Week 8 Blog prompt- Repeat of MRT vandalism

I was surprised to see this. Currently the only details are that a train at Bishan depot where upgrading works were scheduled was found vandalised, only one year after the previous one at Changi depot.

But this will get commuters worried. With vandals able to spring surprises on us, what happens when one day the vandal is a terrorist? Surely SMRT cannot say they did not have enough time or resources to beef up security because it was one year between both incidents.

I think such a problem happens when a private company runs a public service. Maybe the management didn't think it necessary to step up measures.

This matter extends beyond security. These vandals do not understand why it is so incomprehensibly wrong to spoil public property. Firstly, it belongs to the state for everyone to use. When you spoil it, you are taking away the government's money, which is stealing, and you are depriving the public of use of the train, which is hoarding, selfishness. And there are more creative ways of art.

The government should get down really hard on these kinds of people. And it should also put it in the newspaper and shame the vandal and warn the public not to do it. Because all this will make any curious parties think twice.

Week 6 Blog Prompt- The media’s unhealthy culture

“The media should be blamed for its unhealthy paparazzi culture and going to the extreme for sensational news, how far do you agree?”

I agree mostly. Of course I have read sensational news; on Yahoo, MSN, the search engine's start page always has news with catchy titles. About sex, money, beauty, common attention-pullers.

The media, as described by Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh, is "judge, jury and prosecution". I think that means the media likes to find stories and judge the celebrity in question based on the story. Journalists are good at manipulating words. And at first exaggeration and such made the people want to read more. But they did not mind because celebs are high-profile people and royals are important people, and people high on the social strata are known to have little privacy.

The thing about the news media is that everyone can sell the same story, but how many can make it delicious? Take for example the phone-hacking scandal from the News of the World, the British public have shown their disgust over the stories of the murdered girl or dead soldiers. But before NotW got busted, Britons were still reading their paper. How could you mask the moral scent of such a filthy act? Through the power to give the public their articles with your say as final. And authoritative.

I think in Singapore our media is honest enough, although being government controlled, enough is debatable. But in other countries like Britain, independent press has caused this unhealthy culture.

But the public has to be blamed too. This massive invasion of privacy is also caused by photojournalists, or citizens with a camera phone. For example, STOMP, Singapore's gossip portal has its articles in the "Singapore Seen" section collated from pictures taken by the public. Its that kind of kiasuness, or want of censorship, when everyone wants that kick from an exposé . The media is more like the headquarters.

On its own, without demand from readers, the news media would not have such underhanded means to create supply. So the public is fueling the sins of the media.

Week 5 Blog prompt -By the end of the trial scene, do you think true justice and mercy was achieved?

At the end of the trial in Merchant of Venice justice and mercy were achieved, although the genuineness of those achievements are arguable. These must be considered from the points of view of Shylock, the law and the Christians.

Justice may be defined as the quality of being fair and reasonable. When a mother punishes her child for doing something wrong, she is being just. It is reasonable and well within the scope of her duty as a mother to discipline her child, and a punishment is fair.

Mercy may be defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. When a judge decides not to impart life imprisonment out of compassion, he is showing mercy. I am not saying that it may always be the best choice to make, but it is all about compassion and forgiveness.

So why has justice been achieved? Was it true justice? Shylock was punished for his misdeed, although it was Portia who manipulated the law to make him look wrong, and not because he had borne evil intentions. Certainly in the law justice has been achieved. But Shylock had sealed the bond legally and in the end had not laid a finger on Antonio. Did he truly deserve to be punished like this? Although he was offered three chances to grant mercy and show his kingly virtue, he refused. Perhaps he does deserve to be punished, but not in the way he was. So true justice was not achieved. Antonio had some responsibility for taking the bond too. But no punishment was given to him in the end.

But mercy... the Duke spared his life and Antonio did not take half of Shylock's wealth for himself. By sparing him of worst things, they showed mercy to him. However, they did not show him it out of pure compassion. It was more like not letting him have a quick death. They probably wanted him to have a slow painful life. Also Antonio used this opportunity to make Shylock renounce Jewism. Technically mercy was shown, but in terms of compassion and forgiveness we can see this kind of mercy is not born from morals. It is more of a kind of masking revenge with virtue. This is not exactly true mercy.

Then again, what is true? How can we ever judge what is true mercy? If everyone thought Shylock should die, is that justice true? Is trueness based on morals or law?

Thus I conclude that the justice and mercy portrayed in the trial scene is perverted. But having said that, we do not have a measure to check how true something is. Thus, it can only be left to oneself to make that conclusion.

In real life, Anti-Corruption Commission investigations manager, Sukai Tongogara, confirmed to The Zimbabwean this week that the commission had received complaints against some individuals at all levels of the judicial system. Magistrates, prosecutors, clerks of court, legal practitioners, officers of the Labour Court, traditional chiefs and judges are all involved. We can see how perverted justice is.

