May 28: Reading Circles by

Round #2

mprikhod — 2024-05-28 15:39:51 UTC

(Round 2) It is about the prologue to "Forest Song" and its interpretation by. Discuss it using the questions below and then reflect on your discussion with a post connected to this post. After reading your peers' posts - connect to one of them. Add your group names. Some questions to discuss:

What are your reactions to "Forest Song"? Explain with a quote.
Why is "Forest Song" relevant to Andrianova and non-human aftermath of the war?
What is its connection to any aspects of identity (language, gender, race, culture, age, etc.)?
How can liberation and resistance connect to resilience here?

Afterwards, we will ask some groups to share what they discussed before inviting the response team to respond

Round # 1

mprikhod — 2024-05-28 16:00:36 UTC

(Round 1) It is about the poem "Contra Spem Spero"and its reciting. Discuss it using the questions below and then reflect on your discussion with a post connected to this post. Add your group names. Some questions to discuss:

What are your reactions to it? Explain with a quote.
Why is the poem relevant to the current moment even 100 years after?
What is its connection to any aspects of identity (language, gender, race, culture, age, etc.)?
How can liberation and resistance connect to resilience here?

After reading your peers' posts - connect to one of them.

Move to another reading circle on another concept following the same guidelines.

Respondent Group

mprikhod — 2024-05-28 16:18:09 UTC

A group of two volunteers (Bonus 1 % for participation) will be today's response team, whose job is to respond to the whole reading circle session with a critical mindset:

walk around to record observations how peers respond to the concepts in this Padlet and record your initial reactions in a separate post ("Response Team Reactions").
in a separate post, pose two questions to the whole community to be responded on May 30.
you will be invited to respond to the session after two reading circles and posing your questions.

Khadija and Jack

2024-05-28 17:38:28 UTC

The poem shows how the experiences that that Lesya Ukrainka went through made her more resilient instead of causing her to become despondent. In the lines "I shall sow flowers even amidst the frost and water them with my bitter tears" express Ukrainka's resilience despite what she has witnessed and her willingness to bear the "crushing weight" and give life to the earth again. It feels like the poem was written recently, in 2022 rather than in the 19th century, because all of the images in the video and the optimism of the speaker show the hope and perseverance of the Ukrainian people.

Round #1 - Yaretssy and Natalija

2024-05-28 17:39:00 UTC

We thought the video was very moving and powerful. The pictures and videos added a lot of meaning to the poem and really portrayed what is happening right now in Ukraine and how it is affecting people. A quote that we thought was inspirational was, "Yes, I will laugh despite my tears... I'll have hope despite all odds, I will live! Away, you sorrowful thoughts!" We thought this showed the hope that they continue to keep even though their situation is very tragic and traumatic. They choose to continue to look for a better future through all the hard times which shows how strong the Ukrainians really are.

Safa and Natalie

natalieefol — 2024-05-28 17:39:29 UTC

This poem parallels what is happening in Ukraine and, quite frankly, people's responses as well. Using your fear and anger, "And from those tears will melt / The frozen crust, so hard and strong, / Perhaps the flowers will bloom / And bring about for me a joyous spring." as fuel or ammunition for hope and resilience is something that really stuck out for us here. Using these negative feelings and combatting them with hopes for happiness and liberation is something extremely important that almost anyone can learn from.

Bekim - Nashley

2024-05-28 17:39:58 UTC

When watching it made us feel touched and sad for the people who were victims of the Russian-Ukranian War. "Yes. indeed I'll smile through tears and weeping," No matter the hardships they still endure the oppression. It is relevant because war always repeats still this won't be the last war to occur so we should learn from this one and try and prevent others. In the video, the people were fleeing which can affect the language and culture of them and their kids. They still resist even when they are being oppressed.

Theo and Alen (Round 1)

2024-05-28 17:40:01 UTC

The poem Contra Spem Spero emphasizes the obscurity of the future and the perplexing thought of mourning one's issues or living on. In the poem, she states, "And water them with my bitter tears". Here, she is referring to the flowers, which in Ukrainian resemble resilience and the idea of fighting oppression despite all odds against them. She often emphasizes spring in the poem, which resembles hope and symbolizes starting fresh and moving on. This is still prevalent even 100 years later since Soviet Russia condemned Ukraine's independence. In addition, through history we have seen oppression and genocides occurring over and over again, and this poem speaks upon these issues of hardships, which makes it timeless and universally applicable.

