Proposal

Everyone is in a relationship whether it be with their Mom, Dad, brother, sister, girlfriend/ boyfriend and other relatives or friends. People write stories and poems to tell of their closeness with a special person. Relationships mean everything to anyone who has one and literature can tell through that with any meaning behind whether it is positive or negative.

Poems

"New Friends and Old Friends"- Jospeh Parry; "I Carry Your Heart"- E.E. Cummings; "I Would Have"- Annyomous; "Barbie Doll"- Margie Piercy; Book: "Love You Forever"- Robert Munsch; Song: "My Generation"- Emerson Hart
Song: "My Generation"- Emerson Hart
I love this song because it is the theme song to one of my favorite shows called "American Dreams. The reason it means so much to me is the show was set back in to 1960's and I love history. The song introduces the show and bascially sums up what everything is about on the show. It talks about the generation and I can relate to the song now because the song says 'this is my generation' which means to me live my life and do not take things for granted.
"I Would Have"- Annyomous
This poem speaks to me directly because it was written for me by someone who once was very special to me. They asked if I could not use his name which is fine. The words in the poem describe exactly how he were feelings towards me and vice versa. I love it because it was written for me and I would never take back anything I had with this person.

In Class Work

Hyku:
"Pizza"
The look of a person
With extemely
Bad acne.

Edited Walt Whitman poem "Song About Myself":
I CELEBRATE myself, and sing myself, I love and invite my soul, 
I lean and love at my ease.
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. Every atom of my blood, transformed from this soil, this air.

Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their 
parents the same. Brought down here from God to live a life to be at my fulliest. 
I, now twenty years old in perfect health begin, 
Hoping to cease life, until death.

I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard, 
Nature without check with original energy. Continue to grasp and hold life for what it is and what it shouldn’t be.

Poems

"New Friends and Old Friends" by: Joseph Parry
This poem has been my favorite for a long time. I have moved a lot throughout my childhood and this describes how I have kept my old friends but still have made new friends. I also like it because it describes friendship and how a friendship is in reality. The words in the poem are very sincere and descriptive and it is very touching.
"I Carry Your Heart With Me" by: E.E. Cummings
I love this poem because it makes me think of my sister. This poem was read in the movie "In Her Shoes" and the movie was a about two sisters and their relationship with each other. Basically, the poem as well as the movie made me think of me and my sisters relationship with each other. It is a very moving, touching and heart-warming poem. I always think of my sister when I read it. When I do read it the poem always puts a smile on my face and it is what means the most to me.

Opinion Response to "Marks"

I really liked this poem because it had meaning behind it and made sense to me. The poem in this poem was sick of her family; daughter,son and husband being selfish and unappreciative so she did exactly what I would have done gave up until they realized what they had was awesome. This is coming from the mother's perspective but it seems to be sincerely true of her family. I would never want to be rated or graded by my family. She is a mother not a student. In all honesty, she did the right thing by giving up on her family. I guess in a way one could say she is taking a strike from being a mother for a while. I believe sometimes in life if you love something so much let it go but if it comes back to you it's yours and the mother did just that.

Creative Ad to "Barbie Doll"

Internet Ad for blind dating: "Come find you're true love here through our dating ad!"
Here is an ad from Clarissa...
I am 5'8".
118 is my weight.
My eyes are blue.
I have blond hair too.
I love to chat.
I am deathly allergic to cats.
My body has an hourglass figure.
Do NOT try to give me liquor.
I am naturally tan.
Just try to hold my hand.
I am kind and patient.
Blind dates can make me feel humiliation.
I am NOT just beautiful on the outside;
but I am also, beautiful on the inside.
My looks are NOT at all what you expect.
I am NOT perfect!
So give me a call;
we'll have a ball;
because I look like a Barbie Doll!

Response to "Wedding Ring"

The poem the Wedding Ring was surprising and was not what anyone would expect. One would think that this would be about a wedding and what the ring means behind the relationship. But it was not like that at all. The author, Denise Levertov describes this poem as a divorce and end of a relationship. It really was not dramtic at all and the woman in the poem told her story/poem to be remorseful. Some poems can be sappy and one would wan tto feel pitty for that person. But with the Wedding Ring it is based on the woman getting rid of her ring and everything that went along with her dissovled realtionship. At the end of the poem she says she still wants a friendship out of it; in a way she is trying to make the best out of it with a broken heart. It is all a person can do is to move forward with their life instead of dread on a relationship that is no longer there. The poem is beautifully written and makes a statement for other sappy love poems, which means it was simple and easy to understand.

Response to "Farewell To Manzanar"

The author makes it very clear throughout this novel on how she and her family felt living in the Japanese concentration camps. Especially, when Jeanne talks of religion in one part of the memior. She talks of how she felt when her father would not let her countinue on with her practicing Catholicism. She did not understand her father's views at the time but late on in life she figured out why he did such a thing to her. The nun would not let go and begged of Jeanne's father to let her come back and practice being a Catholic. Her father was livid and turned the nun down. Jeanne became furious with her father at the time but later in life she would thank her father. Her father was stubborn and only wanted what was best for him through his children he was a selfish and self-absorbed person. If one who wanted to become Catholic they would just do it. If she really wanted it she would have went against her father's will and just have been a Catholic. But she did not and she believes it was for the best.