Week 4 blog post

http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/07/12/an-open-letter-to-the-education-minister-from-a-secondary-4-student/
I am Timothy Leong, a secondary student of Hwa Chong Institution. I fully agree with the student, Janelle, who wrote this article. I have always been of the opinion that the education system has degraded me. It has given me knowledge and made me a robot. And that these flaws have manifested themselves in various forms of behaviours we never expected to see.
“I study because I can get good results.” In Singapore, our education teaches us to be paper smart. Whenever we receive instruction or are told to do something, we tackle it effectively and without complain. We work tirelessly. But on graduation day, when we have gained autonomy over our lives, we are left blank as to what our heart wants to do. We have only paid attention to our academic interests. School teaches us how to solve problems and think critically, but it did not teach us how to appreciate our job, how to make decisions for our life. And our A level certificate merely says we have done well at Math, English, Science, but not that we have become independent thinkers.
Also, my school environment is highly stressful. Every day I face multiple deadlines. Teachers give us assignments to do. We have to study very hard for our tests. And because our grades potentially affect our career choices, we focus all on grades. Classmates will study and keep their notes to themselves. They will not do a project with you because you are not apt in a subject. And when I get good grades for a test, I do not get recognised for hard work. I am taught that “I wanted the A1 in the first place, so I worked hard. Getting what you worked for is nothing to be proud of. Not like you got it out of luck.” It is not that my friends are bastards, but for their own sake, everyone becomes selfish.
I am not happy always trying to please my teachers. In Hwa Chong, you do what you are told to. Otherwise, you are kicked out, because you are not a capable person, and society cannot rely on you. That is twisted! In life, if you are doing something you do not have interest for, you get out of there and continue finding your passion, otherwise you will spend your time meaninglessly. I hate having to keep trying to patch up my weaknesses. English is my passion, but I have little time for it. On Saturdays, I have to study for Chinese tuition because my Chinese is weak. I have to go for remedials because I am weak. In the end, I do not develop my strength, I am not weak in any area; I am but a mediocre student like the rest.
In our capitalist society, education is the way to get you employed. Therefore, it is idealistic to factor in our interests only. True, but if we spend the present living for the future, then the present is wasted. Then there will be no future. Have we all become lacklustre? Chasing prestige?
Because we have not been made to think creatively, we lose our personality. We lose our uniqueness. We are another Singaporean only. We are uninteresting, and our goals are to secure a good job and earn money to live a materially comfortable life. However, because of that if someone pushes their way through the system to get a degree, he may not have a job even, because too many people have the same qualifications as him. Is he in any way worse off than someone who has gotten the job? Not necessary. And besides, even if we have good grades, it does not mean we will have a job. Having good grades will be a prerequisite of any office job, but its more of other qualities like our personality, our character, what we have done in our school life that employees matter. Even though we had a sharing during assembly that says our school has all the programmes to give us the skill set for the 21st century, programmes don’t nurture people. They merely transfer knowledge. Only receiving knowledge makes one a robot. Learning and applying it makes one a skilled human. It takes a teacher to nurture a student.
I also agree that character development is very superficially and artificially taught. We have Chinese values, but with so much worry on our mind do we actually care to help anybody? A good character is shown when someone clears his plate, moves so that someone else can sit on the bench to eat also, when at the bus stop gives up his seat to someone else, not when he answers questions during moral values lessons. Can such a rigid system determine good character? Look at thinking class. We have an AAT class to teach us techniques of thinking. But is that really how to make us think better? We all end up thinking the same way. Because that was how we were taught. But they should teach us the attitudes of thinking, how we should view thinking. These kinds of things like character and thinking cannot be properly taught in a lesson system.
The education system should focus on developing our strengths. It should allow us to change easily. To switch a course when we realise we don’t want it. Would Michael Jackson have been able to start singing from a young age if he had to spend his time on homework? We are all born for a reason. We have to find that reason. We are all born with different gifts. We have to find those too. We aren’t all from the same ang ku kueh factory.
Lastly, having said that, Singapore has a very good environment to live in. It is safe, the government provides for us. But certainly there are many improvements the education system needs to see.

I feel that Janelle has used the correct tone. If she had tried to be polite and tone down her words, she is going against her point about speaking freely by trying not to offend the minister. Also, she has made points and backed them up with explanations and examples. There is thought put into it. If I want to send a letter to a minister, I will raise those points aforementioned.

Week 3 Blog prompt- Money in a relationship

Yes. I feel that money is very important. The reason is, for a relationship to work, the couple actually has to work out problems in the relationship. Money is always a big problem. Buying a house, a car, raising children, all need money and sacrifice from the couple. If a couple cannot fend for themselves financially, it is actually very hard for them to be together. Whilst people say only true love is needed, I think that is very idealistic. For example, Portia could make Bassanio comfortably wealthy. He may or may not truly love her, but their relationship will work. Money allows for greater tolerance. This year, the Straits Times published an article about couples and their financial preferences. It reported that couples no longer see the need to have only a joint account. A couple even said each of them have their own account and they manage their own finances. We can see that couples view financial independence highly also. Their money is as important as their love. As the cost of living in Singapore rises, this issue of money would only get more important. I see an upward trend of relationships and marriages valuing money over other qualities. That is why wives fight over their husband’s inheritance when he dies.

Week 2 Blog Prompt

In your opinion, how has war evolved from from the past to present? Please use examples to justify your opinions.

I feel there are three areas:

1.Warring groups
2.Purpose
3.Communication

Firstly, in the past, war was carried out on a large scale. War was only started by people who had heavy resources and power, like the large countries like Britain, Germany and France during WWI. A little down the road, terrorists with fighter jets crashed into 911. However, as seen from the recent Middle Eastern Revolutions even youths are going against their leader. War has become more of getting your thoughts across than using force to defeat somebody.

Secondly, in the past, wars were started over extreme anger or hatred. They were usually started by leaders. Serbia was blamed for the death of Austria's duke. Hitler had an aversion for jews. The al-qaeda did not like America. Dr Sun Yat Sen's revolution was born out of the extreme disappointment he had in the Qing government. They were corrupted. But, war now is less driven by emotions. When people see a need, they take on various forms of battleground; social media, television and news media, to tell the government, or the leader that he needs to step down. It is less violent, as violence does not solve problems, and people in the war use more intellectual means to gain support of the people.

Lastly, communication. Technology has advanced such that it is easier to rally support of the people. The common citizens can rally together. This poses a bigger threat to the government than weapons. Also, more global attention is received, causing the government to at with extreme caution.

Soldier poem

My reflections on The Soldier by Rupert Brooke:

The soldier regards England as his homeland. Unlike previous poems, this poem shows how fighting a war for one's beloved country is worthwhile, and dying is justified. While the soldier died in a foreign land, he feels that as long as he and his comrades reside there, that land will forever be England's. This poem is a sonnet. Sonnets are romantic, so this soldier might have written the poem to show that he has a deep connection with England, and after he dies he will no longer bear the responsibility of a soldier and will be free to be with England. Also, he envisions peace for England when he dies and after the war ends. He does not mind giving his life back to England, because England has made him what he is in the first place. He will be back with England again, purified. Under the English skies there will be peace and his death was worth is shown in "heaven at its best where he finds peace and rest, and all evil and destruction is cast off". He is a patriotic soldier. I feel that this is too idealistic, because to some extent the cruel fighting will take its toll on a soldier's health and mind. It is worthy to die for a country though.

Patriotism

Question
We need young men in Singapore to do NS.
Why do you think NS is compulsory and why is this important?
In the above poem, the speaker expresses his love for his country.
Do you have the same spirit of patriotism toward Singapore? Why?
Do you find the same spirit of patriotism in Singapore? Why?
Do you consider yourself patriotic to Singapore?

Firstly, Singapore is so small it does not have enough men to allow its men the option of not joining NS. That’s why men are drafted in. It’s the logistics that makes it necessary. This is important because without utilizing our already limited pool of young men our Army would be too small to defend our country.
I do not know if I have this “spirit of patriotism”. On one hand if I were to betray Singapore it would eat my conscience and I would feel less than human. On the other hand I am reluctant to die so easily.
I do not find the same spirit of patriotism. Every year, students with scholarship grants from Singapore go overseas to study, and after serving their bond, they go overseas to work because the conditions there are better.
Since I am unsure of my patriotism to Singapore, I do not consider myself a patriot. Perhaps one day I will become one.

