Poetry Reading Response (Final Draft)

When you take a picture, you can see only the photographer’s point of view of what the things are like in the photo.  In the poem Photography by Nikki Giovanni, it shows how people assume that their lives are perfect and so are everyone else’s, by using the symbol of the camera.

In the poem, the author uses metaphors and symbols to show how people struggle and other people don’t notice.  For example, take the lines ”it’s easy sitting in the sun/ to forget the ice and ravages/ of winter yet” (Giovanni, 12-14).  This shows that the sun (which symbolizes the good things in your life) is a place where you ignore and don’t help other people and the ice and winter symbolize the bad things that could happen to you and other people.

Although you might frown upon other people’s ways, they might love the way they live, struggles and all.  In the poem, it shows this by saying, “yet surf or sea each has/ its lovers and its meaning/ for love”(Giovanni, 20-22).  “Surf or sea” represents different people and “lovers” and “meaning for love” represents people’s lifestyles that they choose to have.  So basically, the quote says that different people have different ways of living and are fine with their lives.

No matter how different people are, we all work together to make the world what it is.  “…/and our hands joining/ those that reach/ develop the product” (Giovanni, 5-7).  This means that if we choose to work together, we will “develop the product” or make this world a better, more equal place.

            After reading this poem, I realized that life really is like a photograph.  We can choose to make our “photo” whatever way we want.  We can either choose to ignore any sadness; “ice”, “winter”, or “cold” or we can show people that there is beauty in “fire” and help them understand that even though some people live different lifestyles than you, they can be just as happy if not more happy.   

Poetry Reading Response for "Photography" by Nikki Giovanni (Draft)

When you take a picture, you can see only the photographer’s point of view of what the things happening are like in the photo.  In the poem Photography by Nikki Giovanni, it shows how people assume that their lives are perfect and so are everyone else’s, by using the symbol of the camera.

In the poem, the author uses metaphors and symbols to show how people struggle and other people don’t notice.  For example, take the lines ”it’s easy sitting in the sun/ to forget the ice and ravages/ of winter yet” (Giovanni, 12-14).  This shows that the sun (which symbolizes the good things in your life) is a place where you ignore/ don’t help other people and the ice/ winter (bad things that could happen to you and other people).

Although you might frown upon other people’s ways, they might love the way they live, struggles and all.  In the poem, it shows this by saying, “yet surf or sea each has/ its lovers and its meaning/ for love”(Giovanni, 20-22).  “Surf or sea” represents different people and “lovers” and “meaning for love” represents people’s lifestyles that they choose to have.  So basically, the quote says that different people have different ways of living and are fine with their lives.

No matter how different people are, we all work together to make the world what it is.  “and our hands joining/ those that reach/ develop the product” (Giovanni, 5-7).  This means that if we choose to work together, we will “develop the product” or make this world a better place.

After reading this poem, I realized that life really is like a photograph.  We can choose to make our “photo” whatever way we want.  We can either choose to pretend that everything is well in the world and forget about the troubles people are having, or we can work together to help people and ignore their differences.  

Photography

the eye we are told

is a camera

but the film is the heart

not the brain

and our hands joining

those that reach

develop the product

it’s easy sitting in the sun

to forget that cold exists

let alone envelops

the lives of people

it’s easy sitting in the sun

to forget the ice and ravages

of winter yet

there are those who would have

no other season

it’s always easy when thinking

we have the best to assume

others covet it

yet surf or sea each has

its lovers and its meaning

for love

watching the red sun bleed

into the ocean

one thinks of the beauty that fire brings

if the eye is a camera and the film is the heart

then the photo assistant is god

Creative writing

11. Craft a story with the following first line: I slowly backed up and sat in the nearest chair.

            I slowly backed up and sat in the nearest chair.  Then the bell rang.  I ran out of the room as quickly as I could and practically flew out the school doors.  I can’t believe it.  It just isn’t possible.  I leapt and jogged and skipped back home, to tell my mother the good news.  As soon as I opened the door I saw my mother.  She was slowly rocking.  Back, forth.  Back, forth.  I looked around.  Something was wrong.  Something was missing.  I ran up the stairs into my baby brother Ralph’s room.  My father was there.  But this can’t be.  No.  And then I saw my baby brother.  He was lying motionless in his crib, sleeping peacefully.

