1. Central Idea/Thesis Statement: Begin by posting your working central idea or thesis statement in the first column.

2. Literary Devices: Identify and list at least two relevant literary devices in the second column, explaining their purpose.

3. Evidence (Direct Quotes): Find and post direct quotes from the poem that support your analysis in the third column. Include page numbers or line numbers.

4. Non-Fiction Connections (Push Yourself): If you're incorporating non-fiction, post your source and explanation in the fifth column.

5. Peer Feedback: Feel free to comment on and react to your classmates' posts to provide constructive feedback.

Post your potential central idea or thesis statement for your essay. Remember, this should be a clear, concise claim about how the author develops the central idea and addresses societal injustices.

You can revise this later; this is just a starting point.

Also, please write 3-4 sentences about your interest in this poem or song. What topics does it cover? What does it say about the topics?

If applicable, provide a link or upload the text.

Briefly explain each device's purpose and how it conveys a central idea.

Examples: Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Symbolism, Imagery, Conflict, Characterization, Setting, Denotation/Connotation, Irony.

Explain how this text connects to a poem's or song's central idea and societal injustices.

How: Roller-coaster of struggles of the main characters life.

All Together: The author develops the tough life of a boy by bringing the reader into a roller-coaster of struggles in 20 lines of poetry.

Author: Leonardo David Olivares

Interest in the poem: I'm interested to see how the 14 year old Leo depicted his upbringing and how or if that has changed.

Topic covered: The poem goes over the upbringing of a boys life from the eyes of the future of oneself.

What does it say: Its depict the struggling's of the mother, by the future-self giving a warning to not take what he has for granted.

Quote 2 (Lines 13-14): The souls they left here have been depreciated. The bullets we imagine perforated their chests twenty-six years ago.

Quote 3( Lines 19-20): The tanks that ground them roll into our neighborhoods. The TV that broadcasted them cooks us fresh lies for every meal.

Quote 4( Lines 33-34): They mention a flighty sort of animal called "conviction". They touch our tattered umbrellas with silver fingernails.

I am interested in this poem because it talks about a real life issue that is going on in Hong Kong. the author used a lot of figurative languages and one of them is imagery. The author used imagery to show how people are dealing with this and things are getting violence because of the situations in Hong Kong. the author used strong figurative languages to show that people are suffering.

1. Rhyme Scheme – The poem follows a loose rhyme scheme, with couplets such as "The rich always left a stitch, / Had us thinking life was a bitch." The rhyme adds rhythm and flow, making the hardships described more engaging and impactful.

2. Imagery – Vivid descriptions like "Working two jobs only to stay afloat" and "Making her old back bend" create strong mental pictures of struggle, allowing the reader to feel the mother’s exhaustion and resilience.

3. Metaphor – "Little possibilities, she grabbed that shit by the throat." This metaphor equates opportunity to something tangible that can be seized, highlighting the mother’s determination to overcome obstacles.

4. Symbolism – The line "Your the last one, the seed that she planted" uses the metaphor of planting a seed to symbolize the mother’s hope and investment in her child’s future, reinforcing the theme of sacrifice.

5. Tone Shift – The poem transitions from a harsh depiction of struggle ("Living in public housing on 36 Dodd Street") to a more reflective and appreciative tone ("But now we are far from the past") as the speaker realizes the depth of his mother’s efforts. This shift emphasizes growth and gratitude.

6. Repetition – The phrase "Don’t take her for granted" is both the title and part of the closing lines, reinforcing the main message that the speaker has learned to appreciate his mother’s sacrifices.

Each device contributes to the poem’s emotional weight, helping the reader experience the hardships faced by the mother and son while emphasizing the importance of recognizing and valuing a parent’s struggles.