Book Review- A dance with a duke by Tessa Dare

Book review- One Dance with a Duke by Timothy Leong
This is an exciting book, though not suitable for teens like me, actually. To get right to the heart of the book, I’ll say that this book is difficultly easy to read. It carries a cloud of mystery about it, yet at the end, beneath that cloud is just nothing. It gets mysterious, yet there is no mystery. This is said in praise of the book, as I will explain how I arrive at this conclusion.
The context is as such: In the early 1800s, in London, the famous Duke of Morland, or more widely known by his nickname The Duke of Midnight, is single, and wanting a wife. He is constantly invited to balls, and he always shows up only at the stroke of midnight, where he will select one lady; just one, out of all present, and dance one dance with her. He will then assess her while they dance, and if he finds her suitable, he will do the strangest thing- carry her in his arms and run out of the ball, without a word. But that is because he cannot withstand crowds. He has a fear of crowds. However, so far no woman has shown herself capable to him. And this is where, our main female character, Amelia d’Orsay, enters the picture.
The d’Orsay family is poor, but noble. They carry themselves in high dignity. Their father is not spoken much of, but their mother died young. While their mother was ill she had entrusted care of her four sons to Amelia, her daughter. As such, Amelia has a very close bond with her brothers, most particularly Jack, the youngest, least accomplished, gambling addict, but also the closest to her. Right now, Amelia d’Orsay is a single woman, between young and middle-aged. Her three other brothers have reputable careers, but the author writes little of them. Amelia is at a ball, sitting patiently with everyone else. She knows why they are all so still. They are waiting for midnight to strike, when the Duke of Midnight will come. He is handsome, tall, and rich.
Actually, the Duke of Morland wants to marry because he needs to pave the entrance for his ward, Claudia, to be married, and if she does not, then when the Duke dies all his property will pass on to his distant relatives, and Claudia would become penniless.
But just before he arrives, Jack does. He approaches Amelia with sorry eyes, and she brings him out the door to talk. She knows he would never quit gambling, she knows he is here for money, and she knows he will get it from her because deep in her heart Jack will always be that little brother, so sensitive and kind. He takes the last pennies she has taken with her, and goes away, especially because he owes a four hundred pound debt to Spencer, or the Duke of Morland, or the Duke of Midnight.
The Duke of Midnight does arrive. He looks into the crowd, and looks at Miss Melony Satin, a seemingly quiet girl. But before he grabs her, his hand is grabbed by Amelia. She takes him by surprise and onto the center of the ballroom. He finds her unattractive to the utmost, but, as they talked while dancing, he gathered she needed to get his attention because of her brother. She needed to get him to waive her brother’s debts. And as they talked, she used her best wits against him. After that, Spencer carries her off, and runs away.
Outside the ball, where the Duke needs a breath of fresh air, he feels too overwhelmed by Amelia. She had just grabbed his hand, made him lose his temper, and she was not even beautiful. However, he does not know why he keeps thinking of her. He tells her he actually knows about her family, and insults her by saying if they had learnt to walk away- knew when to stop, they would not be poor. Then he tells Amelia that if she made herself scarce there and then, she would have her brother’s debt waived. Amelia sees through it, and also is already attracted to him, and does not leave. Just as Amelia notices the Duke looks ill, she wants to help him but from the bush comes a voice calling the Duke. It appears to be Bellamy and Ashworth, the two other members of the Stud Club, a club of members with exclusive breeding rights to Osiris, a star racing horse. Bellamy is a poor chap and Ashworth is the Lord of Devonshire.
It concerns the death of Leo Chatwick, the Marquess of Harcliffe, who started the Stud Club. To obtain membership one must have a token, and the token can only be gained by winning it from someone with a token through luck, like a game of cards. There are only ten tokens, and the Duke of Morland has won seven of them, leaving the last three to Leo, Bellamy and Ashworth. The club was meant as a joke. But now that its creator is dead the three remaining members have the duty to inform his family, Lily Chatwick about it. And to protect her one of them has to marry her. Spencer does not want her, and Ashworth has obligations. Bellamy is of no status. Thus Spencer is forced to do it.
They meet Lily, who has lost most of her hearing from a high fever. Nobody talks about marrying her. Then Spencer offers her a deal, to buy Leo’s token for 20 000 pounds. He wants Osiris for himself, but does not let his reason out. Although Bellamy opposes because the token can only be won by luck, Lily does not oppose or accept it.
A whole host of events happens, and the Duke eventually decides to marry Amelia. Firstly, he finds that Amelia is beautiful enough for him, and secondly, she demonstrated an intellect on par with his, unlike other girls who were more beautiful than smart. The duke who now reveals his name as Spencer Dumarque. He marries chiefly to have a child also. In around the middle of the book, Amelia begins to probe more into his mystery, why he wants the tokens for the horse so bad, and what possible connection he might have with the death of Leo, since he has only been caring to obtain Leo’s token, not justice. Amelia says that until he comes clean with her on the truth can she willingly open herself up to him.
However, Amelia being soft-hearted, believed that Spencer truly was not the kind who would kill somebody just to get something. Spencer, seeing her trust in him, now gives her the truth, saying that he is actually no man of mystery. Actually, he wants Osiris because he has a childhood horse Juno. She is a female horse advancing in her years. She has a hatred for males, because when she was young she had a rebellious spirit and so all the stallkeepers constantly beat her. She eventually hated men. However, when Spencer acquired her he took the time to gain her trust and since then he is the only one Juno allows to ride on her back. Although Spencer does not want to ride with her anymore because she is old and is no longer suitable for bearing his weight, if he does not take her out for spins she will only get moody and lonely. Spencer wants to help her stop being lonely without having to ride her because it was bad for her and so he goes back to the stable where Juno was born. He tells Amelia that because horses do bond together in their youth, he suspects Juno had bonded with Osiris, since they were from the same place. That was why he had wanted all the tokens so badly, because he wanted to save Juno from her misery, and he was willing to pay 20 000 pounds for a token because she was his childhood friend. Amelia knows he is telling the truth, but finds t hard to believe that beneath his mysterious actions all the intention there is was just for retrieving a companion for his childhood pet. At this point in tie they both fully trust each other.
Then, before they can have a happy ending Jack comes back. Amelia is happy to see him. But Jack ignores her and approaches Spencer, telling him he has Leo’s token. On the day Leo died he was first discovered by a prostitute, who had not realized what Leo’s token meant and kept it with her. Jack chanced upon her and gave her a shilling in exchange for the coin. The prostitute did it at once, not realizing the true worth of the token. Jack now demands a large sum from Spencer in exchange for the token. Spencer agrees and Jack leaves.
Claudia who his spencer’s ward is another problem because she keeps acting up to the adults in the house. She even tries to elope with Jack in defiance. These two youngsters are the pain in the necks of Spencer and Amelia, but in the end Amelia realizes that Jack probably will never quit gambling, and gives him a final sum of money and sends him away from her for good, knowing this would hurt her but it was better for Jack, and also the reason why Claudia kept rebelling against them was because she wanted to avoid them. She was with child. A love child, but she thought the adults would not understand. When Amelia tells Spencer about it, he is happy Jack is gone from their lives, and promises Claudia that he understands and whatever path she chooses to take he will support her together with Amelia. Also, Spencer and Ashworth talk together while fishing at the end of the story discussing all the happenings. Ashworth thinks Bellamy is just worrying too much, and Spencer says it’s probably guilt that is eating him. Perhaps he sees the murderer everytime he looks into the mirror. On the night Leo died, Bellamy was originally supposed to accompany him to watch a show but in the end backed out. Ashworth agrees and also points out he is probably also driven by guilt to protect Lily Chatwick. They leave the matter at that.
My thoughts: This story was ordinary but the point was that sometimes people act mysterious but it is only a cover. As a quote goes, “Destroy the mask of death and you will see there is nothing behind it to fear.” When Spencer looked like a mysterious dark figure, it turned out he was just a little boy in a man, wanting to help his horse. Also, sometimes money and status merely mask one’s true character.

