iPoetry: November 2011

Friday, November 11, 2011

Poets in China

       Studying for American poetry for a term, I think I need to pick up some Chinese poems too.

        After learning a lot of English poetries, I found out that the style between Chinese poems and English poems are so different, even distinct. For Chinese Poems, they tend to be short, usually around 5 to 7 sentences. Furthermore, Chinese Poets usually wrote poems during their travels around the world, and they wrote less about political issues, and even when they wrote about the government back then, they tend to put more pathetic attitude instead of writing poems to encourage people to rebel.

       People began to write poems in Tang Dynasty. There are some famous poets , such as Li Po, Tu Fu.

      Following is a poem from Li Po:

  "Questions and Answers Among the Mountains                                              Li Po           translated by Robert Kotewall and Norman L. Smith    You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain;
     I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care.
    As the peach-blossom flows down stream and is gone into the unknown,
     I have a world apart that is not among men." [1]


     In this poem, Li Po expressed his dislike of the society and dream of a better place, which human can live without discrimination, greed. Also, "As the peach-blossom flows down stream and is gone into the unknown," indicates that the wonderland that he is thinking about is not the place that we lived, but a place like mountains, which surrounded by nature.

Following is the poem praising mother:

          "WANDERER'S SONG
                        ----- Meng Jiao The thread in the hand of a kind mother
  Is the coat on the wanderer's back.
Before he left she stitched it close
In secret fear that he would be slow to return.
Who will say that the inch of grass in his heart
Is gratitude enough for all the sunshine of spring?" [2]


       This poem is about the poet's love about his mother. In this poem, poet is a man who worked hard in a different city rather than his hometown, and he stated the lonely feelings of people who left their homes and struggled in a new city for their futures.

    Poetries are different in different countries, but I think I should learn more different kinds of poems in order to absorb more informations about poem techniques in order for me to write better poems!

My Senior Fall, My Poetry Fall

I have never thought of I would so obsessed with Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Lewis Poetry Class.

The first day of class, is the first day of my adventure in the jungle of Poetry.

Yeah, Mrs. Lewis' poetry class is like a jungle, the biggest jungle in the universe. I tried all kinds of fruits that I had never tried before, and therefore, I absorbed all kinds of nutritions, from US history to famous people, from US culture to fun facts.

Mrs. Lewis' poetry class is like a family size pack of Skittles. You can always find one color, or one flavor that you love, and then totally fall in love with it. For example, I fell in love with E.E. Cummings, a brown skittles. You might be curious about why is Cummings a brown skittles? Because brown is a mix of colors, and in my opinion, E.E. Cummings is not only a wonderful poet, but also an interesting figure with all kinds of weird but fascinating personalities.

Of course, there is a place that I am totally not satisfied about this class, and it is that IT IS TOO SHORT! Although I absolutely want the fall term end, I want to keep Mrs. Lewis Poetry class till I graduate. Mrs. Lewis, you should definitely teach classes in both Winter Term and Spring Term! o(0v0)o..

Mrs. Lewis, you always have bunch unbelievable ideas with our poetry class, and we are totally enjoying them! Thank you, thank you for giving us such a GREAT term!

One more thing! Your comments on my works are always important to me, and I learned from your comments about my work's disadvantages, and how I can improve myself. Also, your comments and praises are encouraging and touching.

Thank you Mrs. Lewis, thank you Mrs. Lewis for the Poetry Class you taught, thank you Mrs. Lewis for the best cookies you made, and thank you for your smile!

Poetry Class Reflection

Time past so fast, it's already the end of the fall term. The first time I heard about this class was because of Maxy, one of my friends who just graduate last year. She told me I must take the poetry class because she had a great time and learnt lots of things about poetry in the class. But the most important reason she told me was the poetry class had a awesome and funny teacher, Mrs Lewis. After listened to her advice, I put this class into my schedule. Now when I look back, I think I make a great decision because besides having fun in this class, I really learnt lots of stuff about poetry and their development.