Noe and Jesus

2024-05-28 17:40:18 UTC

I reacted strongly to the lines "On this poor, indigent ground - I shall sow flowers of flowing colours; I shall sow flowers even amidst the frost, and water them with my bitter tears" because this made me realize why this poem is still prevalent today. The poem is still relevant today due to the underlying theme of symbolism tied to sowing flowers and resprouting life amidst the chaos/ sorrowful thoughts. It can still be recited today because of it's implications regarding why there must be hope in the first place, as a form of resilience. The lines that reference life needing to carry on despite loss of hope IS a form of sustaining hope.

Diego and Ethan

2024-05-28 17:42:10 UTC

There are many stanzas in this poem that relate to resilience and not giving up no matter how upset or down she is. Our favorite stanza is, "Throughout a lasting night of darkness, Ne'er shall I rest my own eyes, Always searching for the guiding star, The bright empress of the dark night skies." What we understood from this is how the spirit of the speaker will never be deterred and she will never give up on finding hope. Always looking for the light of the darkness of night. There's always that sense of potential hope present.

Sela and Edwin

2024-05-28 17:42:26 UTC

We found the poem had a very positive connotation. One line of the poem reads, "Always searching for a guiding star". This poem is still relevant 100 years later because there will never be a time frame where we don't need hope. We felt the poem went very well with the content of the video because parents have to be strong for their children and they have to do what is best for them, in every situation. The line "I shall not allow my heart to fall asleep" relates to the video, as we can can see parents feeling very anxious having to wave goodbye to their kids, although it's the right thing to do. Children are that hope, they are a reason to keep fighting. This poem and video shows resilience and strength in identity, especially in the last clip. A woman is waving to a camera and putting her fist up while she is on a train, Although these families have to separate they have to look to each other for hope.

Theo and Alen (Reponse Round 1)

2024-05-28 17:43:50 UTC

I agree that her poem emphasizes the idea of hope despite feeling bitter about the past and the issues Ukrainians have with Russia. The quote stood out to us since it resembles the idea of resilience and the ability to fight oppression through the unity of numbers and art.

Respondent Group

2024-05-28 17:47:58 UTC

We observed common conversations of "hope" and "resilience". Edwin and multiple others discussed how "hope never has a timeframe", which was a response to the poem by Lesya Ukrainia and its connection to modern-day conflict in Ukraine. There was a major theme of how Ukrainian resilience throughout decades and centuries of conflict and oppression has become ingrained in Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian identity.

Questions:

How does the imagery of spring in the poem by Ukrainia, reflect the war at this point in time?
What does the symbolism of the season of spring mean for the Ukrainian people?

Mavka. The Forest Song.

mprikhod — 2024-05-28 17:53:46 UTC

The Official Trailer by Film.UA Group

Nashley and Natalie

natalieefol — 2024-05-28 17:58:41 UTC

Can newfound love and past culture coexist? This is a really popular theme found in many mediums and we discussed how in relation to the play and the war in Russia and Ukraine, this poses the questions of through this conflict and standing by your community and culture, can one still leave room for love of difference and newfound aspects of life? Identity is ever-changing but can we respect our past with moving on in the present? Destroying your land in attempt to protect your people and culture is a concept we discussed. What price are we willing to pay in regard to land and life and how does land and its relationship to life and culture have meaning within context of this war?

Sela and Yaretssy

2024-05-28 18:00:45 UTC

In the poem "Forest Song", we discussed how there was a very big contrast between the peacefulness and humbleness of someones home, with the unreasonable disruption and violence that came about. The first part of the poem discusses the question of "Why" this is happening to innocent, peaceful people. The poem then presents some of the woodland creatures, warning each other of the violence, representing resilience, and coming together. The forest was peaceful, until outside energy came and disrupted them.

Khadija and Edwin

2024-05-28 18:01:00 UTC

"He Who Rends the Dikes" is depicted as the primary antagonist, as he disrupts the "lost babes" in their homes, or the motherland of Ukraine. They ask of him "Why do you come hither blundering? Why do you disturb our slumbering? Here our mother made our nest," alluding to Russia's disruption of innocent civilians in their homeland. The play is interesting because it talks very cryptically about the situation, but once you see one connection to the situation in Ukraine you can find more parallels.

Maggie and Elliot

2024-05-28 18:01:48 UTC

We observed different groups talk about love and loss through conflict. One question posed by Natalie caught our attention, "Can love and conflict coexist?"

