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As a respondent today, I could listen in on multiple conversations about the different pieces. One idea that stood out to me was the second piece we read for today, "Forest Song." Natalie brought up the idea of conflict and love being able to coexist, can you still have love for your community even after such events? This has more to do with the Russian perspective of the war, and the importance of recognizing the tragedies of your country while still being prideful. Is such a thing possible? I believe so, I think a good example is how Germany rebuilt itself after WWII. It all starts with recognition however and Russia has yet to do that.

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We discussed a lot about culture and its relationship to change, the past, and resilience. I was specifically intrigued when discussing Forest song with a peer. Also, the poem we read and responded to at the beginning of class really struck a chord with me as well. Using anger and sadness as fuel in a way to create feelings of hope and resilience is fascinating and a poignant idea.

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There was a lot of devastating content today in class. First, the article talking about art around Ukraine was very tragic and had a lot of sad themes and concepts. Secondly, the video we watched that recited the poem by a Ukrainian poet brought fourth a lot of strong emotion and sadness. It presented great questions about how Ukrainian identity and culture is rooted in resistance, as this has been a timeless theme in Ukraine of resistance, war, and oppression. Finally, as a part of the respondent group, I got to see how many different groups interpreted and related class content to The Forest Song, which prompted fascinating conversations and topics.

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Today, I learned a lot about different poems and their similar interpretations that surpass time itself. A particular topic that we discussed in my second group was "Can love and culture both coexist?" both being important yet where can you draw the line between the two? I used to believe that culture was love and while there is love within culture they aren't the same. Mediums that we have talked about in class have depicted that over and over again. It is a privilege to be able to have both and have them coexist but up to what point is that going to be possible and is it possible for those who are experiencing wars and tragedy in their everyday life?

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Today we watched the video of Against all Hope I Hope by Lesya Ukrainka. Which really touched me. We see what the Ukrainian people go through during this war. The Loss and tragedy. Trying to flee from the Russian aggression. Seeing people flee on trains. Really is eye opening how horrible and tragic this war really is. We also discussed the poem The forest song and the symbols and meaning of it. In the poem after a war the environment gets damaged and the landscape dies from drought as we saw in the poem the lilies are dying in search of water. It sort of relates to the Ukrainian struggle against the Russian aggression and people are dying just like the landscape was dying in the poem. We can see that different Ukrainian poems really relate to the Ukrainian struggle that they have had to always deal with.

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I enjoyed both viewing and reading the poem in class today, especially since it has been quite some time since it was written and still has stood the test of time. I believe that this is true as hope will always be needed and we will always need someone to give us that sense up hope, telling us that things will turn out all right. It is an emotional sight to see parents have to put on a strong persona and a smile so that their children don't take on their stress.

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Today in class, we looked at and analyzed poems and the deeper messages and meanings behind them. The main poems we looked at are Contra Spem Spero and the Forest Song. Both poems have messages of hope and resilience as it has been a big theme for a while now in class. A lot of the lines that stick out have to do with the non-stop search for hope or to rebuild what has been destroyed no matter how bad the damage is. This shows how much the Ukraine wants to help their people and rebuild the damage done by Russia no matter how down they may seem. The fight to better their country is always present.

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Today in class we read poems and old book prolongs to connect back to the ideas of identity in Ukraine and more. The poem focused on creating resilience in the people of Ukraine and hope. The poem also drew many connections between the current situation in Ukraine. The books prolog called "The Forest Song" went into how the forest in Ukraine folklore is a magical ecosystem that the people couldn't mess with. When the people take things away like firewood they need to replant the trees in the future with added interest to the forest.

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Today I discussed some readings from the past like the Milgram experiment, and how interesting it is that so many people were willing to go through with the experiment despite its cruelty. I also talked about street art and its differences from regular art, and how its socialist themes are reflected in how street art is for everyone to see at no cost. Mostly, I discussed Ukrainka's poem, which is a very touching tribute to the patience and resilience of the Ukrainian people despite all that they face. Ukrainka was determined to bring life to her homeland again and to keep sorrow and anger away from her. I think it's incredible how relevant the poem still is, and how the resiliant spirit of the Ukrainian people endures today.

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Todays class was very insightful and helped me learn a lot about how resident Ukrainians are. The video we atchen in class with the poem was very impactful. I was able to see images of people struggling in Ukraine, saying goodbye to one another. Seeing these images really helps to understand wartime, and the experiences that Ukrainians live with in their everyday life. The images of the abandoned strollers were very saddening. Parents have to leave behind so much, even objects that are so necessary for their children, in order to leave quickly and efficiently.

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In today’s class we were able to analyze poetry from influential people of Ukraine and managed to connected it to present day life. The way the poet was able to create something that still speaks true to today is something that was amazing to read especially with how it can be connected to the war happening throughout Ukraine. We also read a prologue to a poem where there were more ways to interpreted and understand what the author could’ve meant and although I was confused at first I believe the author was trying to give concepts of invasion and war on a peaceful land. Overall, there was lots to learn in todays class and I got a better understanding of how others struggles and ideologies could still influence people today.

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In today’s class, we were invited to read and interpret the two poems. One poem that stood out to me was “Forest Song” as this resembles the nature of the conflict in Ukraine. The forest resembles peace and unity; however, external forces usually bring conflict, which is the case with Russia. In addition, these poems serve as an outlet for Ukrainians and are deemed to be timeless as we have seen through history that genocides and condemnation of other nations are still prevalent, and these poems are universally applicable to these issues.

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Today we focused on culture and how Ukrainians have been very resilient with their thinking and their actions. Haering these different poems and seeing how much hope they continue to have is very moving and inspirational. I was most intrigued by the first poem and the video that was made to represent the poem. I thought it truly showed what they are going through and how this is affecting them but also how they continue to have hope and to pray for a better future.

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Today's video is a powerful form of conveying Lesya's poem Contra Spem Spero!" that resonated with my realization that hope is timeless and has been a part of Ukrainian culture for centuries for the same reasons today: resilience against Russia. This coincides with the aftermath of the war in a cultural light, that in which nature and the ecosystem must be paid attention to.

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Today's class had a lot to do with perseverance, as the poems we read and discussed in our reading groups carried themes associated with hope, rebuilding, and endurance. These themes resemble discourse surrounding Ukrainian identity, the nation has been in a constant battle with external forces who try to assimilate them to cultures that simply do not resonate with Ukrainian identity.

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Today in class we did reading circles and got to hear from a guest speaker towards the end of class, during the reading circle we discussed a Ukrainian poem then a Ukrainian folk story that was meant to showcase the history of conflict between Russia and Ukraine, while the poem served as a more resilient representation of the victims of the war, they held hope eve after going through violence and war. Another thing we discussed was our privilege in being able to know and understand the truth of the conflict as many are under the impression that Russian propaganda is still true.

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Today's class worked on interpreting two poems; "Forest Song" caught attention for its moving meditation on the crisis in Ukraine. Mirroring the state of Russian invasion, the poem employs the image of a forest to signify calm and unity—which are disturbed by outside forces. This reading emphasizes how such poetry, by use of analogies with other historical and current worldwide events like genocide and national condemnation, provide timeless means for communicating the hardships of Ukrainians. During our reading circles, we covered a folk tale and a Ukrainian poetry both of which highlighted Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine. Particularly the poem focused on hope and fortitude against brutality. Our guest speaker strengthened these conversations by contrasting our advantages in knowing the truth about the war with the false information spread by Russian propaganda, therefore highlighting these issues. These events highlighted the important part literature plays in raising understanding of world problems and empathy.