ISP

Poetry ISP-Poet samples

Poet Index

1. Leonard Cohen
2. Katherine Mansfield
3. Rupert Brooke
4. Edgar Allan Poe
5. T.S. Eliot
6. John Masefield
7. Robert Louis Stevenson

Note: For each poet I have analyzed three poems

On My Samples

When assigned with this project I put little thought into my genre of choice. Although most units that we have embarked on in Writer’s Craft this year I have enjoyed, none inspired me the way that poetry did. It was the one unit that felt like it was a piece to the puzzle of my brain. As a result I picked poetry as my genre of study.

Since we finished the unit I have been reading poems by a wide variety of poets trying to determine an educated taste in poetry. As a result I now have a large bank of favourites to choose from. It took me nearly two weeks to choose the ten samples that I did, and my choices were based on the emotions and feeling that their poems evoked from me, where they took me. Each poet that I have chosen felt distinct and different to me and ranks amongst my personal favourites.

I. Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen is brilliant. There aren’t too many other words that can be used to describe him. As one of Canada’s foremost musicians and poets, he has cemented his place in the hearts of minds of many Canadians, but what sets him apart from many of his countrymen is his international success and acclaim, earning him a place not only in Canada’s literary history, but the world’s as well. Although I initially experimented with his poetry because I love the soul that he puts into his music, I found that his poetry is written with even more fluidity and passion. Each of his poems come from his heart, and he seems to wear it on his sleeve. They are written with a raw emotion that is something that I have not ever experienced before. Each poem does an excellent job at conveying bluntly what Cohen was thinking at the time when he wrote it. Through reading his poems, I have identified that one of his strengths is his ability to paint a vivid mental picture in the reader’s head. This intensifies the experience and urges one on to continue reading. Each of his collections appears to be written with a strong political motive that often seems to relate to personal issues that he or someone that he knows has had to contend with in his life. The result brings out feeling and enthusiasm from the dry and simple poems that Cohen writes.

Each poem that I have selected can be found at: http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/poem.html

Poem One: The Genius

The Genius said a lot of things to me. Each time I read it, the intended meaning seemed to uncoil, eventually revealing itself. In my opinion, Cohen was showing how the Jews have endured constant oppression and anti-semitism, and how the public knows it. He is mocking society’s sympathy for the Jews and the falseness of it. What he means is that despite feeling sorry for Jews, we still hold the same stereotypes that we always have, and treat them as lower-case-letters (note that every time he mentions Jew, he does not capitalize it). In every stanza, I saw an image of Cohen standing tall against a backdrop of the presumed Jew. Each time he speaks to me, saying,

“You see? I am none of these things.”

Poem Two: Poem

Simply entitled Poem, this short and beautiful masterpiece reminds me of a colouring book. It seems like a strange comparison, but Cohen gives a black and white picture to you in seven short lines. In this picture you see a man lying in bed next to his wife thinking. He is thinking of another man who he has heard can woo women by simply saying their name. He can’t speak because he is concerned, as he can hear a man climb the stairs and clear his throat in front of their door. When I read Poem, my imagination went into full throttle and constructed an elaborate tale, colouring in Cohen’s outline. I think this was the intended effect that Cohen wanted when he wrote Poem, he wanted to include the reader in the plot, in fact, he wanted to leave the plot in the reader’s hand. After reading Poem, I couldn’t help but feel creative, Cohen had seemed to invest his trust in me to continue his story.

Poem Three: I Wonder How Many People in This City

This poem actually made me laugh out loud. I was immediately able to relate to Cohen’s train of thought in I Wonder How Many People in This City. He demonstrates a constant curiosity that I, like him, have often wondered if anyone else has. He starts off with a thought, random to the reader, but effective in drawing them and making them curious. He then makes a generalization, as if he is attempting to make sure the reader stays interested. Then he closes with another thought, probably leading him to repeat a similar process. While many might find a poem such as this to be peculiar, I found that it spoke to me. Every step that Cohen took in this poem is a step that I take on a day to day basis. But I have found that he is very good at that, breaking down barriers with the reader, by relating himself to them, with poetry.

II. Katherine Mansfield

Katherine Mansfield was a modernist writer from New Zealand. She earned international and national acclaim for her magnificent short stories, but as a result, her poetry is often forgotten. I accidently stumbled upon some of her poems and loved them. They are written from a place of joy and happiness, fueled simply by what is good in life. In some poems Mansfield describes something often thought of as horrible, like a goblin, in a jovial and light way, like a bumble-bee. She wrote in a straightforward and laid back fashion, purposeful relaxation. Katherine Mansfield’s poetry takes me to a very specific place: the top of a grassy hill, the sun is shining, the air is cool, all is well.

Poem One: Camomile Tea

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/camomile-tea/

Camomile Tea, like its namesake, is a soft and sensual poem. Mansfield writes in the persona of a young female lover. This character is overwhelmed by who she is with, thinking that a moment like this could only come once in a lifetime. In thinking this, she internalizes all of her surroundings, in an effort to remember every bit of that night. It is written in a purely joyful form, mimicking the actual human feeling that one would receive in a situation like this. Underneath, however, I could sense a twinge of regret, at the character’s subliminal thought of a possible unhappy ending to her love story, but also a feeling of optimism that a better result may instead be the outcome. This poem is significant because it represents the early days of love, pure bewilderment and awe forcing the lovers to attempt to permanently remember their time together. It also represents these days by providing undertones of hope and uneasiness that almost always exist during this time. Mansfield was probably writing from experience, which is why she does it so well.

