A) The writer was feeling sad. For the evidence, we are going to include the line “Counting bells knelling classes to a close” as this shows that he feels time is going pass really slowly and this was due to the fact he is really sad when he heard the news of his sibling dying. The writer also felt embarrassed and this can be proven from the lines in stanza 3, evident when the strangers told him they were “sorry for the trouble” and “whispering informed strangers that he was the eldest” made him feel embarrassed. He also feel regretful as the poem states that “I saw him for the first time in six weeks” this line shows that the writer had last seen his brother 6 weeks ago . However, his brother is now dead. Thus, he is regretful as he feel that he should spend more time with his brother and cherish him more while he is alive.
B) The speaker uses several literal devices. The first one he used is onomatopoeia. This can be supported from stanza 3 of the poem. In the line “the baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram”, “cooed and laughed” is the onomatopoeia. This sets a very awkward mood as it is ironic how the baby is ignorant about the surroundings and still being so happy when everyone else is so sad. The other literal device used is personification. The line “And candles soothed the bedside” showed the use of a personification. This helped to lessen the heavy and depressed mood in the poem, as the candles seem to bo comforting the speaker and the people present.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Analysis of Mid Term Break
This poem is mainly focusing on the speaker’s childhood memory. This was a really saddening break, not a relaxing and happy one.
The first stanza is informing us that the speaker is waiting at the sick bay for his neighbor to fetch him and does not make up a clue that what was the purpose of the break. However, the fact that the speaker is waiting at the sick bay give the sense that something is wrong. Also, the word “kneeling” describes the slow steady strokes of a bell at a funeral service like the sound of an old school bell announcing the changes of class in school. The use of the word 'knelling' rather than 'tolling' for the school bell has connotations of death.
The second stanza shows how devastating this tragic accident affected the speaker’s family. The fact that “He had always taken funerals in his stride” shows that this tragic accident is a really huge blow to his father as the speaker saw his father crying. In contrast, in the third stanza, the baby 'cooed and laughed and rocked the pram', showing that in some aspects, family life went on as usual and that the baby was immature and did not understand what was happening.
The third and fourth stanzas are linked by enjambment and describes the speaker’s feelings on confronting the people who paid their respects. The speaker also felt embarrassed as the old man shook his hand and expressed his sorrow. This was probably uncomfortable and uncommon to the speaker as he was in a situation of reversed role. He was also knowledgeable about the “whispers” that he was the eldest child in the family.
The second and fifth stanzas are also linked and show how differently the speaker’s mother reacted as compared to his father after the tragic accident. As she 'coughed out angry tearless sighs', it shows that she was too upset to cry and probably did not have any tears to cry out anymore.
In the fifth stanza, Heaney describes in a way that the speaker did not realize the body was his brother’s as the poem mentioned that the ambulance brought the 'corpse'. However, in the sixth stanza, the speaker realized it as he went alone to see the body of his brother. He describes that the presence of snowdrops and soothed his feelings. The speaker again uses enjambment to link this stanza with the seventh, mentioning that his brother now looked paler than the last time he had seen him six weeks previously. The metaphor 'Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple', poppies being colour of blood as well as a sign of the dead. The final line of the seventh stanza tells us that the little boy was not ran over by the car but banged on one side as he had no “gaudy scars”.
'Mid-Term Break' ends with a single line 'A four foot box, a foot for every year' describes how young the boy was and how small the coffin was. The poem begins with devoid of emotion. Then it progresses into a phase of describing discomfort and difficult emotions in the presence of strangers.
The first stanza is informing us that the speaker is waiting at the sick bay for his neighbor to fetch him and does not make up a clue that what was the purpose of the break. However, the fact that the speaker is waiting at the sick bay give the sense that something is wrong. Also, the word “kneeling” describes the slow steady strokes of a bell at a funeral service like the sound of an old school bell announcing the changes of class in school. The use of the word 'knelling' rather than 'tolling' for the school bell has connotations of death.
