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Response:
This poem had a powerful, defiant tone. This was greatly demonstrated through the use of rhetorical questions, which felt like they were challenging someone. This made the idea behind the poem feel so much stronger: a wall may physically divide a group of people, but it could never divide them in spirit. I also like the historical allusion to the Berlin Wall; the poet wrote about a wall slicing a city in half, one on the east and the other on the west. And there was also a mention of the Great Wall of China. Perhaps, these were included as examples to back up the argument. Overall, this poem had a really meaningful, powerful message.

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Response:
The anaphora of the word 'remember' was very powerful, and, of course, it was something that stood out right away. The pathetic fallacy of the different subjects in the poem -- the sun, the moon, and the wind -- and the use of personal pronouns made it feel a lot more meaningful and personal, like you're closely connected with whatever it is. That greatly helps with emphasising 'remember'. This poem touched me because the idea of not forgetting my roots is something quite near and dear to my heart. This poem did great when trying to create mood.

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Response:
Three menacing stares
Three things covered in hairs,
Three gigantic animals, that are definitely not bears.

Fists ready to strike at any moment,
Thumbs already crushing cement,

You better run, you better hide,
For these frightening primates will end your lives.

Crowd-controlling,
So you're not strolling,

The three gorillas will decimate,
And put us all in stalemate

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Response:
Immediately, this poem reminded me of the dozens of girls I've seen on my For You Page on TikTok: they would complain about their hair, most of them having curly hair, and wish for hair that was considered 'pretty' according to modern, euro-centric beauty standards. And like those videos, this poem made me sad and also a little mad. I'm sad that these gorgeous people believe they are the opposite and worth less because they don't fit in with the standards, even though their hair is absolutely beautiful. And, I'm especially devastated that they think so because their hair is something they have because of their race, which can create some resentment towards their background and identity.  I'm mad because history and society had the audacity to tell people that they basically must look white to look pretty and anything else makes them worth less and frowned upon. There isn't usually a clear connection between hair and racism -- my friend sarcastically said "because everyone knows those topics go hand in hand" when I told him I'm writing a response to a poem about the topics -- but this poem artistically highlighted the internal racism and self-hatred created by racist stereotypes and history that dates back centuries. This was done through the use of a personal anecdote, thought-provoking rhetorical questions, similies, and visual imagery. Finally, this poem made me feel proud; towards the end, Acevedo realises the beauty of her curly hair and wants the next generations to also be proud in their own skin and hair. I think this relates to today's society, where the particularly younger generations are embracing diversity, especially in appearance, a lot more.

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Response:
This poem felt so sunny, fuzzy, and lighthearted. It was a qick, enjoyable read. I believe this mood is generated by the manipulation of tone, making it positive: "small furry pelts", "dance", "delicate", and "pride" specifically stood out. Perhaps, the topic of bees -- tiny, yellow, and happy -- also set the tone. Though this might be a stretch, I believe the simplicity of this poem also represents the simplicity of a bee's life; they just buzz around, protect the queen, and produce honey!

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Response:
This is definitely not my favourite poem. It didn't really send any message to me or make me feel much. I suppose the foreboding tone made me feel a little uneasy, but that's it. The poem seemed quite pointless to me.

As for techniques, the simile and bee analogy brilliantly described the hatred/determination in the bear's eyes without having to directly state it.

I don't have many thoughts on this poem.

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Adenaline Rush by Rudy Francisco - 5/3/23

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Adenaline Rush by Rudy Francisco - 5/3/23

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Response:
At first, I thought this was just a fun, light-hearted poem, but the plot twist made it something far deeper. Obviously, this really stood out to me. I also really like how throughout the poem, I have been able to understand all of Francisco's thoughts and empathise with them, because the poem is written so clearly that I feel like I'm in his head. There are a lot of powerful metaphors and similes in this poem which I believe explained the struggles of Black people in the United States in an engaging and logical way. One that stands out is "Being black is one of the most extreme sports in America.
We don’t need to invent new ways of risking our lives

because the old ones have been working for decades." Perhaps the use of a high modality word ('most') really emphasised how dangerous and soul-stirring it is to be a Black person in America. Another one that grabs my eye is "most days, I know how to grab my voice

by the handle and swing it like a hammer.

But instead,

I picked it up like a shard of glass." I think this simile is a beautiful way to put the feeling into words; it certainly is relatable. I think all the literary devices used, especially the similes and metaphors, along with the clear conveying of his thoughts provoked my empathy.

Also, I found the fact that I knew Francisco was writing from the perspective of a person of colour, before he even mentioned the word 'melanin' or anything about his race, really sad. It's devastating how I can just predict his background based on the experience that's being described, because it shows that it happens far too often.

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Response:
At first, I thought this poem was really peculiar. The concept of the cockroach in a coffee cup (alliteration, by the way) is strange. However, I surprisingly do feel like I relate to the cockroach. Still, I do not feel much compassion for the cockroach -- maybe because it's a cockroach and I don't like them -- but I would if it was a person. Perhaps the cockroach and coffee cup is a euphemism for a much more realistic, daunting problem.

