...Definitions of Poetry by Poets and Writers… Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. ~Leonard Cohen Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary. ~Kahlil Gibran Ink runs from the corners of my mouth There is no happiness like mine. I have been eating poetry. ~Mark Strand, "Eating Poetry," Reasons for Moving, 1968 There's no money in poetry, but then there's no poetry in money, either. ~Robert Graves, 1962 interview on BBC-TV, based on a very similar statement he overheard around 1955 Poetry is what gets lost in translation. ~Robert Frost Imaginary gardens with real toads in them. ~Marianne Moore's definition of poetry, "Poetry," Collected Poems, 1951 A poem is never finished, only abandoned. ~Paul Valéry He who draws noble delights from sentiments of poetry is a true poet, though he has never written a line in all his life. ~George Sand, 1851 Always be a poet, even in prose. ~Charles Baudelaire, "My Heart Laid Bare," Intimate Journals, 1864 Poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast possession of definition. ~Eli Khamarov, The Shadow Zone Poetry is the journal of the sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air. Poetry is a search for syllables to shoot at the barriers of the unknown and the unknowable. Poetry is a phantom script telling how rainbows are made and why they go away. ~Carl Sandburg, Poetry Considered Poetry is a mirror which makes...
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...Subaltern’s Love Song Paper Robert A. Powell ENG 125-Introduction to Literature Ms. Maria Rasimas December 14, 2012 Subaltern’s Love Song Paper I have chosen to write my paper on John Betjeman’s poem “A Subaltern’s Love Song.” This poem is a humorous look at a romantic relationship from the poet’s point of view, who is ultimately the speaker as well. It is a satire and an imaginative work, which I will elaborate on further in the paper. I will cover the analytical approach on this poem, evaluate the meaning of it and discuss how it captured my interest. The poem is actually a satire because he wrote it about a woman who he really was in love with in real life and ended up being friends with for over fifty years. Satire is the literary art that calls attention to the difference between what a particular thing should be and what it actually is. It can also be the way a particular person should behave and how that person is actually behaving. The writer of satire exaggerates or criticizes such conditions, but blends ridicule with gentle humor. This often intends to encourage change or improvement (Clungston, R. W. 2010.) He also uses imagination in this poem by the way he shapes the setting of the poem. Imagination is the human power that shapes artistic expression; it enables a writer’s work to become an expression of meaning in our world and allows readers to engage in identifying with...
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...One’s life story can be written out of two words. In this case it’s precision and persimmons. It’s crazy how two words with different meanings can mean the same thing or paint the same picture. This poem has two words that bring a flurry of memories back to the poet mind beginning with a persimmon. The persimmon shows a loving connection between two people. “Persimmons” is a free verse poem by Li-Young Lee, who tells a narrative that being in elementary school. He didn’t know the difference between precision and persimmon, but throughout the poem he illustrates both words. The poem shows precision in the other words he has trouble with words like fight and fright, also wren and yarn. The poet has a connection with these words too which makes it hard for him to remember the difference. Lines 32-33 make it clear how he relates the words so close to each other. “Fight was what I did when I was frightened, fright was what I flet when I was fighting (Lee, 557).” This poem dramatizes the conflict between good and bad memory. The poet is in class and gets slapped on his head because he doesn’t know the difference between persimmon and precision. The fact that he needs precision to pick a ripe persimmon makes it even harder for the international student. The poet also holds out on the class information about the persimmon that Mrs. Walker has brought to class. He knows that it was unripe, so he doesn’t join in the eating because he feels as that is payback for his mistake with the...
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...Isaiah 26:3-4 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you? Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock. Mark 5:36 ..."Don't be afraid. Just trust in me." Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. Psalm 5:8 ...Tell me clearly what to do and show me which way to turn. Psalms 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. Psalms 71:5-8 O Lord, you alone are my hope. I've trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother's womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long. Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in...
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...Genesis 1:26 Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground." Isaiah 9:6 His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, From David's throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains By judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this! Malachi 3;1 Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. Psalms 2;7 I will proclaim the decree of the Lord, he said to me, “You are my son: today I have begotten you. proverbs 8:24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains or springs of water; Wisdom 7:22-28 for Wisdom, the artificer of all, taught me. For in her is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, Manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, Not baneful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent, kindly, Firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing, And pervading all spirits, though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle. For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion, and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity. For she is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;...
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...“Davis Press and Meccan Madness” is a case study that discusses the issue of whether Carol Davis of Davis Press should go about publishing the novel Meccan Madness by Jonathan Taajwar. She is worried that any publication of about the Islam faith would be badly received by people of the Islamic faith. Salman Rushdie’s controversial 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses had political and social consequences, as well as personal safety issues for Rushdie and the publishers. In addition, accusations of interrogators at the U.S. Naval Base prison of desecrating the Qur’an had also inflamed an anti-American sentiment in some Muslim countries. With this in mind, Davis should not publish Meccan Madness because the risk of losing her company and employees is great. Carol Davis, her employees, and her family have a lot at stake by publishing this book. Job security for her employees is on the line if this book is published and not well received, then the company makes no money to pay its employees. If the book is not successful, the loss of sales could put Davis’s publishing company on the brink of bankruptcy. For Carol Davis, her reputation would be tarnished if this book failed to bring in profit and her livelihood would be put at risk. Furthermore, if the book sparked outrage within the Muslim community, the possibility of a fatwa being issued against Carol Davis, her family, and her company could put everyone’s lives in jeopardy. A counterclaim for Davis to publish Meccan Madness...