The second stanza shows how devastating this tragic accident affected the speaker’s family. The fact that “He had always taken funerals in his stride” shows that this tragic accident is a really huge blow to his father as the speaker saw his father crying. In contrast, in the third stanza, the baby 'cooed and laughed and rocked the pram', showing that in some aspects, family life went on as usual and that the baby was immature and did not understand what was happening.
The third and fourth stanzas are linked by enjambment and describes the speaker’s feelings on confronting the people who paid their respects. The speaker also felt embarrassed as the old man shook his hand and expressed his sorrow. This was probably uncomfortable and uncommon to the speaker as he was in a situation of reversed role. He was also knowledgeable about the “whispers” that he was the eldest child in the family.
The second and fifth stanzas are also linked and show how differently the speaker’s mother reacted as compared to his father after the tragic accident. As she 'coughed out angry tearless sighs', it shows that she was too upset to cry and probably did not have any tears to cry out anymore.
In the fifth stanza, Heaney describes in a way that the speaker did not realize the body was his brother’s as the poem mentioned that the ambulance brought the 'corpse'. However, in the sixth stanza, the speaker realized it as he went alone to see the body of his brother. He describes that the presence of snowdrops and soothed his feelings. The speaker again uses enjambment to link this stanza with the seventh, mentioning that his brother now looked paler than the last time he had seen him six weeks previously. The metaphor 'Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple', poppies being colour of blood as well as a sign of the dead. The final line of the seventh stanza tells us that the little boy was not ran over by the car but banged on one side as he had no “gaudy scars”.
'Mid-Term Break' ends with a single line 'A four foot box, a foot for every year' describes how young the boy was and how small the coffin was. The poem begins with devoid of emotion. Then it progresses into a phase of describing discomfort and difficult emotions in the presence of strangers.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Poetry (Famous People)
A is for Albert Einstein, he is smart;
B is for Brad Pitt, he likes to go to the mart;
C is for Cameron Diaz, she is a girl;
D is for David Beckham, who likes to twirl;
E is for Elton John, who likes a specific song;
F is for Fernando Torres, who plays all day long;
G is for George Bush, he is like a lord;
H is for Henry Ford, he discovered Ford;
J is for Johnny Depp, he loves to wear bags with sling;
K is for Katie Parry, she loves to sing;
L is for Lance Armstrong, his handicapped at a glance;
M is for Michael Jackson, he just loves to dance;
N is for Nick-Falbo, who has a voice that is low;
O is for Oprah Winfrey, who has her own show;
P is for Paula Abdul, she is good in English;
Q is for Queen Latifah, I do not think she is good in Spanish;
R is for Roger Federer, he likes tennis if you cannot tell ;
S is for Simon Cowell, judging is his hobby if you know him well;
T is for Tiger Woods, must I tell you who he is;
U is for Usher Raymond, well you should know this.
B is for Brad Pitt, he likes to go to the mart;
C is for Cameron Diaz, she is a girl;
D is for David Beckham, who likes to twirl;
E is for Elton John, who likes a specific song;
F is for Fernando Torres, who plays all day long;
G is for George Bush, he is like a lord;
H is for Henry Ford, he discovered Ford;
J is for Johnny Depp, he loves to wear bags with sling;
K is for Katie Parry, she loves to sing;
L is for Lance Armstrong, his handicapped at a glance;
M is for Michael Jackson, he just loves to dance;
N is for Nick-Falbo, who has a voice that is low;
O is for Oprah Winfrey, who has her own show;
P is for Paula Abdul, she is good in English;
Q is for Queen Latifah, I do not think she is good in Spanish;
R is for Roger Federer, he likes tennis if you cannot tell ;
S is for Simon Cowell, judging is his hobby if you know him well;
T is for Tiger Woods, must I tell you who he is;
U is for Usher Raymond, well you should know this.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Typical day in school by Tay Wei Sheng
As the morning school bell tore the silent air apart,
It signalled the start of another fun and enriching school day.
Some listened attentively and assiduously copied down notes,
while some just doodled and drowned in the teacher's ponderous monotone.
As the recess bell rang shrilly,
Everyone zoomed out like rockets, signalling a hubbub of activity.