My interpretation of this poem is that the coffee cup symbolises a person's current reality/life. "Skates past the rings of previous events" could be about the cockroach breaking past habits/cycles of its past: "rings" are circles, and those can be used to symbolise cycles and infinite repetition. "Reaching for the rim of the world" feels like the cockroach is yearning for something beyond this world: a different reality, maybe. "Trying to escape the hell that lies waiting at the bottom" refers to the cockroach escaping the coffee (reality) at the bottom of the cup. This really ties the entire picture together. And in that picture, I can see the cockroach running up the cup; the cup is steep and slippery, and the cockroach is consequently panicked. In a situation like this, panic only makes it worse, though, and it puts a limit on the amount of time the cockroach has to escape, before falling back into the coffee.

I believe the cockroach and coffee cup situation represents a person trying to escape their current life, but they panic as they see the journey to escape as one that they only have one chance at and a short time to complete.  Therefore, they are incredibly panicked. They feel stuck; escaping is difficult, but slipping back down is not an option either. They feel close to giving up.

After writing this response, I take back the sentence at the start where I say I don't feel much compassion for the cockroach. I do. This might be the most touching poem I've read so far, in this unit.

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Response:
My first thoughts after finishing this poem are about how Griffin fascinatingly fits so much meaning into just eight lines: I suppose that's what poetry is about, but I still think it is really cool. I think it was a really interesting approach to turn the three influencing factors of elections into characters/motifs (at least that's how I interpreted it). I believe Heart represents what a voter wants and believes in, deep down: the phrase "felt like this" specifically stood out to me. The line finished with "since the world was good", suggesting a problem exists. As for Tongue, I believe it is about how a voter wants to voice what their heart believes in and be heard. However, "I am tripping on anthems now" makes me feel like it means the voter's beliefs and those of the current leader/political party no longer align: an anthem is a song to be sung in harmony, but that sense of harmony is not there, adding onto the possible problem. "Said Death: I just come with these two" suggests that Heart and Tongue -- a voter's beliefs and those beliefs being voiced, especially through protesting -- can lead to challenges for them if the government does not like it. Perhaps Death being an influencing factor can make the elector's first preference -- maybe they'd want to vote for someone who would keep them safe. I could be totally off the meaning because the meaning behind the poem is a little nebulous to me and a little hard to word in a way that makes complete sense, but this is the vibe I am getting.

As for an emotional response, the way the poem was written makes me intrigued and I really want to know its meaning. The tone of the poem, dark and mysterious, also makes me feel a little uneasy.

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In the poem 'Demeter' by Carol Ann Duffy, the key idea is that to a mother, her daughter is the centre of warmth and happiness in her life. The change in tone once Persephone returns to Demeter is evidence of this: before, the tone was cold and depressing -- lacking any life and warmth -- but when Persephone is back, the tone is joyful and feels like pure sunshine. That demonstrates how impactful the sheer presence of her daughter is, on her mother. In the third line of the third stanza, anaphora was used: "my daughter, my girl". That displays Demeter's possessiveness over her daughter and how proud and happy she is to say that Persephone is her own. The key idea that to a mother, her daughter is the centre of warmth and happiness in her life is evident in the poem, through the use of tone and anaphora.

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What Can a Poem Do? by Darius V. Daughtry - 19/2/23

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What Can a Poem Do? by Darius V. Daughtry - 19/2/23

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Response:
I really like this poem. I thought it was deep and powerful. It showed me a new way to view poems, but not one that was too new: it was like teaching me something I already knew deep down, so I wasn't really fascinated or surprised. I loved the "a poem can(not) save a life" discussion and how Daughtry used the line to break up the poem: the first half displayed how poetry cannot change or save people from anything physical or social, but the second half explained how a poem can reshape an individual internally. I thought Daughtry made really interesting points and worded them beautifully. I especially love how he ended with "I wonder where we’d be if the masses knew just what a poem could do." That was really meaningful and though-provoking.

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The Beautiful World in Ruins by Steve Potter - 19/2/23

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The Beautiful World in Ruins by Steve Potter - 19/2/23

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Response:
I thought this poem was really deep and about how our beautiful world will be full of nothing if we don't take care of it. This poem felt like it came straight from a dystopian movie; the cold, passive-aggressive tone definitely aided with this. The word 'nothing' was repeated A LOT, especially after the first two stanzas. I had to reread a couple of stanzas because I couldn't comprehend the poetry due to all the 'nothing'. The repetition really emphasised how there would be nothing in this world -- nothing beautiful, at least.

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In the poem 'Care', Craig Santos Perez presents the key idea that war will forever haunt those affected. Throughout the poem, he describes many different scenarios from the Syrian Civil War that he fears could happen to him and his daughter, even though they are 8,500 miles away, in O'ahu. He is still scared of having to reexperience all the chaos and pain, and he sees it in every insignificant thing around him. It is undeniable that Perez and his daughter -- along with millions of others affected -- will live the rest of their lives scarred by the terror they felt.

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The red, the yellow, the gold,
It was a sight I longed to see.
The fireworks, the music, the drums,
Vietnam made me feel so free.

Being away from home for so long,
I forgot the festive feeling in the air.
Family all around me,
They washed away all my despair.