martes, 19 de mayo de 2015

Poem Analysis of "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou

Gerardo J. Colon                                                                                                                 May 20, 2015
English 3222
Introduction to Literature II

Dr. Carmen González-Alfano

 Poem Analysis of "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou

     This poem by Maya Angelou is dedicated to all the women in the world. She is trying to communicate that beauty is much more than physical. And that every woman needs to appreciate herself for who she is in order to become a phenomenal women.  At the beginning of the poem she makes the statement that her beauty does not conform to the face and the body of fashion model, the stereotype of beauty.  All over the poem she describes the beauty on each part of her body: hips, lips, eyes, lips, knees, the way she stands, etc.  Its a whole new concept on how to rate the beauty of a women.  

For Maya, the respect of a man is a recognition of the beauty in a women. The standing man is the one that stands for his principles and respects the values of a women.  The man on its knee is the one that bends his pride to be at the side of a real woman.  A man that can see through the soul of woman and find beauty, even if the body and face of that woman is not perfect.  Maya feels the good will of real men that can recognize beauty on its real form.  And at the same time, she knows that each part of her body is an expression of her soul and beauty.

Later on the poem she talks of the men that wonder were the beauty resides, try to touch the beauty, but still cannot find it.  This is the type of men that will only see the outside beauty of a women. And they will try to make a physical contact to find this beauty, but a real women will not allow this type of men inside her life.  This is the meaning of the phrase "they try so much, but they cant touch".  Finally she talks about her attitude on life: she does not bend her head, shout or talk loud.  This means that she does not need to humiliate to a man or be disrespectful.  She acts as a real woman, and in that respect her beauty resides.

The author creates a tone of confidence and humour in the poem. She uses simple language and a rhyme that produces a certain rhythm that its complementary to the message of the poem.  The poem flows light, its message is direct and not complicated. The tone of the poem has some humor in it about the way men react when in her presence.  Its her resource to convey her message.

The author also tells women to never let men disrespect them, she's saying "be confident, be yourself, if men don't like you then screw them". Its a lesson to woman to learn how to appreciate the beauty of all her body parts, and to embrace their values and feelings as part of their beauty.  To see the world through the eyes of your soul. The purpose of Angelo in this poem is very clear, BE A PHENOMENAL WOMAN, no more no less.

Compare and Contrast of poems "Follow your dreams" and "Remember"

Gerardo J. Colon                                                                                                                 May 20, 2015
English 3222
Introduction to Literature II

Dr. Carmen González-Alfano

Compare and Contrast of poems "Follow your dreams" and "Remember"
By Amanda Bradley and Dawn Jensen

This two poems are both inspirational poem. The author in "Follow your dreams" is trying to motivate the reader to keep going through is path in achieving his dreams, in contrast to the poem by the other author; she is to tell the reader to take a break and see what he has achieved in life, through all that suffering and struggle and you still make it.  The first one evokes the strength of human being to be directed to meet their goals, to stay focused and never relinquish on their purpose.  Its a highly motivational poem, that really centers on satisfaction of a mission accomplished. 

The poem "Remember" is a call to a better life, to enjoy every minute of your life and make your loved ones know your feelings.  Its about the importance of smaller gestures to your beloved one, recognition to the family as your real support in life and the blessing of a life with love. Its also about goals, but goals that are complimentary to good moments and the love of your family.  Its about loving yourself also, and enjoying life as it is.  Its a matter of loving what you have and moving forward to achieve your goals.  Is an advice to live a plenty life with spiritual gratifications.

 Another difference between both poems is that in "Follow your dreams" the author tone in the poem is as an author, trying to inspire the reader, to make him keep going. In the other poem, "Remember", the tone of the author is like she is speaking to a son or daughter, parent-like voice.  The first one is more energetic, its a motivational speech, it pretends to turn on the enthusiasm on the person to keep focused on its goal, never give up.  The second one is smooth conversation about the values, family and love. Its a lovely advice.

The poem "Follow your Dreams" has only one stanza, and rhyme only in some of the verses. It has a free structure.  The poem "Remember" has several four verse stanza, an the rhyme is between the second and the fourth line.  Its a regular rhyme poem.  The language is more simple and does not use comparisons.  Its conveys the message directly.  In the poem "Remember" the author gives the character of a person to a goal.

