Response on the poem "Beginning"

Response on the poem " Begining" 

This poem brings me to a very peaceful environment. Silent throughout the whole land, there is not exist noise voice. Uncertainties in the moonlight onto me, everything looks good. I can see a woman stands in front of me, she comes and she goes, leaving her slender shadow. Invisibly, I can feel the power of this poem.

“I listen.

The wheat leans back toward its own darkness,

And I lean toward mine.”

The author undoubtedly is lonely. He stands in the dark and face the dark. However, everything around him uses a very natural and original power to company him. “Peaceful power”, I can feel that. 

Create a image poem

Identify the image

This is a very simple image. When the night approaches, a couple was walking through Richmond Park at London.

Identify the reality you want to change.

It is undeniable that this image gives people a blissful feeling. This couple holds hands with each other. The world seems like only belong to them. However, no one knows what they are thinking in their mind. The man looks at his wife while his wife does not look at him. Concerned about the sunset, the dust, I want to change this image into a sad story.

Identify how you change it.

We cannot see the facial expression. We only can see black shadows. In addition, the background of this image gives me a mysterious feeling. The number of trees, a cloud of dust, afterglow light, everything looks backstairs. I imagine this woman has something hide in her heart. She does not want to tell her husband. Perhaps it is a sad story. I want to use woman’s perspective to show her internal monologue.

                       Secret 

I have a secret

In my heart

Maybe dust know

Maybe tree understand

But you

Holds my hand tightly

Slime at me greatly

Will never know  

You thought you would

Hold my hand forever

Although I hope so

Jennifer's Class on 9.22

                       Jennifer's class on 9.22

In today’s Jennifer class, we finished the whole presentations. Each group introduced their journal very clearly and analyzes some poems. I left a good impression for this poem This afternoon Dante will be expelled, in Camille’s group. I was attracted by the title immediately because this title has narrated the significant event that Dante will be expelled this afternoon. I feel very curious. Why he was arrested? What happened to him? What was his heart activity?

So many questions unanswered, I read this poem earnestly. This poem talked about Dante’s thing in the third person. Author does not describe the process of expelling. He was more concerned about the psychological description. I like this sentence most: exile is when you can still lift a foot, exile is when you are not yet dead.” It seems gives you a very desperate image. Virtually, desperate is equal to hope. Even death will not stop you pursue the hope. This poem undoubtedly is a good poem because it endows me the feeling of hope. 

Feedback on class in the third week

                     Feedback on Class in the third Week 

In this week, Jennifer put the journal presentation as the center part. I introduced the journal called “Blackbird”. Blackbird is a journal that has high quality of literature works but simple design. I chose a poem called “heart” to represent this publication, because I was attracted by its unique format. They do not like normal poems that fulfill all the space. However, this poem leaves a lot of space. Then, I also listened to other people’s presentation. I think they all did a very good job. They analyzed journal from different aspects. Actually, the reason for we do journal presentation is to have a basic understanding of what is journal. It is as the groundwork of creating our own journal.

I also find there is no dilemma question part at the beginning of class. Personally, I think this part is very significant. It is a good opportunity to practice people’s critical thinking. Different people come up with different ideas. We need to take many factors into consideration. Therefore, I hope this part will still be existed in the class.  

Reading response on the “Photograph from September 11”

Reading response on the “Photograph from September 11”

When we mention the date of September 11, every American will feel sorrowful. This day almost destroys the hope of that generation. The poem “Photograph from September 11” selects a photograph that deeply depicts the situation that those poor people fall from the Twin Towers. After I read this poem, there is no denying that this is a good poem. Wislawa Szymborska uses very simple words that making the image real. Her words description are so moved that bring everyone back to that memory.

“The photograph halted them in life,

and now keeps them  

above the earth toward the earth.” (4-6)

When take a photograph, it is time to halt their life. However, it is also the time to make them stay in people’s memory. They are not alone. They bear the weight of  missing to the heaven.

 “I can do only two things for them—

describe this flight

and not add a last line.”(17- 19 )

Personally, I think it is the most moving part of poem. Author wants to do something for them. However, she can do nothing but describe flight and write poems. Every sentence shows the deep distress for people who died in this disaster.

Response to the class on 9. 10

                                                  Response to the class on 9.10

In this class, Jennifer mainly solved our problems on journal presentation. She explained the difference between different types of audience. I have a better understanding of these concepts. Traditional audience refers to the group of people who likes famous voice and establishes literature. These people are not accustomed to changing. Therefore, the format of literature is linear or chronological. Eclectic audience prefer to read journals that combine different style both include established authors and also have some new voices. The format of journal also includes linear, chronological, hypertext. As for the experimental audience, they usually like to challenge tradition. Also, they are willing to accept failure. They think failure is okay, if it is in the service of progress. I want to be the third audience, because I think break rules is interesting and challenging. In order to make us better understand different audiences, Jennifer took the "Shark" as an example to explain more. "Shark" is the typical example that suited to the eclectic audience. This poems both include the basic linear format and creative film content. After this class, I will have a more clear understanding of different audience. 

Journal Presentation

Group Member: Carol, Sybil

We choose the journal of "Blackbird".

Here is all the materials that we need to use in presentation.

http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v13n1/index.shtml

The divison of work: we talked each question together. Sybil was more focus on the part of collecting data. I was more focus on preparing presentation.