We slept with our boots on

Task 1

Poem

They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes
They washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skies
Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew
Where we would land we had not a clue
Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot
We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not
30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit
Get ready to go and make it quick
My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins
I run as fast as I can through the lead rain
The noise is tremendous, terror I can’t define
The only reason I survived that day was divine
I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more
You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more
We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks
From house to cave, to car to creek
Dirty and tired and hungry and scared
We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared
Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies
The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives
Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod
Who knew hell was so close to God
Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink
So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think
Good men and bad men, Mothers lost son’s
Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher
They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood
Brothers aren’t born they’re earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud
And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell

Steve Carlsen

Background Information

Steve Carlson was an ordinary soldier who has experienced 3 years of war. He joined the United States Army in October 2000 and went to Infantry Basic Training, and Airborne School in Ft. Benning Georgia. He then reported to D Company 1st battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. 82nd Airborne Division in Ft. Bragg North Carolina. He deployed to Kosovo in November 2001 as part of peace keeping operations. He Deployed to Afghanistan in of December 2002 where he participated in combat operations. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 2003.
His vast military experience allowed him to tell us the readers, how harsh and cruel war can bring be it in small scale wars or large scale ones like World Wars. Steve is trying to leave the message to his readers that once you have fought in a war, you have lost your innocence as you have been exposed and scarred by war.

There are conflicts represented here. This poem is about a soldier fighting together with a few comrades. They are the few survivors of the war, as seen in “They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes; They washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skies”. This shows that the enemy is relentless in its effort to kill. Not only did they kill soldiers, they drained the soldier’s blood and even maimed it just to be sure. Thus, with such merciless killing the soldier may well be one of the last few men. As such he mentions that in case they have to run for their lives again they sleep with their boots on. The conflict here is that soldiers sleep so that they can prepare for another day of fighting, but instead the soldiers have to use the sleeping for fighting.

“I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more
You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more”
The emphasis of the last sentence on the trained soldier as the the term “say no more” means that the troops were already trained to do what was needed as no further elaborations were necessary.
It may also mean that the soldier was ashamed of having to do what he is going to do such that he does not want to further describe on how they are going to 'kill'. The soldier does not actually want to go to war, yet must.

The lines “And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell” means that the soldier thinks that the afterlife is heaven compared to earth. However, since a soldier has killed so many people he should go to hell. But, the conflict is that his life was so hellish he should go to heaven.

Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher

This three lines also talks about soldiers who loathe war, yet have the burden of fighting it. Baptism refers to a cleansing of oneself, attaining new life. However, this baptism is brainwashing, giving the soldier a cold heart with which to kill.

Point of View

Firstly, the poem is about a soldier and his comrades running and fighting for their lives. They are frightened and fearful and hence don't even take off their boots when sleeping. This is emphasized by the title which says "We slept with our boots on".

Situation and Setting

The poet writes the words "Hindu Kush" probably to tell us that he is fighting in a foreign land perhaps in the middle east.

Also, the imagery “From house to cave, to car to creek” “Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies” tells us that the fighting could have occurred on a creek at the top of a high mountain .

Language and Diction

The first line states: "They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes".

This refers to the enemy who is maiming their dead comrades to make sure they are dead. From here, we can tell that this setting may be one of a lost battle on the poet's side, and he is probably one of the few survivors. This could be the reason why the soldier and his comrades are in fear.
The point of view is mainly 1st person with occasional switches to "We", mainly to unite himself with his comrades as a whole. First, the poet would show his own personal feelings, emotions and actions, and then he would proceed to show a collective action by using "We". This shows that his emotions are largely shared by everyone who is involved in war, who are just as scared and terrified. Hence, this poem evokes our sympathy to the speaker who tells us about his emotions.
The writer uses the line "baptized in fire" to show the hopelessness and cruelty of war. Baptism symbolizes people being cleansed of their sins and to have a hope for a better future. Hence, by presenting the contrast of water which is fire, the poet is indirectly telling us sins of killing while fighting in war can never be cleansed. Also, it is know that people liken fire in religion to be related to the pits of hell and from here, he poet emphasizes how he is being punished for his sins of killing.
The poet also repeats the word "and". For example, "I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more ... Dirty and tired and hungry and scared".

The constant use of "and", show how never-ending, dreary and tiring war is. By making the line long, readers will be tired of reading such a long line without pause. Hence, by pausing, it is symbolic of a sigh which the poet is trying to evoke in the reader.

Conclusion

This poem makes the reader ponder about whether war is really glorious or not. People who have never fought war cannot truly understand what Steve Carlsen felt and wanted to convey. What I am clear though is that Steve Carlsen is trying to say that "Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns" and that is why war brings nothing but a living hell, further emphasizing that world peace is not as easy to attain as we thought it was. Also, only those who have not been to war think its glorious.

Sources

http://maytheforcebewithu.blogspot.com/2010/05/we-slept-with-our-boots-on.html

Descriptive Essay

Pain. It transcends all forms of feeling. No man can resist the compelling force of pain. Children give in to their parents when they get spanked. Men willingly give up their dignity when tortured. Here, at the back of the truck, one man is set to disprove this.