These two poems are both beautiful poems and whoever reads it should use it for motivation and strive for greatness. They are poems that help people to make a new lifestyle.  "Follow your Dreams" will be a good resource when you are working hard for a specific goal. The poem "Remember" is a good for a person that is outside enduring hardship in life.

Letter to Sue's Father

Gerardo J. Colon                                                                                                                 May 20, 2015
English 3222
Introduction to Literature II

Dr. Carmen González-Alfano

Letter to Sue's Father

 
May 20, 2015





Dear Sue’s Father:


I hope you are doing well when you receive this letter.  First of all, let me congratulate you because you are the father of a great human being, that was raised without your protection and care, and even with this handicap, the mother of your son was able to raise a decent man that is willing to fight for its justice and respect.


I don’t know the reasons why you abandoned your son, but in my opinion, a real man will never leave their sons without their care and protection.  You were selfish and irresponsible.  And you deserve the hater you son show to you when he finally find you.  It was a very difficult journey to reach adulthood.  And you know what, the name you gave your son only made him stronger. 


Calling Sue, a women name, to a boy, it’s a really cruel thing to do.  But leaving your child without your protection is really worst.  Battling against bullying and gaining respect had only to do partially with the name, life brings difficult situations to teenagers that need the parent support to overcome them.  You were not there.  And yes, your son, only with the help of his mother, became a good men.  But a men that is not willing to support hate and injustice from other people. A man that stands for what he believes.


So please, don’t try to justify yourself that you named your son Sue intentionally, to make him strong.  You deserve his indifference, not a battle as he did, but simply you don’t deserve is attention.  And you son did it without you.


My advice to you is to ask your son to pardon you. And if he gives you the opportunity, be part of his life now.  No more excuses.  Don’t think the name Sue was the reason for his strong development.  He had a mother and a great character that made him succeed.


Sincerely,





Gerardo J. Colon

Letter to Maya Angelou

Gerardo J. Colon                                                                                                                 May 20, 2015
English 3222
Introduction to Literature II

Dr. Carmen González-Alfano

Letter to Maya Angelou

May 20, 2015


Dear Maya Angelou:

I hope you had the opportunity to read this letter.  I know that recently your spirit was raised and you left this world to start a new life, were your spirit and body has raised to the eternity, were the sorrows and pains will no longer hurt your body and soul.
After reading poem Still I Rise I felt my spirit was lifted by the strength and the will of the author.  The poem reflects the strength of your spirit to overcome difficulties.  And your message of Still I Rise could be interpreted in two ways:  even when things go wrong you overcome difficulties, you rise; the other is telling that adversities will hurt you until get over them, when you rise. 
I imagine that as an African American woman artist, dancer, civil rights activist, you encountered a lot of prejudice and hater.  Life for black women was never easy, but for those that wanted to be an artist had a greater level of difficulty.  To be able to stand strong, and write a poem with such a message you had to be a self-confident woman. This type of strength does not come from education, it comes from a life full of difficult situations that made your character rise above the life bad moments.
This poem is a great lesson for me. Thank you for being an inspiration, and the author of such a great poem.

Best Regards,

Gerardo J. Colon
 

Poem Analysis "This too shall pass" by Helen Steiner Rice

Gerardo J. Colon                                                                                                                 May 20, 2015
English 3222
Introduction to Literature II

Dr. Carmen González-Alfano


This Too Shall Pass

If I can endure for this minuted
Whatever is happening to me,
No matter how heavy my heart is
Or how dark the moment may be-

If I can remain calm and quiet
With all the world crashing about me,
Secure in the knowledge God loves me
When everyone else seems to doubt me-

If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That darkness will fade with the morning
And that this will pass away, too-

Then nothing in life can defeat me
For as long as this knowledge remains
I can suffer whatever is happening
For I know God will break all of the chains

That are binding me tight in the darkness
And trying to fill me with fear-
For there is no night without dawning
And I know that my morning is near.


Poem Analysis:

Tone: The author of this poem is using a calm tone.

Rhyme Scheme: ABCB, DBBB, EFEF, BGHG, IJEJ.

Elements of Poetry present in the poem: Allusion, Mood is serene, Alliteration and it has rhythm.

Message by Author: The author is sending the reader a message to be calm and trust the plan of God. She is saying that no matter what situation you're going through, you should just relax because is going to get better. Like the famous "refran" we say: "No hay mal que dure cien años, ni que por bien no venga".