Creative Connection to "Farewell To Manzanar"

For our memior groups we were assigned certain parts or rolls in our groups about stories we had to complete. The rolls in our groups summarized our views and outlooks on how we interpreted the story. My roll in my group is the connector, which is finding certain parts in the story that relates to the real world or relates to one personally. There was a specific part in my memior that I felt had a speific connection to the real world. It was chapter eight when one of the son's, Kiyo punched his father in the face. The reason Kiyo punched his father in the face is because he was beating up the family's mother. The father turned into an alcholic after coming to the Japanese concentration camp during the World War II. The father was punched so hard by his son, his face was gushing blood. I believe this connects with the reality because it was Kiyo's breaking point. He was sick of looking at his father beat his mother. There are plenty families throuhgout this world that suffer from and abusive father because of alcholism. Kiyo is just one of the children throughout this world that just could not sit back anymore and watch his father continually beat his mother. The father was so stubborn Kiyo felt this was the only messege he could send to his father to stop hurting his mother physically, mentally and emotionally. Not only was he protecting his mother but he was also, protecting the other children in the house, as well. I just did not understand why Kiyo apologized to his father after he punched him in the face? Why would his father desereve an apology? I feel Kiyo did nothing wrong and he stood his ground as well as other children of abusive alcholic parents. In life one has to defend another family member if the other family member is in the wrong. Kiyo's father was in the wrong by beating his wife in front of his other children. Therefore, Kiyo was the only one who felt he needed to impose and discenegrate the horrible habbit his father was displaying towards the mother as well as to the others in their family.

Response to "Farewell to Manzanar" through non-fiction

As one is reading this story one can relate it to being non-fiction. the reason is because the story is non-fiction but she expresses her life throughout the whole story. The authour/narator, Jeanne Wakatsuki tells olf the truth of her life and that is what non-fiction is all about. Wakatsuki relates her life through the Japanese concentration camps during World War II as she is telling it through non-fiction. Her story was beatuifully written and anyone who gets the chance should read it. She tells it through her eyes and sometimes one can feel bad at other times it is like why is she tellling us this. This is because she is talking about her life and forming it into reality so maybe another individual could relate. That is what non-fiction is all about.

Definition of Non-fiction

I believe non-fiction can be defined as anything that is true; a story or novel that in reality is true. Non-fiction can aslo mean anything that has true meaning behind and something that another can relate to on a personal level. Also, non-fiction can mean anything that has been researched or explored to become a part of literature.

Opinion to "A Good Man Is Hard To Find"

In all honesty, I believe a good man is really hard to find. There are only a few good men left in our world. I am not trying to be bitter but maybe it is because it is true, I also have been hurt by men in my past. But I am not saying that there is not any good men left there is just not a lot of them to spare. Like, considering the Misfit. When the grandmother tried to talk some sense into the Misfit he did not want to hear it. The Misfit fits under the category of a truly evil bad man. He has no idea how to embrace life. I believe the Misfit choose to be unhappy and I aslo believe that you choose your happiness for youself. He chooses to be unhappy so he takes it out on innocent people. The family the Misfit killed had no right to die they were living life. Like, for instance they were on their way to go to Florida to vacation. The Misfit seemed like he had a respectable childhood; his parents seemed to raise him better than he had turned out to be. I think, being shot is the most tragic way to die. Also, the Misfit had no right to take away an innocent life/lives. This is why the Misfit is not a only a bad man but a horrible person; no remorse for nothing and no one. It is sad to live your life the way the Misfit has. Why is he acting the way he is towards this family and just his life in general?

Creative/Opinion to "A Rose For Emily"

In this short story there were a lot of literary terms like foreshadowing and irony. When the short story started off the towns people discussed of a smell inside Emily's home. They took it to the Board of Alderman to have someone go in and physically take away the horrible smell. When someone from the Board of Alderman said, "It's simple enough... send her word to have the place cleaned up." This I believe foreshadowed the story because she had a dead body living in her home that was why her house smelled so badly. So basically the towns people got rid of the smell but in the end they really did not because they contaminated it by putting lime around the perimeter of her home. It came to the towns people that they should have just looked all throughout the home before they came to contaminate Miss Emily's home.
Another literary term that was used was irony. Emily went to the drugstore to buy something piousness. She claimed she had "rats" in her home. Emily steps up to the counter and said, "I want some poison." Then the druggist says back, "Yes, Miss Emily. What kind? For rats and such, I recom-" She then started staring and says, "I want arsenic... for rats!" What is ironic about this part in the story is that the real reason as to why she was purchasing rat poison was not to use it for rats she did not even have rats in her home. She bought the arsenic to poison Homer Barron her secret lover. Even though she poisoned and killed him in the end she still would always have love for him, until the day she died.