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...prides himself with his street smarts, which enable him to survive. He meets and falls in love with Caitlin whose life could not be any more different from Billy’s homeless life. She is from a wealthy family and largely dissatisfied with her life. Billy also becomes friends with Old Bill, a homeless drunk. He shows Billy how to earn money. Caitlin notices that Billy takes the leftovers off the tables in a McDonald’s and seeks to learn more about him. She has the menial job of mopping floors there. His compassion is a welcome change for Caitlin. This is the third novel that Herrick has written in free verse. The chapters are marked by the characters’ names. In the eleven chapters, each chapter begins with a brief extract from one of the poems within the chapter. A black-and-white image appears with the quotation and captures the essence of the section. The free verse poems are told by the three main characters: Billy, Caitlin, and Old Bill. This first-person account brings a direct understanding of the experiences of each character and to each other. This lyrical format brings a musical quality to the relationships and expression. The story stands as a metaphor for life within a challenging social and family structure—and the seamless way in which children often live their...
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...Haroun and the Sea of Stories SALMAN RUSHDIE Novel, 1990. Summary. In this story we encounter storytelling as a means of saving your identity, your relationship with your family, and perhaps even your life—which means that, in a sense, you are saving a world. The British-Indian author Salman Rushdie (b. 1947) had to go underground after the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses in 1988. The book was considered blasphemous to Islam by the fundamentalist government of Iran, which issued a death warrant against him. He says that he reached a point where he was so distressed he wasn’t able to think of any stories to tell. But he worked himself out of his depression, and Haroun and the Sea of Stories, a book for children and other people who have a natural love for stories, is the result. This modern fairy tale has many surprising elements, but here we will focus just on the core issue: why stories have value. Haroun’s father Rashid is a professional storyteller and a very popular one. He usually tells cheerful stories, even though they live in a very sad city. Haroun is beginning to ask questions about his father’s storytelling: Where do the stories come from? From the great Story Sea, says Rashid, and you have to be a subscriber to the water, which comes from a tap installed by one of the Water-Genies. But Haroun doesn’t believe him. And now a sad thing happens in their lives: Haroun’s mother Soraya with the beautiful voice leaves her husband and child for another tenant...
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...The Tempest written during the 1600s by one of the most influential writers of his time, William Shakespeare, takes us deep in to the Renaissance, in which questions of religion and man’s place in the world were the cause of much conflict. There are many insinuations that the character of Prospero is a cover for Shakespeare himself and through the protagonist, Shakespeare voices some of his views about the world he was living in. Along with themes of power, men and control, colonization also seems to be a main focus of Shakespeare throughout The Tempest, as almost every character ponders upon how he would rule the island on which the play is set if he were its king. Dr Faustus was written during the reign of England’s Queen Elizabeth I by Christopher Marlowe. It focuses on the main character, Dr Faustus, selling his soul to the devil in exchange for all the luxuries the world has to offer “twenty-four years of all voluptuousness.” Both plays present men questing for power and have left their mark on the modern world of literature. Shakespeare highlights the dominant themes power and control through the characters of Prospero and Antonio. Throughout the play many of the characters are in constant battle for power and freedom sometimes resulting in them succumbing to malevolent deeds. Prospero personifies the imperialist omnipotent ruler as he enslaves Caliban son of Sycorax and rightful ruler of the island. He uses the informal pronoun and pejorative phrase “thou most lying...
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...Debating Speech This motion is the death of equality. First, I would like to specify the title of this motion and the opposition’s take on it. We believe that a ‘secular society’ refers to each religion being equal and respected within a society rather than the discrimination of those who hold religious beliefs. Second, I shall set out the main reasons why equality should come ahead of prejudice against people who cannot help the way they were born whilst my partner will tackle the outcry of ‘freedom of belief’, which will be the main argument from the proposition. We, the opposition, believe that as long as a person keeps their anti-equality beliefs to themselves, they should be allowed to have them so if a person in Ireland was against the Gay Marriage bill, they may of course keep this belief as long as they don’t use it to discriminate against others. Now, I would like everyone to think of a time about seventy years ago when, as a shop keeper, it was perfectly reasonable to discriminate against homosexuals, ethnic minorities and even women. Now that racism and sexism are openly criticised, we have become a more equal and fair society, so why was there any controversy over a homosexual couple wanting a shop to bake a cake with an anti-discriminatory message on it? I would like to emphasise that this service was offered by the baker and so refusing this couple and damaging emotional effects on the couple as they strove for equality and the recognition of their position in a...