Some went to eat as hunger was a devil, prodding their stomachs relentlessly,
while some went to play, having a whale of their time.
As the dismissal bell sliced the air like a razor-sharp knife,
It signalled the end of another fun and enriching school day.
Some idled in school, reluctant to go home,
while some rushed home, though just released from firing squad.
While everyone looked forward to the next school day...
It signalled the start of another fun and enriching school day.
Some listened attentively and assiduously copied down notes,
while some just doodled and drowned in the teacher's ponderous monotone.
As the recess bell rang shrilly,
Everyone zoomed out like rockets, signalling a hubbub of activity.
Some went to eat as hunger was a devil, prodding their stomachs relentlessly,
while some went to play, having a whale of their time.
As the dismissal bell sliced the air like a razor-sharp knife,
It signalled the end of another fun and enriching school day.
Some idled in school, reluctant to go home,
while some rushed home, though just released from firing squad.
While everyone looked forward to the next school day...
Introduction to Figurative Language
1) In the poem, I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud, an example of a simile is "I wandered lonely as a cloud", while examples of personification are: "Fluttering and dancing in the breeze", "Tossing their heads in a sprightly dance.", "The waves beside them danced" and "Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee." The poet chose a cloud to be a simile in his poem as a cloud usually floats very slowly in the sky and its movement is barely visible. Thus, it best describes the loneliness of the person in the poem as it shows that the person is very lonely and can only move around aimlessly. In the statements showing examples of personification, the poet has used words like dancing, sprightly and glee, to show the comparison between the person and others as a form of emphasis.
2) I like this poem as it is very simple and easy to understand, yet leaves me a great impression after reading it. The poem shows great use of simile and personification, though it does not have any metaphors. The similes and personification used show vast contrast between the feelings and atmosphere of the person and others. This emphasises hugely on the lonely person which i the main character in the poem and has successfully conveyed the message what the poet wants to tell the reader which makes it easy to understand the poem, thus leaving a great impression and letting the reader to enjoy reading it.
Favourite Poem (I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud)
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
My reflections after eating at a Little India restaurant
On 14 May, our Language Arts teacher, Ms Kala, brought our class, as well as others, to a Little India restaurant, called Spice Queen) to have a taste of Indian food, especially chappatti, after going through Village by the Sea with us. Our teacher chose that restaurant as it was quite a famous one and the chef, as well. The chef, Chef Devagi Sanmugam, is an author of 16 cookbooks, as well as a food columnist for magazines. She also owns a culinary consultancy firm Devagi's Epicurean World Pte Ltd.
At the restaurant, we were packed like sardines and fortunately, my group of friends and I quickly got ourselves a seat each. For hygiene's sake, we were told to wash our hands before we could eat. After that, Ms Kala introduced Chef Devagi Sunmugam briefly to us and the chef herself introduced Indian food to us and we indeed gained new insights. Without further ado, we took the serviette and queued up to take the food. The snake-like queue was really long and each of us waited a long time before we got our food. However, a number of us did not have a chance to taste the tendoori chicken as it went out and it was apparently not enough for everyone of us. However, the service there was really good and before we got to the place where got our food, an amicable female staff gave each of us a piece of koropok and gave those a second time if they requested for it.
They gave us a variety of dishes, such as Indian rice with gravy, cubed potatoes, tendoori chicken(not for me) and chappatti, not forgetting lime juice. Without it, we will definitely not be able to eat the food. It was really spicy! The rice and chappatti was fine but not for the potatoes. Many of us were complaining about the spiciness and for me, I could literally feel my stomach burning! For some of them, they actually took their own drnk to drink as the lime juice was not enough.
After our stomachs were filled, we went back home ourselves by taking the Little India MRT train as the MRT station was just beside the restaurant. For those who wanted to take school transport back to school, had to wait a little more. I felt that it was indeed an enriching and enjoyable experience for me. Firstly I got to see a famous chef in person and secondly, I learnt more about Indian culture including eating the food with our bare hands. We also got to know about the different kinds of Indian food. Last but not least, I interacted with my friends at the same time and I really enjoyed the entire time.
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