            “Don’t you touch him! ”  I screamed. 

            “It’s too late. The deed’s been done.” my father whispered with a slight grin.

            “You’re mad!  You’re insane!  Go back to jail!  Leave us alone!  LEAVE NOW!!!” I wailed at the top of my lungs.  He silently walked out of the room, down the stairs (step, step, step, step…), into the living room (he paused for a short second there), and finally out of our house.  I took small steps towards my baby brother.  Still breathing.  Good.  Then what was he talking about?  The deed’s been done?  I walked back down stairs to my mother.  My mind was foggy. 

            Hello mother.

            Hello, my boy.  What was that exciting thing you were telling me?

            I got a 100% on my math final.

            Wow. You must be the smartest boy in the 9^th grade!

            Yes.  That is what Mr. Stein told me.

           

            “Boy, what are you doing?!  Is that a dead body?!!!!  I’m calling the police!”

            Mother, what were you saying?

            I was about to tell you that we should leave.

            Okay, I’ll lead the way.

            “Put her down!  Stop!  The police are on the way.”

            Mother, do you think we should get baby Ralph from his cradle?

            Yes that is a splendid idea.

            “What do you think you are doing with that baby?”

            Come along, honey.  You don’t want to miss the boat.

            Okay, I’ll get on it now.  But that annoying old man is following me.

            “Stop!  Stop!  What are you doing?!  Get away from the pond!”

            Riding on the boat should be great fun.

            Indeed it should be, my boy.  Now tell baby Ralph to shut up. 

            SHUT UP RALPH!!!!

            Quite a good boy you are.  Away we go, for the boat has arrived!

***

            “I saw it with my own eyes.  That boy took his dead mother and his living baby brother and jumped into the pond with them!  He must be insane!” says our neighbor.

            “We’ll eventually figure out why he did this.” says the police chief.

They stare into the pond at our floating corpses.

END.

Deenie by Judy Blume

I recently read the book Deenie by Judy Blume.  In the book, the main character named Deenie, wants to be a model. But then, the doctor tells her that she needs a Milwaukee Brace (a big clunky back brace that people used to straighten their backs in the ‘60s and  ‘70s.  Deenie has scoliosis, a condition where your spine is crooked.  Throughout the book, Deenie’s attitude towards modeling, the brace, and new friends changes.

            In the beginning, Deenie’s mother keeps on pushing her to be a fashion model when she grows up, but Deenie secretly doesn’t want to be one.  Also, in her gym class there is a girl named Barbara who has a blotchy skin condition (every time she gets nervous, her skin gets red and itchy).  All the girls stay away from her, and think that she’s contagious. “Her real name is Barbara Curtis but I named her the Creeping Crud because she’s got this disgusting rash all over her. It’s supposed to be some kind of allergy but who wants to take the chance of finding out by touching her?” (page 30).  Deenie is really mean and untrusting towards Barbara and she reminds me of the typical mean popular girl in movies and books.

            Then, in the middle of the book, Deenie’s gym teacher notices that Deenie walks in a strange way.  So she is sent to many doctors when finally, they diagnose her with scoliosis.  She has an S curve which means that her spine is curved in the shape of an S.  This is what Deenie thinks when she first sees the brace (page 68): “I wanted to scream, Forget it… I’m never going to wear that thing.  Everyone will know.  Everyone!  But the words just wouldn’t come out.” This shows that Deenie really cares about who will judge her by her brace and what people will think of her.  Also, Deenie is starting to warm up to Barbara. She also starts dating her crush, Buddy Brader, even though all he really only likes her for her looks (not her personality).

            In the end, Deenie learns to live with her brace, and final accepts the fact that there is nothing she can do about it. She also stops judging people based on their looks and she and Barbara become really good friends.  Also, Deenie dumps Buddy because they have never really had an actual conversation together. Deenie basically becomes a stronger person.

            I think that Deenie’s brace made her a better person on the whole.  She finally realizes that even if people don’t look drop dead gorgeous, you should still accept them and be friends with them based on their personality.