Response to "A Rose For Emily"

This short story was not a sane story. For starters, Emily the main character was mentally, physically and emotionally human. Although, her father made her completely out casted from reality. Emily's father did not want her growing up. But she felt obligated to love him even after he died. He was good to her and after his death she never had to pay taxes. This is why she was excluded from the real world She had no idea what taxes were. He never let Emily love another man besides him. He especially never let her get married off. After Emily's father passed the towns people became of her suspicious ways to the outside world. When the towns people said "We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will." Basically, Emily's father robbed her of her happiness to love anyone other than him. Back then in the late 1800's and early 1900's it was likely that a woman fall in love, get married and start a family when they neared their early
20's. So when the towns people noticed that Emily entering her early thirties was not married off yet they knew that there is something terribly wrong with the Griersons. The people of the town knew that it was a travesty when Emily had not been married by the age of thirty. The towns people quoted "so when she got to be thirty and was still single, we were not pleased exactly, but vindicated; even with insanity in the family she wouldn't have turned down all of her chances if they had really materialized." What the towns people meant by this quote is even though most of the Griersons were crazy they still should have told Emily and made it very clear to her that it is okay to love and have feelings; everyone gets hurt now and again but that is life. This is why the father of Emily stood in the way of Emily's affection to love another man.

Creative/Opinion to "The Management of Grief"

I was not a big fan of this short story. I felt like things were missing from this story. The main character, Shaila I felt was not very descriptive narrator. I felt like the story was here then there and not very a good explanation of what was happening throughout this particular story. I just think it should have been more detailed. It did not hold my attention very well. It was not my favorite short story and I think it should have been more interesting. I felt like she had no feelings and was just there. Shaila really was not very sensitive when her family died and I just think that is the most selfish and self-centered thing that anyone can do when a family member dies. The story really had no meaning behind it, but that is just my opinion.

Creative Poem to "The Yellow Wallpaper"

Once upon a time there lived a woman who is insanly crazy.
She sees outrageous patterns on her bedroom walls.
During the day she is lazy.
When the sunsets she creeps and crawls.

Her husband found them another home and took her away.
She isolated herself inside her new home and felt comfty, spacious and roomy.
She looks at a woman on her walls throughout the night and sleeps during the day.
The husband thinks she is healed but emotionally she feels gloomy.

John, her husband loves her so.
And tries to make her mentally better.
What he does not know,
Is she still is the most selfish person, ever!

She hates looking at the color green.
The only color she wants to see through the walls are yellow.
The crazy lady believes the woman on her wall is quite but can be mean.
In reality the woman on the windows and walls is really her shadow.

Critical Response to "Sonny's Blues"

The short story "Sonny's Blues" basically, describes the integrity in a person. How one person can change everything. Sonny had a real tough childhood. He took life for granted and did not care who he was affecting including his older brother. Sonny never had a plan for his future. He just went with his life as it was happening. he pushed people away that wanted to help him which was his older brother.
Living in the projects as an African-American in Harlem is no walk in the park. That is why Sonny has such a stand off personality. He can not trust anyone accept his music. He relies on his music to get him through anything. Sonny plays his music to escape his life. Sonny is a different person when he is playing his piano. He is intrigued with the person he becomes when his fingers touch the keys.
Sonny's father was a serious man. Throughout Sonny's childhood his father taught him that life is dangerous and that nothing in this world is safe. His father makes it clear to Sonny and his older brother in the story when he says, "Safe, hell! Ain't no place safe for kids, nor nobody." To Sonny, it sent a message that one should trust no one. His father was stubborn and wanted to move away from the projects probably because he was afraid. When Sonny's life was not going well he ran away from his problems. For instance he started to be a musician and use his music as an escape route, joined the navy, became addicted to drugs and then was sent to jail for using drugs. he never let anyone get close to him that is why he did the things he did.
Sonny's mother told his older brother to make sure always watch Sonny because he needs someone to trust. But his older brother tried and Sonny kept putting up his guard of lack of trust for others. One evening, Sonny finally became vulnerable towards his older brother. He specifically made it clear to his brother by saying, "And other times- well, I needed a fix, I needed to clear a space to listen- and I couldn't find it, and I- went crazy, I did things to me, I was terrible for me." Then Sonny asked his brother if he wanted to go see him play his piano at a bar later that night. His brother agreed but was not looking forward to it. When he finally saw Sonny take the stage he realized that this was Sonny's calling, what Sonny was good at and what Sonny wanted for himself. Sonny's brother could not have bee more happier for his brother.

Sadie Bards

I am Sara Bardsley. I am from Brighton Michigan. I am nineteen years old. I am the oldest in my family and I have a little sister. I have one dog and her name is oreo. I am a sophomore in college but this is my first year at Western Michigan. I have been in cheerleading for 6years. I use to be a cheerleader for Western. I am deathly allergic to cats and dislike them very much. I am really close with my mom and we have the same birthday. I am majoring in SPED elementary teacher for cognitvly impaired.