They say in war, there is no “I”. Here, two men scramble to save a life. All their training is being tried and tested here as their comrade soldier has been severely wounded at the abdomen. In this morbid atmosphere, the line between life and death is being treaded on. His wife, children perhaps will have to do with one less person in the house.

As the two soldiers frantically press his wound down to stop the blood, the injured soldier is wincing in pain. This black and white picture clearly describes the solemn situation. How sad that a soldier often bleeds but the country gets all the praise. But pain, being the compelling force it is, is a doubled-edged sword. Man either gives in to it or is strengthened by it. In our greatest times of desperation, we ponder most about our life and what we are doing.

But the fighting is still going on. This man has a contorted face; a clenched stomach. Everything just seems so bleak. Everything seemed so clear to him-the individual screams behind him, the searing pain, the vivid red, the flustering men beside him;

So confused, so worried- would this pain ever go away? Would he ever see his wife again?

Essay on a banana split

Consuming branded food is unwise-much of the cost goes into the advertising for the brand. Especially for ice-cream, half the tub is air, and the other half is syrup and ice. It is not worth paying so much for the confection. There is an ice-cream that is easy to make yet so irresistible to the taste buds, better known as banana split. The specialty of this ice-cream? The banana.

This cold dessert requires a banana, two or three scoops of ice cream of varying flavours like vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, a dollop of your favorite dressing, whipped cream, nuts and cherries. These are all you need to get to saccharine heaven! To start off, peel your banana, and slice it lengthwise. Then, take a boat (a bowl that is thin at the width and long lengthwise).

Take two or three scoops and line them on the bowl. Drizzle your dressing over them. This dressing adds flavor and colour, and acts as an adhesive to hold everything together. Usually, pineapple is added over the strawberry ice-cream, chocolate syrup over the vanilla and strawberry over the chocolate. However, this dish is yours to make so you customize it your way. Now, your banana split base is done.

Take a half of a banana and place it at the side of the bowl, beside your scoops of ice cream. Tuck them in nicely to add shape. If you want, you may add nuts or any other crunchy toppings to your ice cream to add dimension to its taste. Right now you should have a colourful, messy yet compact dish on the bowl. For the final part, go crazy with the whipped cream and lash it on top of the ice-cream. Then place a cherry or two on top of the whipped cream. Take a step back, and marvel at the cream of the ice-cream crop- the banana split.

Letter to a survivor

Jurong West St 62

Blk 605 #05-219, (S)640605

30 March 2011

Dear Mr Kumiko Makihara,

We have never met, but I have read with sadness the plight of your dear country in the news. I read your article about how there were tremors in your home and the perspective you put about how Mother Nature's fury does make us rethink ourselves and our lives carefully.

I am writing to you because I want to give you some encouragement if I may. This quake has shaken the world up, as it were. Although humans are but inhabitants of Earth as long as Earth allows, we tend to grow complacent and take our life for granted. When this quake struck the Internet was strewn with news of sadness over the immense loss of life.

Do not take those comments about the earthquake being retribution for real. These people are insensitive and uncultured. The authorities are doing their part to help you, so I hope instead that you take this time to think positively.

I am only a 14-year old student in Singapore. When my teacher assigned us to read up about the details of the natural disasters that happened and also about the survivors, I came across your article. Thus explains my letter.

I am relieved that all is well for you in your home. Here in Singapore, we are actively contributing tothe relief efforts in Japan. My school, Hwa Chong Institution, has collected funds to donate toRed Cross Singapore, the relief organisation that is collecting these funds. I am sure that Japan will bounce back quickly as I have always known Japan to be an adaptable and resilient country. Our hearts are with you in this situation.

This earthquake does make us wonder-do we control life or does life control us?

Timothy Leong

Class 2O313

Hwa Chong Institution

Technology- the all-new stretchy solar cells

This is a stretchable solar cell. It can withstand stretching up to 30% when pulled from both ends. This could lead to robotic skin that are durable and can pick up sensory details from the environment.The device's electrode is made from a unique liquid metal called eutectic gallium-indium, which conforms to a surface as it lengthens and relaxes. "Eutectic" refers to a mix of elements or compound that remains liquid at lower temperature than either of its components does alone.

This is good as solar cells eliminate the need for a battery cell or charging. Also, its stretchability is good as it can withstand damage from wear and tear like scratching, grazing... this is not commercially available yet, but I think it will be very useful when it comes out. I think it can be used for:

- Robots in space

- Shopping centre walls

- Cars

Singapore Short Story

Singapore Short Story

Singapore Short Story

1989

Lee Lik Kong sits in the little home in Pasir Ris. The seventy year old man is severely stricken with illness. His shirt removed to relieve the heat, tattoos are seen throughout his upper body. He lies on his wooden bed, peacefully and silently. He turns his head to his little dressing table, smiles, and sleeps to eternity. Days later, his body is found in his flat by police, and cremated. But no traces of family could be found. Gone is the man, and the secrets he held.

1943

Sirens blare, and bullets spray sporadically through the air like a virus. War is here. The British have fallen to the Japanese. They did not fulfill their promises to protect Singapore. Inside a decrepit coffeeshop, three men sit around. Three Hokkien gangsters scoff at the Japanese. They hate the war. Invasion is the most humiliating thing that can ever happen to a nation. These gangsters may be real monsters, but they’re also real men. With grim faces, they perform a ritual and set off in different directions.

Even until the evening at 6pm the fire is still going. The street on Chinatown is littered with dead bodies and soldiers do whatever they can to kill the enemy. Hardly anyone in the buildings dare to go out on the streets, and nobody who goes out gets back alive. As three men with courage like steel step up to the battle the face of the game changes a little.

All of a sudden, Japanese soldiers started falling more rapidly. The three valiant men with a gang of men attack the enemy crazily that the Japanese were taken by surprise. However, the enemy also returned blow for blow. But it was fine. The men had achieved their goal of wiping the Japanese in Chinatown. As they say, the spirit is stronger than the flesh but the flesh always prevails. These men also fell to the ground slowly but surely. As the three leaders retreat as quickly as possible, they try to use whatever ammunitions they have left to kill the Japanese. But they also sustain gunshots. Just as Lee Lik Kong was dashing for cover, three shots were fired. Kong crashed to the ground; but he didn’t realize that none of the shots hit him. In front of him was Tan Siong Seng; his compatriot and best friend, together with Kim Seng. The three of them were inseparable. Perhaps excluding death. Tan Siong Seng had dived in front of Kong and Kim Seng had tried to duck, but both of them had gotten shot. Two of the shots hit Siong Seng and the other hit Kim Seng. Both of them crashed to the ground, reaching the end of the road. Lik Kong grabbed both of them and drew them close.