I want to introduce the journal called “Blackbird”. Blackbird is an online journal of literature and the arts based in the United States that posts two issues a year, respectively are May 1 and November 1. This journal is a joint venture between the Department of English at Virginia Commonwealth University and New Virginia Review. Why this online journal is created? The founding of Blackbird is a response to a lack of skill in the delivery of electronic text and media in other online-only literary journals. The establish of Blackbird sought to integrate sound and a variety of online media technologies with exciting new voices in the arts and literary community.  Let me introduce the founders and editors of this journal. Look at this picture.

That's the whole of editorial staffs. There are a lot of people. These people are from these two sponsoring organizations as well as by interns and volunteers. I will introduce two major founding editors. Look at this lady. She is Leia darwish. She earned a BA in English literature and creative writing. She worked as managing editor in different journals. Look at this man, Gregory Donovan. Donovan is Senior Editor of the online journal Blackbird and he teaches in the graduate creative writing program at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the winner of the Devins Award, as well as poetry, essays, and fiction published in The Kenyon Review.

Let’s look at the content of this journal together. The journal publishes fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Each issue begins with an introduction on the Blackbird homepage and includes a section called the “Gallery,” which features content that does not fit into the standard genre categories of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction (including interviews, photographs, art, plays, and reviews). A section called "Features" displays streaming audio and video content, including readings, interviews, and lectures that are added twice a month. I think the audience is eclectic because this journal combined with different style that they want new voices but they also observe some traditional rules. Seeing the layout of this journal, the design of Blackbird is very simple on purpose. They believe that the work will speak for itself. Therefore, they do not need beautiful things to decorate. Personally, I think the journal's look is dark and quirky. Because of boring color, it also makes me feel academic. There are white and black photos in some article. After looking at several different volumes, I see this journal use the same format over and over again. Each journal is made of three parts, fiction, nonfiction and poems.

This journal is recommended because of its high quality of its literature work. Based on the basic criteria as “well written in a variety of technical senses,” and “original in terms of subject and style,” Blackbird always chooses the best literature. According to the journal's editorial policy, submissions are judged by the same principle that guides print journals: “That sole principle is excellence.” This journal also gain great recognition. Therefore, it was recommended by the New York Public library. I also think this recommendation is deserved.

 When we create our journal, there are some elements that we want to borrow from this journal. The most important thing is its high quality. Keep good quality is the most important thing to create a good journal. Also, the clear categorize is also another thing that I want to borrow. Readers can find different work from clear items easily. There are different mediums in this journal. Use audio, video-audio better understand its meaning. The main tone is too dark, and the design is dull. I will choose bright color and use different pictures to make this journal attractive.   

I will choose the poem “heart” written by Melissa Ginsburg to represent the publication. Melissa Ginsburg has great reputation on poems. Then, this poem got the chief editor’s recommendation. This poem is closely connect with the reader and draw on human emotions. In addition, this poem is very suited with the style of this journal. This poem will attract eclectic audience just suited to this journal. And the idea the poem wants to show is what the journal wants to show us. The word heart appear in the poem several times, which make me deeply think about the meaning hidden behind. And the idea the novel conveys is what the journal wants to show us.

In summary, I think Blackbird is a great journal for us to read. It has established for ten years. In addition, the high quality really deserve readers to read. 

Response on "As We May Think"

1: What is Bush’s context for research?

This research happened in the world war II. Under that background, war really accelerates the development of technology and create various ideas.  However, the speed of development of technology cannot catch up the speed of deriving ideas. Scientists need to do a lot of research while the machine to record research is stiff and inconvenient.  Bush’s text shows his worries on the inconvenient search machine and he is eager for a more convenient machine to collect information. He summarizes different fields on science. He comes up his imaginations and he explains the notion of “memex”. 

2: What problems does he list?

He lists some problems that exist in the war society.

1: People are paying more attention on the tendency of technology rather than ongoing development of technology.

2: The artificiality of systems of indexing causes the inconvenience of get recording because the rules of device are stiff.

3: It is hard to select a great idea from thousands of ideas.

4: The methods on circulating and summarizing information are obsolete. It is difficult to satisfy our demands nowadays.

6: People are gradually getting into trouble with the development of specialization.

3: What is the memex?

Bush imagined the memex as a useful device that everyone has the ability to find and record information quickly, from the article, he defines the memex, “a device in which an individual stores all his books, records, and communications, and which is mechanized so that it may be consulted with exceeding speed and flexibility. It is an enlarged intimate supplement to his memory.” The major characteristic of Memex is to combine two different significant items together by thinking. It is a new kind of encyclopedia.

Description

What does it enable the researcher to do?

Researcher will more focus on the development of on-going technoloy and pursue a new way to birth ideas.

Do we have anything similar to the memex today?

I think online library is very similar with memex nowadays. Online library have several functions just like memex. Firstly, users can use key words to research what they want. Secondly, two differnet items can be combined together. Thirdly, there are a lot of information for users to store and share. 

Response on “INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PLAY THE COMB”

Response on “INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PLAY THE COMB”

After I read this poem, I feel a little bit sad. This poem expresses the miss from a mother to the death of her dear son. In this poem, hair appears many times. From my perspective, hair is the metaphor of miss. Here is my analysis.

Firstly, hair is very long and unfailing, just like the feeling of miss. Hair is constantly growing meanwhile miss will never die. In addition, from the content, “It's not true that the hair of the dead continues to grow.” This sentence shows that mother’s miss to her son is always increasing. Here is another point that I think is very important. Comb as an entity is also presented many times in the poem. Comb is a significant connection which connects hair and hand, like the close relationship between mother and son.