This class was totally different with other class, normal class we just read books, write essay and take test. But in this class, I am actually learning stuff and I change my impression about poetry because before I took this class, I thought it will be bored.

All in all, this class was the first class that makes me enjoying learning and I really want to say thank you to Mrs Lewis, you are the greatest and funniest that I have ever seen in my life , I really enjoy my time in this class.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Walgreen poem

Water, without which we wouldn't survive.
Watre, without which we wouldn't be alive.
Water, a blessing which almighty God has given us.
Water, which we drink without fuss.
Water, which the poor really need.
Water, without which we wouldn't succeed,
Water, a wonderful glory indeed.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Do You Like Ferrero Rocher?

      [Um...Should I buy a box of Ferrero?
          I am not sure if I would like it.]

     "Hey guys, don't get that, it is the worst chocolate ever!"

[Oh, thanks for your suggestion.]

"It tastes like shit, but it actually costs me twenty bucks!"

      Showing sympathetic facial expression, but my heart is actually laughing.
      However, I am not sure about the point I am laughing at.

      All I know is that:
        Golden outfit wrapping up the Ferrero chocolate, but when you try it the first time, you never know what's inside the shinny, charming outfit.
        Probably, nuts that you are allergic to?
        Liquid chocolate that you makes you sick?
        Or, except for the wrapping, the whole Ferrero is just not your type?

      Allergy can be fatal, isn't it? Liquid chocolate in Ferrero can make you hate all chocolates, can it?

       Your love of the golden wrapping failed to make you like what's inside, right?
       Also, your love of chocolate is not able to make you like liquid chocolate, true?

       Oh, yeah. How can we assume the truth simply based on what it appears to be, or based on what you see?

         Therefore, be contious. Be conscious of the truth hiding under the attractive cover. Don'e be overjoyed with some hugh opportunities.

          Maybe, we should try to compare things just like we compare one product to another.

         God bless us so that we will not be beclouded by magnetic, pleasing appearances.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

You Can Never Miss This ----Blues

There are people who love Rock and Roll; there are people who love country music. I mean, although you have a specific kind of music you love, you should still listen to Blues music, because it is one of the most amazing creation in the music world. Couple of decades before, the socitey wasn't as equal and fair as now it is; therefore, a lot of people who suffered from the injustice can express their ideas through blues music. Because of the reality that blues music shows, unlucky people, especially African American, felt that they were not alone who were suffering in a unfair society, and they got mollified by the Blues Music.

"Blues music was the antithesis of city life, but the early recording of blues music was a New York affair. ... The blues singers bridged different realms of black music, bringing together the styles and practices of the minstrel shows, of the vaudeville theaters, of ragtime and of their native rural environments" (A Brief History of Blues Music).

Charley Patton. "A werewolf-like vocalist and sophisticated slide guitarist (two gifts that made his style the most fluid vocal-guitar duet of blues music) who wrote the classics High Water Everywhere (october 1929), Pony Blues (june 1929), Prayer of Death (june 1929)"(A History of Blues Music).

Robert Johnson. "A legend who lived only 27 years and recorded only 29 songs, but enough to establish a new (chilly and fatalistic) standard of delivery and accompaniment, Johnson perfected the styles of Charley Patton and Son House (and the guitar style of Lonnie Johnson) in the harrowingTerraplane Blues, Cross Road Blues, the bleak Stones" (A History of Blues Music).



        "Yet another reason to learn the blues is because just about everyone else learns the blues on their respective instruments. One day you may meet up with a guitarist or a saxophone player to play, but you don't know any of the same songs. Chances are he or she knows the blues. Knowing the blues will give you something in common to play. You certainly wouldn't want to admit you don't know how to play one of music's most common musical structures" (The Importance Of The Blues).


        In my opinion, I think that Blues Music is the foundation, or, early development of the modern popular music. In Blues Music, there are all elements you can find in today's Jazz, R&B, country music. Therefore, by listening to Blues Music, you can listen to all music elements at once!