Interpretative Paragraph -- "Harlem" by Langston Hughes

What's the effect of the food imagery?

The use of food imagery in the Langston Hughes poem Harlem, adds a visceral effect that reinforces his description expired dreams. The poem opens with the line “what Happens to a dream deferred?'(1). This establish that the rest of the poem will address that question in some way. Lines like "like a raisin in the sun"(3), "stink like rotten meat"(6), and "crust and sugar over---"(7) use imagery of various food items to exploit the fact that most food reactions are extremely strong in people's minds. This occurs because of humans automatic relation of disgust with rotten, expired, or unwanted foods. When Hughes relates the expiration of dreams with the expiration of food, the imagery of rotten meat and crusty sweets becomes a powerful poetic tool. The disgust created by this tool is used by Langston Hughes to add a deep-wired response of disgust with expired dreams.

Theme For English B -- Analysis

I loved all of my group members poems. They communicated unique stories and ideas within one distinct format. I was very surprised to find out Leanne started with the same first line. We ended up in very different positions at the end of our poems. I ended with a dispute of the weight of ideas formed by adults and kids. Leanne ended by establishing that adults effect kids and vice versa even though adults have more power and freedom. I was also struck by how deep and thoughtful people's poems where. I think the blog system is allowing people to feel more comfortable with their writing, it definitely helps me. All in all I learned a lot about my classmates and poetry through this project. I realized the structure of a poem does not necessarily equate to its personality. That simply by applying their personal experiences to a known structure, my classmates created moving and creative works.

Theme For English B

The instructor said,

Go home and write

a page tonight.

And let that page come out of you-
Then, it will be true.

I wonder how it could be true?

I am seventeen, white, born in Seattle, Washington.

I moved here early, and stayed, then

a few years in private school, a few in public.

Now, I am a blissfully lost student at a  new school

I walk past others, friends, teachers, kids.

In a vehicle, and an hour home

to the farm stand, a halfway point

but not really, almost home

Tired, reluctant to write this

In my world, they shouldn't care if its true

Sometimes, it feels true, other times false

Its relative, dynamic, Port Townsend I know you're not true

The wet streets, faced buildings, repainted homes.

City sounds. We talk on this page.

Well I like to listen, almost as much as I like to talk.

I like to criticize, and empathize

and try and just exist.

be myself, and someone else.

I guess being young doesn't make me a liar

Many things older's say hold less than that of the youth

Being younger, will you see me as a lie?

Disregard my words,

Do you feel true?

if so how, and why.

I can't lie, for I am me

Sometimes perhaps you don't want to believe it.

Nor will I

We all lie, we must, for lies are truth!

Prescribed Outline

Spencer Drewry

HL Language A: Language and Literature

Written Task 2

Area B

Prescribed Outline

Prescribed question:

What social groups are marginalized, excluded, or silenced within the text?

Title of text(s) for analysis:

Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. NY: Continuum International Publishing Group, 1970. Print.

Wright, Richard. Native Son. Harper & Brothers, 1940. Print.

Task is related to course section:

Part I: Language and the cultural context

Task focus:

This essay focuses on the discrimination within the book as well as its sources, effects, outcomes, and meanings for the author.

The essay claims that blacks and women are marginalized excluded and silenced through the preexisting social structures outlined by Paulo Freire.

The essay explores how blacks and women are marginalized, as well as the significance of their marginalization through the characters dialogue.

Learning Outcomes of Part I- Language and The Cultural Context include:

• I can analyze how audience and purpose affect the structure and content of texts.

• I can analyze the impact of language changes.

• I can demonstrate an awareness of how language and meaning are shaped by culture and context.

A reaction to "The Ethics Of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch" by Richard Wright

The section of Richard Wright's essay we read in class recounted the experience of Wright being beaten by white men. He talks about having a flat tire on his paper route. A few white men in a truck pulled up and offered to give him a ride into town. One of the men offered Wright a drink. Wright said no thankyou, but was promply hit with a bottle and thrown off the moving truck. He fell into his bike's wheels cutting his shins badly. The men gabged up on him and baraded him with slurs and more violence. In the end the men leaft wright bleeding with a broken bike and the warning that he could have been killed by a white man for not adressing a him with sir. This axount was less about actual jim crow laws and more about the experiences blacks indured because jim crow laws provided a mask for abusw of blacks to be preformed under. To hear someone recall such a traumatic and shocking incident someone experienced as a child was painful. Almost more painfull was the tone of voice the essay was written in, that these events were commonplace, normal, acceptable. The subject comes off as disgusting to me, yet as a human who considers such things so morally wrong I feel both intrigued and responsible for learning and not ignoring the reality of what happened during the years of slavery, segregation, and discrimination. I hope that I can realize the pains these people went through to my best of ability. Doing so through a lens of respect, morning, and empathy. Without disrespecting any of my other classmates or peers and with respect for everyone's views.

Philosophy In Many Words

So... I guess this is the part where I spew my infinite knowledge of life and its many microcosms, in some attempt to explain the principles and views I operate on. I feel like those expectations are a bit high, and none the less if I did somehow succeed in doing the before mentioned. How would it be any benefit to you? Any piece of writing or art I have ever thought was "life changing" I either forgot or lost interest in. If I where to explain my philosophy, or what I thought was a philosophy I know it would be different the next day. So to start off this "philosophy" of mine I will use the utmost vague ideas and concepts so they will stand true for me for some time, and hopefully you too.

1.The universe is infinite, every combination of things exists. From everything to nothing, that's the beauty of infinite things.

2.Anything and everything is possible. "But Spencer. That's not true, I cant fly"-You. My advice, see idea 1 and think up some way for your situation to become true. Trust me, If you spend enough time imagining eventually you'll come up with something.

Now that we have those two EXTREMELY broad concepts across I will bless you with some advice, it may not be good advice but I would have given it to myself a year ago.

1. Tell people you love them.
2. Mean it!
3. Find those people and spend time with them.
4. Be kind.
5. You don't need to always think about everything.
6. In the great words of the neo-psychedelic band Tame Impala, "Let It Happen"

My Philosophy