Come back! - Response to Big Yellow Taxi & Field Below

Author's Note: This is a short response to Big Yellow Taxi and Field Below. I explain the meaning, author's purpose, mood and tone of both of the poems.

The meaning and purpose of Big Yellow Taxi is to inform people about what is happening to nature and how the author feels about this! The poem is explaining that you don't really appreciate the little things in life until they are gone and that they are pretty mad about technology taking over our beautiful world. The meaning and purpose of Field Below is not having something you really want. It shows what the author is longing for and how she wants to maybe be in a more peaceful environment. The mood of Big Yellow Taxi is sad/depressed and wanting to help as much as possible! The tone of the poem is angry and sad at everyone who is taking away their precious nature just to build more technology throughout the city. The mood of Field Below is feeling bad for the author and having feeling of depression. The tone is miserable and longing for something, just so she can finally be happy. The author is clearly very unhappy with her life.

The mood/tone of the song, Big Yellow Taxi is completely different than just reading it and understanding the lyrics. In the song, the mood/tone seems happy and joyful, but that's not what the song is explaining at all! This shows us that the tone/mood of the poem and song can be completely different even though they are the exact same. This makes me feel kind of frustrated because why would you make a happy song about something horrible? The tone/mood is all wrong for this poem! The mood/tone of  the song, Field Below is exactly what it sounds like when you read the actual poem in your head. It is not different than you would think it would be. It's actually a pretty sad and depressing song to listen to. This shows us that some songs and some poems can be exactly the same but have a totally different tone. Or in this case, have the exact tone you thought it was, put into a song. I feel happy about this because the tone/mood of the song fits perfectly with the lyrics.

"Free" is Just a Word

Author’s Note: This is a formal, writing piece about how free blacks were in the North. I explain my thoughts and ideas with support from different websites.This is a research paper, completing one of my quarter 4 goals.

Imagine being told what to do all the time. You couldn’t eat, go to church or even mingle with someone just because of your race. How would you feel? Not very good, right? This is exactly what was happening to free blacks in the North. Blacks in the North were actually not free at all, even though they were so called “free”.

            First of all, there were many restrictions on the blacks in the North. Blacks were not allowed to dine or associate, with the whites, share with deliberations in our jury, and attend our courts. They also couldn’t represent the country in legislature, attend anyone at bed, sickness or pain, mingle with any white or marry their daughters! (Document B) That doesn’t sound very free to me. They were faced with racism, segregation and discrimination throughout the years when they were supposedly free. Even though the North emancipated its slaves, they were not ready to treat them like citizens and sometimes not even like human beings! Segregation was rampant, especially in Philadelphia, where African Americans were excluded from concert halls, public transportation, schools, churches, orphanages, and other places. (PBS. Org.)So, even though the right of being free was extended by law, the whites still let things happen!

            Even though the restrictions on blacks are very important, the rights that blacks had before everything happened is very valuable information. Before 1800, free blacks had normal rights of citizenship!  In some places they could vote, serve on juries, and work in skilled trades. (PBS) But as the need to justify slavery grew stronger, and segregation started to unfold, free blacks gradually lost all their citizenship rights. Through intimidation, switching up laws and horrible violence, the whites declared racial supremacy and forbid blacks their citizenship! In 1857, the Dred Scott decision formally declared that blacks were not citizens of the United States. (Pbs.org). The only states in which black men never lost the right to vote were Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts.  (PBS)Otherwise, they lost everything else in all of the other Northern states that they had just gotten after the Revolutionary War. Fortunately, the free blacks did not just sit around and take Northern racism, they fought.  The blacks found their own schools, orphanages and churches where they did not have any restrictions!  So overall, the whites had won for now.