“Kong……I’m going soon,”*Coughs blood*, “I’m sorry I cannot be with you anymore. I need you to get out of here-“ and Siong Seng gave up the ghost. Just before he died he showed me a little transmitter. And next was Kim Seng.

“Brother… you still got life in you. I have to go too…”

Kong wanted to ask him to stop talking, but was stopped by a raised hand from Kim Seng, who did not want to delay the inevitable.

Kong asked, “How do I ever repay you and brother for all you’ve ever done?” Tears streamed like a flowing river down Kong’s cheeks.

“Live your life…to the greatest…you must…always…choose death before dishonor.”

And Kim Seng went.

Kong wiped his cheeks. These two had been the best people he had ever met. They had things in common- the Japanese had exterminated their families and they were alone. They pledged full loyalty to the nation. But-wait a minute-what was that thing Siong Seng said; to get out using the transmitter. He called the British Army.

“Army, this is Kong. Two dead, Kim Seng and Siong Seng. The Japanese have been nearly wiped out. But we have no ammunition left.” Kong mustered enough breath to say it. That moment, he felt truly proud to have served his country. He was a true blue Singaporean.

The British Government praised the three men. They sent men to pick Kong up and also to clear the rest of the Japanese. That day proved a victory for the British. Both Kim Seng and Siong Seng received posthumous acknowledgement awards. Lik Kong received monetary awards and a plague for the service to the British Army.

Post-war

Decades after the war, Lik Kong got a flat of his own. In reminiscence of his dear wife he made a beautiful dressing table in his bedroom. Every year he visited and cleaned the tablets of his dear friends. He never forgot death before dishonor. In his heart, he always was, and will be a Hokkien gangster who will bully and terrorise whoever threatens Singapore. He is Kong. As he thought of all these, he breathed his last. Somewhere far away, the trio sat together in a coffeeshop once again, faces full of smiles.

Somewhere in the world, where possibilities abound...

Slavery

Slavery
a.) Blacks became slaves in the American Colonies during the 1600's. People were getting more slaves in the South where large plantations grew cotton and other crops. These plantations needed many workers to take care of the farms. People in the North didn't need slaves because they didn't have as many large farms as the South did. The first English colony in North America, Virginia, first imported Africans in 1619.
b.) These black slaves were bought from Africa.
c.)Farmers and bosses who owned labour-intensive businesses.
d.) Yes, there were. Prop VI. " The slave, being personal chattel, is at all times Each slave is liable to be sold absolutely, or mortgaged or leased, at the will of his master"
Prop. XI "Slaves cannot redeem themselves, nor obtain a change of masters, though cruel treatment may have rendered such change necessary for their personal safety"
Prop. X. "Slaves being objects of property, if injured by third persons, their owners, may bring suit, and recover damages for the injury."
Prop. XI "Slaves can make no contract."
Prop. XII “Slavery is hereditary and perpetual”(G
Slaves could not stop working until their master allowed them to.
• A curfew existed for slaves, who had to be indoors by ten o'clock at night. If they were out later they were required to carry a pass and a lantern.
• Slaves were not allowed passage through the streets of Cape Town on horseback or in a wagon.
• Slaves were forbidden to sing, whistle, or make any kind of sound at night.
• Slaves could not enter public houses or bars (taphuis) .
• Slaves could not congregate in groups on public holidays.
• Slaves were not allowed to wait near a church entrance during service.
• Slaves could not stop to converse on the streets of Cape Town, at risk of being publicly caned.
• Slaves who made false claims or insulted freemen of the Cape were to be punished by public flogging and to be held in chains.
• Slaves who proffered violence to their masters were to be put to death, no mercy may be shown to such offenders.
• Slaves were not permitted to carry, or own, firearms.

e.)In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, the residents of Maycomb County detest black people. They think that these people are of the lowest echelon. Thus, it exemplifies Atticus’s regard toward negroes. I had a deeper understanding of why these people were so hateful towards black people.
a.)They are South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi.
b.) Abraham Lincoln.
c.) The Union forces pitted themselves against the South to end slavery.
d.) It was between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865.
e.) The union forces won.
f.) The setting of the story takes place at the same time as the civil rights movement.
a.) Jim Crow is the subject of the music by Thomas Dartmouth, who liked to racistly badmouth black people through music and jokes.
b.) Jim Crow laws are legal social restrictions which segregates the blacks from whites.
c.)These black people got angry and thus started the Civil Rights Movement.
d.) Yes, like how difficult it was to try Robinson fairly because he was black, and the fact that he went to Mayella’s house already got him a lot of criticism even though Mayella was the one who had asked him to.

The Importance of Setting in a story

In The Real Durwan,the story takes place on the stairwell, in the 1900s. This woman is probably going throug hardships so this book must be about how she overcomes it.

In the Adventure of the Speckled Band, the story takes place in Watsons house, in the 19th century. As Sherlock Holmes is a detective, this story probably is about Sherlock
Holmes solving a crime.

In Pride and Prejudice, the setting is in the Bennet household, in the 1800s. This is about rich aristocrats arranging marriage for their children and the consequences of such methods.

Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
Wole Soyinka

The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. 'Madam,' I warned,
'I hate a wasted journey - I am African.'
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.
'HOW DARK?' . . . I had not misheard. . . . 'ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?' Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis -
'ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?' Revelation came.
'You mean - like plain or milk chocolate?'
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. 'West African sepia' - and as afterthought,
'Down in my passport.' Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. 'WHAT'S THAT?' conceding
'DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.' 'Like brunette.'
'THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?' 'Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused -
Foolishly madam - by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black - One moment madam!' - sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears - 'Madam,' I pleaded, 'wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?'

Q1. This poem is full of colours not just that of skin, what do you think these colours signify?

In line 13, the poet uses the words red three times. Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered omnibus squelching tar. This is used to signify the persona's anger. He was infuriated when the landlady had begun to insult him for his race. In the lines 10-17, he feels sore that the landlady has begun to insult him; he knows that she really is trying to hurt him. However, this man is not a savage brute like all people think Africans are.

Q2. What does the dialogue in this poem reveal about these two characters?

The landlady may be rich but she has a racist mindset of blacks. She does not think that blacks can actually be successful and smart people. The poem reveals the man, to be witty, analytical and quite unlike the stereotype. He manages to defend himself and the landlady shrinks in fear.

Q3. Who wins in the end?

The man won in the end. He used his wit and sarcasm to show the landlady that being black wasn't anything to be ashamed of, and that racism was ridiculous.