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...Copyright Salman Rushdie, 1988 All rights reserved VIKING Published by the Penguin Group Viking Penguin Inc., 40 West 23rd Street, New York, New York 10010, U.S.A. Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5TZ, England Penguin Books Australia Ltd. Ringwood, Victoria, Australia Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 2801 John Street, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 1B4 Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182-190, Wairau Road, Auckland ro, New Zealand Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England Published in 1989 by Viking Penguin Inc. For Marianne Contents I The Angel Gibreel II Mahound III Ellowen Deeowen IV Ayesha V A City Visible but Unseen VI Return to Jahilia VII The Angel Azraeel VIII The Parting of the Arabian Seas IX A Wonderful Lamp Satan, being thus confined to a vagabond, wandering, unsettled condition, is without any certain abode; for though he has, in consequence of his angelic nature, a kind of empire in the liquid waste or air, yet this is certainly part of his punishment, that he is . . . without any fixed place, or space, allowed him to rest the sole of his foot upon. Daniel Defoe, _The History of the Devil_ I The Angel Gibreel "To be born again," sang Gibreel Farishta tumbling from the heavens, "first you have to die. Hoji! Hoji! To land upon the bosomy earth, first one needs to fly. Tat-taa! Taka-thun! How to ever smile again, if first you won't cry? How to win the darling's love, mister, without a sigh? Baba, if you want to get born again...
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...Haroun and the Sea of Stories SALMAN RUSHDIE Novel, 1990. Summary. In this story we encounter storytelling as a means of saving your identity, your relationship with your family, and perhaps even your life—which means that, in a sense, you are saving a world. The British-Indian author Salman Rushdie (b. 1947) had to go underground after the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses in 1988. The book was considered blasphemous to Islam by the fundamentalist government of Iran, which issued a death warrant against him. He says that he reached a point where he was so distressed he wasn’t able to think of any stories to tell. But he worked himself out of his depression, and Haroun and the Sea of Stories, a book for children and other people who have a natural love for stories, is the result. This modern fairy tale has many surprising elements, but here we will focus just on the core issue: why stories have value. Haroun’s father Rashid is a professional storyteller and a very popular one. He usually tells cheerful stories, even though they live in a very sad city. Haroun is beginning to ask questions about his father’s storytelling: Where do the stories come from? From the great Story Sea, says Rashid, and you have to be a subscriber to the water, which comes from a tap installed by one of the Water-Genies. But Haroun doesn’t believe him. And now a sad thing happens in their lives: Haroun’s mother Soraya with the beautiful voice leaves her husband and child for another tenant...
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...New King James Version (NKJV) Do Not Worry 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. ~Matthew...
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...! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Jacob Grimes! Rushdie & Rauch v. Storck: Censorship! Salman Rushdie is one of the many opponents of censorship. Born to an Indian family in Britian, his books contain magical realism, historical fiction, and Eastern-Western connections. His works are often controversial, and in 1989 Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death. Rushdie tells us that we are living in a censorious age where our voices are being censored in the name of “respect”. This need for “respect” extends beyond its traditional definition, and also means that one must not overtly disagree with what others say or think. Rushdie thinks this censorship will bring an end to the radical disagreements that shape a free society. ! ! Jonathan Rauch is an American journalist who is also an avid proponent of same-sex marriage. He agrees with Rushdie that censorship should be fought because it is being used to censor simple disagreements; not only people are losing face over voicing negative views about blacks, but also for speaking against advantaged groups such as Christians and men. Rauch argues that censorship’s goal of purifying the world is a futile effort. People typically see the world in terms of in-groups and out-groups, so there will always be prejudice. This prejudice is hard to pin down because it may be confused with misinformation. For example, a protestor saying “God Hates Fags” may be expressing a subjective statement...
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...Nature Verses Nurture The discussion on the importance of heredity and environment in human development is not new. The nature verses nurture question has been debated for years (Psychology). Nurture side of the debate considers all the environmental influences on an individual after conception. While the nature side of the debate focus on nature that which is inherited, or know as genetics. The nature verse nurture discussion has been a part of the history of psychology that goes back to Francis Galton. Galton was influenced by the book, The Origin of Species written by his cousin, Charles Darwin. The Origin of Species has been criticized for over simplifying two theories of why a lifestyle of wealth, education and privilege seems to be passed on to biological children. Galton takes credit for the phrase in his English Men of Science: Their Nature and Nurture, first published in 1874. In this book he states that nature and nurture are, "a convenient jingle of words, for it separates under two distinct heads the innumerable elements of which personality is composed. Nature is all that a man brings with himself into the world and nurture is every influence that affects him after his birth” (p.12). It is thought that how one is nurtured is what controls the psychological aspects of child development and the concept of growth applies to the biological facets of human life. When infants bonds to the individual(s) bestowing love and affection, she/he has received, she/he...
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