But, always present
Feels like talking to a wall

This poem was inspired by this quote, " Mama!" I called. She did not answer or turn her head."

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A song between trees
Whistling judgments of me
Wanting me to be
Just as they think they are, trees
Whistling judgments? Not me

This piece is inspired by "Granny and Aunt Addie changed toward me, giving me up for lost"(122)

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A world of pure white
Crunching beneath my cold feet
A stare full of gleam
As i see a frost filled earth

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Does Church make you cry
Religion is deeper than
a tear from an eye

"The entire family became kind and forgiving, but I knew the motives..."(113)

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I'm hungry inside
I felt gut twisting hunger
But no food will due.

This Haiku was inspired by,"...hunger that kept me on the edge..."(103)

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Believe what you want
But do not force it on me
I will not Believe
Your beliefs will not help me
Beliefs are just cosmic tales
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This poem is based off the entire

page of the 4th Chapter of Black
Boy by Richard Wright. What is
happening  is Richard is being
forced into a religion by his
Granny.

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They always beat me
With every breath you beat me
Please do not beat me
For every lie you beat me
Why do you LOVE to beat me
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This poem is based off how Richard’s younger self might have felt about being constantly beaten. In particular it is created from when Wright stayed, “When I entered, I saw that she was holding another switch. My muscles tightened.”