The Civil Rights Movement and its relation to To Kill A Mockingbird

The Civil Rights Movement
a. When did the Civil Rights Movement begin?
It began in 1954.

b. What was the Civil Rights Movement about?
This Movement was worldwide and was aimed at equity before the law (no one gets special privileges) which included outlawing racial discrimination against African-Americans (black Americans) and restoring suffrage for the blacks in the Southern States. It was also meant to promote racial dignity, economic and political self-sufficiency, and freedom from oppression by white Americans. This was because police and ordinary citizens alike crazily enforced separation of the two races, discriminating against them, and a black who mixed with a white person could be killed without reason. Punishment for killing a black person was rarely meted. The founding fathers of the United States had written of humanity's inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but many did not believe this should apply to black slaves or women. Racism obstructs America's desire to be a land of human equality; the struggle for equal rights was also a struggle for the soul of the nation.

c. State some of the significant incidents that took place in the civil rights movement (2-3 incidents, briefly stated)
1. On 26 July, 1948, President Truman signed the Executive Order 9981 which reads, "It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin."
2. In the early months of 1957, Martin Luther King, Charles K. Steele and Fred Shuttlesworth found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which became a major force in the Civil Rights Movement and is based on “non-violence and civil disobedience”. As King said, “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.”
3. In September 1957, nine black students are denied access into the previously all-white Central High School on the orders of Governor Orval Faubus, who opposed integration. He called out the Arkansas National Guard to block integration. However, President Eisenhower then sent federal troops and the National Guard to intervene on behalf of the students. Later, in 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to allow the federal government to use arms to enforce desegregation.

d. Which American President supported the Movement?
Lyndon Baines Johnson, or just President Johnson, was a supporter. He signed an act, backed a federal investigation regarding the death of three people who had been murdered by the Ku Klux Klan after they were working to register black voters in Mississippi, and issued Executive Order 11246, enforced for government contractors to "take affirmative action" toward prospective minority employees in all aspects of hiring and employment.
e. What was the outcome of the movement?
Basically, African-Americans outwardly are on par with whites on privileges. However, racist prejudices have never died. Black Americans have voting rights and hold office to good jobs, but people do still carry the mind set of old that African Americans are lesser people. Segregation was outlawed.

f. In what way is the Civil rights Movement related to the novel?
Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird during a very tense time racially in her home state of Alabama. The South was still segregated, forcing blacks to use separate facilities apart from those used by whites, in almost every aspect of society. The Civil Rights Movement began to pick up steam when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. Following her bold defiance, Marin Luther King, Jr., became the leader of the movement, and the issue began to gain serious national attention. Clearly, a prime subject of To Kill a Mockingbird, namely the injustice of racism and inequality in the American South, was highly relevant at the time of its publication. Also, women did not receive many rights. Scout, being a female, matures and slowly learns about racism. Another thing is that racial discrimination is a big-scale epidemic.
Montgomery Bus Boycott and Scottsboro Trials
a. State the specifics of each trial and why they were significant.
• Dr King organized a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, that lasted for 382 days, with 90 per cent participation of blacks. It was a political and social protest campaign that started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, intended to oppose the city's policy of racial segregation on its public transit system. The boycott resulted in a crippling financial deficit for the Montgomery public transit system, because the city's black population who were the drivers of the boycott were also the bulk of the system's paying customers. Under the system of segregation used on Montgomery buses, white people who boarded the bus took seats in the front rows, filling the bus toward the back. Black people who boarded the bus took seats in the back rows, filling the bus toward the front. Eventually, the two sections would meet, and the bus would be full. If other black people boarded the bus, they were required to stand. If another white person boarded the bus, then everyone in the black row nearest the front had to get up and stand, so that a new row for white people could be created. Often when boarding the buses, black people were required to pay at the front, get off, and re-enter the bus through a separate door at the back. On some occasions bus drivers would drive away before black passengers were able to re-board.
• The Scottsboro boys were just nine black youth who were like hitchhikers who took train rides to look for jobs, and their trial started when one white guy stepped on one of the black youth’s hand. Both the white and black had friends, and they had stone fights, and the black boys managed to push every of the black boys except one off the train. They pulled one of the white boys in after the train had sped to dangerous speeds. These white boys went to report the black youth, hereafter termed the Scottsboro boys. Also, two girls came forth and accused six of the nine boys of rape. Then, the rest was legal battles, then long periods of jail, then lots of publicity. In the end, they all died wronged. Their lives had been ruined by this trial. It was the most shameful injustice in American law.
b. How is the Scottsboro trial related to the trial in the novel?
The case largely contains racial prejudice. Justice is not meted out because these people are black. However, at the same time, there is a kind soul who is heroic enough to defend these black people.

c. In what way are these trials similar?
In both trials, the accused is black, the accuser is white, and the accuser has the support of the crowd because they are prejudiced against blacks. However, the accuser presents distorted facts. The black person is victorious, but still draws a lot of flak and has not really won anything. In fact, he has probably suffered much more than he gained.
Trials of a true Southern Belle and Southern Gentleman
a. What were the rules of etiquette for Southern gentlemen and ladies?
A Southern gentleman refers to a polite gentleman with respect and is from the upper class. A Southern belle is an archetype for a young woman of the American Old South's upper class. She was deemed “the natural product of aristocratic breeding”. She had to be demure and had to avoid talking to anyone other than whites. They had rules. For a Southern Belle, she had to:
• Avoid pants or trousers, or be risked being called a prostitute or a lesbian even.
• Wear dresses at all times, and Sunday dresses were almost always bought.
• Speak only to white, rich or properly dressed people.
• Boycott sexual conversation, talks of pregnancy, etc.
• Refrain from raising her voice and speak politely.
• Never swear and use proper grammar.
For a Southern gentleman, he had to:
• Wear full attire (suit, tie, etc.)
• Tip his hat to a lady, and remove it in the presence of a lady.
• Usually talk with a drawl
• Pull out a chair for a lady and never let her do it herself
• Offer the woman assistance (carrying stuff, lighting her cigarette)
• Know how to appreciate a good meal

b. Southern ladies did sewing to pass their time. Nothing strenuous was permitted, so

c. Pictures of Southern ladies and gentlemen




d. Identify characters in the novel that fit the mould of true southern belles and gentlemen and those who don’t? Explain.
Southern belles: Aunt Alexandra: petty about a lady’s behaviour
Southern gentleman: Atticus, Judge Taylor: respectful to ladies
Harper Lee
a. About the author
Harper Lee is an American author best known for her 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that she had seen as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. She loved writing. She has only written one novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.

b. Biodata
She is 85 years old, and female. Her birthday is on April 28.

c. Novels written by her
She has only written To Kill a Mockingbird.

d. Awards she has received
She has received the Pulitzer prize, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom

e. Why is To Kill a Mockingbird important to her?
It was important because she based it on her life experience and it was close to her.