            Although what they had is a huge portion of my reasoning, how free they actually were is too! One of the big things free blacks could do in the north is to vote, but only in the New England States. The Mid-west and Mid-Atlantic states still did not let them vote or they were very restricted from voting. Another thing that they could do is to be in a jury, but that only was agreed on in one of the New England states, Massachusetts.  So some of the things that they were actually free of was not making them a slave or buy or sell them. The free blacks had the privilege of having no fear of ever again being sold or bought, like a candy bar. Also they could be free to live and to thrive, and if he can to pay taxes and to perform specific duties. Although they could do all of this stuff, the free African Americans still were not free at all! If they were really free, they would be able to do whatever the whites did! (Document A & B)

            In conclusion, free blacks in the North were not actually free. They were in a state of semi –freedom you could call it. Yes, they did have the right to do some things but mostly they could not do anything the whites could do! They were separated from the whites completely, not letting them even talk to them at all! That’s not free at all! How would you feel if you were in their position? Would you like being a grown man, being told what to do, like you were 3 years old again?

Better off Now

Author's Note: This is a parody to the poem, Just to Say. This poem is based off of Where The Heart Is, by Billie Letts. Enjoy! :)

I left you.

At Wal-Mart

While you were in the bathroom.

I waited for you,

You were taking to long,

So I drove on

Sorry to say

but I have a record now

I'm way better off

 So glad, I left.



 

This parody is about the book, Where the Heart Is, by Billie Letts. Willy Jack leaves this note outside of Wal-Mart when Novalee comes back and finds it. It explains why he left her all alone with the baby! The speaker is Willy Jack and the audience is Novalee. The tone of the poem Is sorry and sad In the beginning but then rude at the end! The mood is dreadful the whole way through!

Never Give Up

Author's Note: This is a short response to the short story, Mother to Son. I explain the figurative language and what is it's purpose. I also explain the tone and mood of the poem. This, combined with my character description, will be graded on Word Choice and Context.

An example of figurative language in the poem, Mother to Son, is Life for my ain't been no crystal stair. This is a metaphor comparing the author's life to a crystal, glass stair. The purpose of this metaphor is to explain to the reader what her life has been like. She says her life has not been a crystal stair, so that means that her life has not been perfect or  really good! She's had bumps in the road, but has gotten through them and keeps on climbing. She compares everything in this poem to the stairs or you can say, her life, which is a personification. So her life is not perfect like a crystal stair, its got some scratches and splinters along the way just like her life. The mood of this poem is encouraging and inspiring. It makes the reader feel encouraged and wanting to never give up, just like she is telling her son. The tone of the poem is to sound strong, but exhausted. She talks about how she has gone through so many obstacles  but fortunately fights her way through them. Although she does go through them, shes exhausted by how many things she had to overcome, but still is saying to never give up no matter what.

Sorry Kate, Nothing Can Stop True Love

 Author's Note: This is a writing piece about character development. I explain how the main character, Kate, in the book, The Juliet Club, is a dynamic character and how she changes throughout the book. I use examples and quotes from the story to support my opinion. This will hopefully help me reach one of my goals.

Imagine your perfect boyfriend just dumped you for the gorgeous, most prettiest girl in your grade. You thought he was the one, the one that you would go to senior prom with, the one that you would spend the rest of your life with. You loved him and he dumped you. So now, you've sworn off love. Not wanting to get your heart broken again. But when you travel to Italy, the heart of romance, will that swear stay or will it be broken with a charming, Italian boy? This is exactly what is happening to Kate in The Juliet Club. Kate is a very dynamic character for many reasons.

First of all, in the beginning of the story,  Kate is suffering from the hard break up between her perfect, straight black hair, and hazel eyes boyfriend, Jerome Hollis. It all started when she fell for him in the science lab, when he smiled at her and then she was caught in his trap. They started to get to know each other better and went to all the high school dances together. They were officially a couple, but there was one problem, Jerome wanted the relationship to be at a "steady state." Kind of weird, right? There was something fishy going on..Then one beautiful, spring morning in May, Jerome called her up and shattered her heart, stomping on it on the way. He had dumped her for the Practically Perfect Ashley Lawson. "The fact that Practically Perfect Ashely Lawson was everything Jerome had said he didn't want- frivolous, flighty and shallow- only made matters worse" This quotes why Jerome dumped her and how shallow he was for dating another girl that was exact opposite of Kate.    So now, Kate retired from the terrible, bloody battle called love.