From a Russian perspective, can respect for your culture and where you came from be present while also recognizing the atrocities that your home country is committing?
Folklore is deeply rooted in culture and history, how does this story reflect the persistent conflict and resilience of Ukraine against aggressors such as Russia?

Jack and Alen (Round 2)

2024-05-28 18:02:54 UTC

In the poem Forest Song the phrase "Water Goblin" is constantly referenced and it is symbolic to the inner consciousness of Russian media and forced identity. In the age of Russification, Ukrainians deliberately channel out Russian forms of media to collectively strengthen their identity; however, implicitly they are reminded of the Water Goblin "Russia", and their tactics to end or terminate Ukrainian identity. In addition, water is symbolic of cleansing, and Ukranians' way of cleansing their identity is through frequent works of art and the preservation of their Ukrainian vocabulary. The Forest Song is symbolic of a maze and there isn't one path for a person to find themselves and the meaning of life, but it is a constant wave of adventure and finding meaning through experiencing life and people.

Theo and Safa (Round 2)

2024-05-28 18:03:13 UTC

Forest Song a poetic drama is relevant to Andrianova and the non-human aftermath of war as it uses Ukrainian folklore and myth to reflect on the human and environmental devastation caused by conflict. "He Who Rends the Dikes," is representing Russia because the way he is responding and describing the land of the bay similar to Russia Pov to the one because the way he is reacting is the same way Russia has reacted to Ukraine telling them not to invade. The connection to identity in the forest song is shown though how it is creatively interpretive it allows the Ukrainian people to spread the history of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia through this story. The way that they describe like the violent and turmoil they have been through and sharing that experience through these stories telling is a form of resilience itself.

Bekim - Diego

2024-05-28 18:03:13 UTC

When we first read this poem we can feel the abandonment that the speaker is trying to portray and a lot of imagery that invokes deep emotions. "During this harangue “ He Who Rends the Dikes” stealthily nods at Rusalka, inviting her to flee with him down the stream." After the 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 relates to the Ukrainian struggle against the Russian aggression and people are dying just like the landscape was dying in the poem. Their potential for healing and restoration of the war-torn lands relates to the ukranian struggle against Russian aggression/occupation.

Alen and Jack (Round 2 - Response)

2024-05-28 18:05:19 UTC

This is interesting. The idea that a forest is one and collectively contributes to one another to create life; however, external forces can disrupt this harmony. This correlates to Ukrainians and the conflict with Russia, as Russia is this external force that is disrupting the peace in Ukraine.

Natalija and Jesus

2024-05-28 18:05:32 UTC

The prologue of Forest Song is almost like a description of peace throughout the forest, with there being calming waters and plenty of healthy life in the forest. Throughout the prologue there is peace throughout until a new force enters that causes changes in the forest that has been described as a destructive sprite. Forest Song is relevant to the nonhuman war because of the idea that people have lost their humanity causing trouble and chaos to others who are just trying to live their peaceful lives. Forest song connects to Ukrainian cultures ideals of peace and resilience and despite having troubles from neighboring countries they stand their ground in order to keep their way of life. There is still hope in their people and by resisting the destruction and chaos happening they can still show resistance in fighting for their culture and homes.

Noe and Ethan

2024-05-28 18:07:50 UTC

The Forest is a representative story about how the ecosystem "coincides" or works with humanity and personal interests. It personifies the ecosystem as a means of bringing attention to the sustainability and respect for nature as a whole in the aftermath of war. This is a form of resilience through the fact that it can be used as reasoning to be against war. The connection of aspects of culture are the fact that regrowth and nature as a basis for peace and balance connect directly to Ukrainian culture regarding overarching themes of peace and nature as that basis (sunflowers).

Theo and Safa (Response Round 2)

2024-05-28 18:07:51 UTC

When we first read "Forest Song," we could sense the speaker's attempt at abandonment—using images that stirred strong feelings. Especially notable is the sentence "During this harangue, 'He Who Rends the Dikes' stealthily nods at Rusalka, inviting her to flee with him down the stream." As seen in the fading lilies in the poem, thirsty for water, it powerfully depicts the sense of loss and the environmental destruction following the conflict. This picture speaks to the Ukrainian fight against Russian invasion, where people are dying and suffering much like the poem's environment does. The possibility for healing and reconstruction of war-torn territory reflects Ukraine's continuous struggle for existence and rehabilitation among the aggressiveness and occupation.