Home Learning comic

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http://stripgenerator.com/strip/467400/the-right-things/

The Right things by liangjiahao

The background is white. It represents the canvas of my mind, the space where I think. The items are my thoughts. they represent my needs and wants. I was thinking that this year is to be a stressful year, so I must go all out and not rest at all. But barely into 3 weeks I am already feeling exhausted! I realise that playing too much is bad, but working too much is also bad. We must strike a balance. We work so that we produce fruits of our labour, and we play so that our brain has time to cool down.

Forms of Discrimination

Internal

Gender Discrimination: There is a misconception that males are more athletic than females.

Racial Discrimination: Activities of the Ku Klux Klan

Intelligence Discrimination: Elitist schools looking down on neighborhood

Appearance Discrimination: Fat persons are classified as ugly by society.

Disability Discrimination: Their needs are neglected by society.

Nationality Discrimination: Intense hate between Russians and Americans during the Cold War.

External

Sexual Orientation Discrimination: Homosexuals are ostracized by society.

Religious Discrimination: The Crusades against Muslim lands.

Job Discrimination: Junk collectors are looked down and despised by society

Political Discrimination: Supporters of political parties are targeted with violence.

Wealth Discrimination: The Nazi Party targeted the rich and successful Jewish people.

Cloony the Clown by Shel Silverstein

I'll tell you the story of Cloony the Clown
Who worked in a circus that came through town.
His shoes were too big and his hat was too small,
But he just wasn't, just wasn't funny at all.
He had a trombone to play loud silly tunes,
He had a green dog and a thousand balloons.
He was floppy and sloppy and skinny and tall,
But he just wasn't, just wasn't funny at all.
And every time he did a trick,
Everyone felt a little sick.
And every time he told a joke,
Folks sighed as if their hearts were broke.
And every time he lost a shoe,
Everyone looked awfully blue.
And every time he stood on his head,
Everyone screamed, "Go back to bed!"
And every time he made a leap,
Everybody fell asleep.
And every time he ate his tie,
Everyone began to cry.
And Cloony could not make any money
Simply because he was not funny.
One day he said, "I'll tell this town
How it feels to be an unfunny clown."
And he told them all why he looked so sad,
And he told them all why he felt so bad.
He told of Pain and Rain and Cold,
He told of Darkness in his soul,
And after he finished his tale of woe,
Did everyone cry? Oh no, no, no,
They laughed until they shook the trees
With "Hah-Hah-Hahs" and "Hee-Hee-Hees."
They laughed with howls and yowls and shrieks,
They laughed all day, they laughed all week,
They laughed until they had a fit,
They laughed until their jackets split.
The laughter spread for miles around
To every city, every town,
Over mountains, 'cross the sea,
From Saint Tropez to Mun San Nee.
And soon the whole world rang with laughter,
Lasting till forever after,
While Cloony stood in the circus tent,
With his head drooped low and his shoulders bent.
And he said,"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT -
I'M FUNNY JUST BY ACCIDENT."
And while the world laughed outside.
Cloony the Clown sat down and cried.

1. The irony is that the audience laugh at Cloony inaprropriately. When he bares his soul to them, they find it funny. When he does a trick, people feel disgusted at him. We tend to gloat over people's misfortunes. This is a human streak. Also, despite Cloony finally getting fame, it only makes him realise that he is so empty inside.

2. Shel Silverstein does bring out some harsh realities. For example, humans gloat over other people's misfortune. We often neglect people the most when they need us badly.


3. The poet uses repetition, irony, contrast(e.g. old man and young boy) to show differences and he likes to hold back the hilarity till the very end so that it can build up.



Which poem do you identify with the most?

Of all the poems I can identify with Cloony the Clown the most. The theme is that external riches do not satisfy the heart, and I can understand that point very well after I once visited an old folks' home. The old people there shared with me that even though they have varied backgounds, they all end up in the home and nearing the end of their lives, all the material wealth they possess wither away. That was the most shocking lesson of my life that I have never forgotten.

Messy Room by Shel Silverstein

Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!

This poem talks about people being blind to their own faults and at the same time being judgmental. This persona sees a room in a mess, and criticizes it all over. From the floor to the closet to the bed to the window, and throws so much harsh language until a second party makes it clear that the room belongs to the persona himself. Then the persona stops his ranting.
1. The poem is humorous because the author holds back the humour until the last three lines. After the scolding and lamnting only does the author realise that he is scolding himself. It is also funny because he was so blind to his own faults. After painting a scene of the mess in his room he ends up shooting his own foot.

2. In this poem the egotistic aspect of the human being is opened up. The author shows the persona's blindness to his faults, and his quick judgmental attitude. We learn how judging people is not good, because as the pot calls the kettle black, the consequences are that we become blind to our shortcomings.

The Little Boy and the Old Man by Shel Silverstein

Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
"I know what you mean," said the little old man.



1.This poem is a conversation between a young boy and an old man. This boy speaks his heart, and the old man reciprocates. To everything the boy says, the old man replies with a yes, so do I answer. The boy says that he feels neglected by adults, to which the man embraces him and says, he understands. This poem talks about the lack of atention grown-ups can sometimes show toward children. This is a commonly identifiable topic, because in this world we move through conversation ater conversation and we have all been children once. Sometimes, when I talk to a young child myself I also tend to think that the child is not worth the time because I have more impotant things to do and I forget that sometimes the world is best seen through the eyes of a young child. They are creative.

The author Shel Silverstein uses an old man and a young boy. He does not use an adult man or woman, and I think this is because an old man does regress to a child-like thinking. This is not a childish mindset, but rather, life slows down as you get older. You go back to the lifestyle of a young boy, as it were.

The old man says he does whatever the child does: cry, wet his pants, drop a spoon. The old man smiles and agrees, but at he lamenting of being neglected, the old man changes his reaction. He empathises with the boy and puts his warm hand to his, and says he knows what he means. I think this is because the old man also experiences negligence. Perhaps because old people are economically dependent, they rely on their children to support them. And this is why their adult children treat them like children. However, if we think, old people have the most wisdom, and young children have the most innocence. So, the conclusion is that adults neglect children, and because they condescend to children.


2. Shel Silverstein uses some techniques. Firstly, he uses caesura in almost every line. This helps to add more rhythm to the poem.