Throughout the book everything changes. Kate finds out that her and her father won a magnificent trip to the one and only Italy, the country of romance. Kate won it for a Shakespeare contest, where she will attend a seminar about, of course, Romeo and Juliet. When Kate's best friends find out about this trip, they exclaim it’s the perfect way to get over the breakup. But Kate forbids herself to fall in love with some Italian boy. " 'I,' Kate said, enunciating as clearly as possible,' am never going to fall in love again!'" This quote shows how she made it absolutely clear that she was not going to get mixed up in the game of romance ever again! So when Kate and her father finally take that plane to Italy, Kate is in for a shocker that will change her whole perspective of teenage guys.

When she gets to romantic Italy, Kate discovers some Americans there in her seminar and some from  Italy.  Everything is going perfectly fine, Kate is happy to be learning about Shakespeare,  but then waltz in Giamco, an all Italian boy. Kate does not get along with Giamco at all! They start bickering about everything that they are talking about at the seminar and don't stop. Giamco and Kate despise eachother very much, but when Kate hears two other teenagers planning to play a joke on Kate and Giamco, Kate informs Giamco about this and both agree to trick them back. So Kate and Giamco pretend to fall in love, even though they have nothing in common nor, can they stand each other!  Everything is going according to plan, having the two teenagers think they got Kate and Giamco but really they got them. But something happens along the way, that they never thought of happening. Kate and Giamco, pretending to be in love, start really falling for each other, which is how Kate changes from swearing off love, to falling head over heels for the cutest, Italian guy in Italy. " 'I said I loved you.'" This quote shows when Giamco told Kate that he loved her and this time, really meant it!

Overall, Kate is a very dynamic character. She retired from the war of love in the beginning, but ever so slowly she starts to go in and fight again. And this time, she wins the battle. Kate learns a lot throughout her journey in Italy, knowing that maybe, just maybe, love is a good thing to have in her life.  Kate does think about her swear that she made, but eventually just lets it go and changes. Giamco also changes from being a flirt and a player to an amazing person who finally gets what true love is. How would you feel if you were in Kate's position? Do you think you would change for a attractive, charming Italian sweetheart?

Novalee- The Troubled Teenager (Revised)

 Author's Note: This is a character description about the main character in the book, Novalee in Where The Heart Is. I use imagery in this piece. This will be graded on the reading rubric in the section word choice and context.

Novalee is like a tiny puppy, standing up to a monstrous bear. She is weak, just like the puppy and if she stands up for herself Willy Jack will attack her, just like the bear would. Her insecurity is shutting her in, closing the door on the world. Novalee has no one on her side! She is 17 and pregnant. A teenager's worst nightmare! She's scared to death about how she will take care of herself and her baby!  Her hair is like a smooth, silky bed sheet that is as soft as a pillow! Lastly, Novalee thinks the ground shakes when she walks, thinking she's as fat as a pig when really she's just pregnant!

Novalee's role in the story is basically a hopeless teenager in need of a good family. Her family, well she doesn't really have a family, which is killing her inside. Novalee's personality is a teddy bear, wanting to be held. Novalee needs someone to take care of her! Bump, bump, bump her baby kicks inside her stomach!  How much she loves her baby is speechless! Love is everything and that is what she needs! Love, love love!

Novalee- The Troubled Teenager

 Author's Note: This is a character description about the main character in my book club book, Where the Heart is. I explain her physical description, characteristics and features in the first paragraph and I explained her role in the story in the second paragraph.

Some features of Novalee are insecurity, weak and brave. Novalee is very insecure about herself because she is overweight and she thinks she is horribly ugly. Her belly is getting bigger by the days! She is weak because when she was in the car with Willy, she never stood up for herself but also stayed with him until he dumped her at walmart. That is very brave because it seems like he is a horrible person.  Some characteristics is she is 17, pregnant and very pale. Novalee looks like a long, brown haired teenager, with skin as white as snow and is taller than most people, which unfortunely makes her stand out. 

Novalee is a teenager that does not have a good family! Her family doesn't care that she ran away with some maniac that dumped her or they don’t care that she's pregnant at 17! She loves her baby more than anything and wants to keep it safe from anything. She is a loving, caring girl that just got mixed up with the wrong guy. She is looking for someone who will actually love her and take care of her.  Her role is a carless teenager in need of help from a loving person!