Poem Two: In the Rangitaiki Valley

http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-ManLife-t1-body1-d15-d2-x23-t1.html

This poem by Katherine Mansfield describes a lush and wild valley in New Zealand called the Rangitaiki Valley. From what I have read about this poem, it is based upon a childhood experience that Mansfield had there and an adult experience that she had in London. What I find interesting about this poem is not the memory itself, but the romantic and adulterous undertones that are provided by Mansfield. The poem was not published until about ten years after Mansfield’s death, and could be written for one of her female lovers. The comparison between her adult life and her life as a child in this poem mesh together very nicely and create a simple and timeless description of the joy of life.

Poem Three: When I was a Bird

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/when-i-was-a-bird/

This poem took me back to my childhood. I used to assume alter-egos that were determined by my mood, just as Mansfield does here in this poem. This poem is light-hearted and childish, it is utterly happy, and their is no other way to describe it. Mansfield portrays the simplistic mind of a child accurately and imaginatively. When I read it I found that it vividly painted a picture in my mind of the setting, time and place. As I said before, it took me back to my childhood on the farm in Bedford, New York, climbing trees and playing with friends. For a moment, my mind reverted to what it once was, completely dictated by my imagination. What When I was a Bird lacks in complexity, it makes up for in charm.

1. Rupert Brooke

Rupert Brooke is one of the most recognizable war poets of all time. Although he never experienced combat first hand, he wrote many poems that idealistically depicted life in war. His poetry gained him many admirers throughout the commonwealth, most notably Winston Churchill. He, like many modern artists, achieved much of his immense success posthumously, and has since been remembered as one of the most influential English poets of the early 20th century.

Poem One: The Soldier

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/1914-v-the-soldier/

Almost certainly Brooke’s most famous poem, The Soldier was written in the early stages of the First World War as part of his 1914 war sonnets. Its tone is very inspirational, and has feels as if it is written to be propaganda. In fact, it was not written as propaganda, but merely from Brooke’s slightly naive perspective on war. The poem basically outlines this anonymous soldier’s willingness to die for his country, knowing that he is fighting for England, the greatest nation on earth. In hindsight, Brooke’s view on war was very representative of that of the general public of the time. This accuracy provides a valuable historical insight into the young person’s mind in 1914. The Soldier opened my eyes to the ignorance of the youthful population of this era, but in a strange way it also made going to war for one’s country seem justified and good.

Poem Two: Home

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/home-9/

Home is a poem that I believe to be a hidden gem amongst Rupert Brooke’s work. It is a sad tale that contrasts the more optimistically themed works that he is more famous for. It is about a man who has a falsified sense of happiness, peace and quiet next to the fireplace after a long day. But this is not what makes him happy, it merely serves as a mask for his constant loneliness. When he walks into his room he thinks he sees a woman, but she is just a hallucination. All night he cannot sleep, because this image has suddenly allowed him to realize how lonely he really is. What Brooke meant to say in Home is simply that everybody needs a companion. Nobody really wants or likes to be alone.

Poem Three: A Channel Passage

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-channel-passage/

As you can tell by the title, A Channel Passage is about the crossing of a channel (presumably the English Channel). Brooke beautifully composes a story of heartache and seasickness, an understated example of dark wit in poetry. The ship that this character is on is tossing and rolling in the rough seas, and he can feel himself getting sick. In order to avoid getting sick, the character decides that he must think of something else, in other words, occupy himself mentally. The first thought that comes to his head is that of a former lover, one who has broken his heart. He immediately becomes ‘you-sick’ in his soul. Brooke leaves the reader with the decision on whether or not the character should be heartsick or seasick. In a strange way I fount this poem to be moving, in that it demonstrated the profuse love and dedication that the character had towards his former lover. As we all know, being denied something that is necessary for your happiness is devastating. Most, if faced with the decision that Brooke leaves us, would choose to be sick in the stomach rather than in the heart. Nothing is worse than a broken heart.

IV. Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most well loved American writers of all time. In fact, he is more known for his writing of novels, ranging from romantic to mystery to science fiction. When I picked Poe, I thought of him as a poet more than a writer, but historically this is not the case. His poems and novels are known for influencing and characterizing a new generation of writers of all kinds in the United States. Some of the writers that were kick-started by Poe’s brilliance are greats such as Mark Twain and Robert Frost. Edgar Allan Poe is without a doubt one of the forefathers of American literature and will always remembered for the stunningly natural style in which he wrote.

Poem One: A Dream

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-dream-2/

One of Poe’s shorter poems, A Dream comments on the immense disappointment that is experienced upon waking after a joyful dream. It is a feeling that we all get from time to time. Hopes of the dream’s truthfulness in the morning being shattered by a sudden realization that it is, in fact, just a dream. But Poe goes on to imply that this shattering in the morning is an unnecessary step. He seems to challenge the reader to adopt a more optimistic perspective into dreams. If you can think of it at night, in your imagination, what is to prevent it from happening in real life? Obviously this can’t always be the case, but adopting a mindset like this could certainly increase the hope and promise that you hold in your life.

Poem Two: The City in the Sea

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-city-in-the-sea/

The City in the Sea is one of Poe’s more well known poems, as well as one of his darkest. It outlines a city underneath the sea that is ruled by death. It is alluded to that this place is worse than hell, and that death is worse than the devil. The poem was written around the same time that Poe’s brother Henry was dying of tuberculosis and presents a certain darkness that can only stem from a place of personal heartache. His negative outlook on death at the time can probably be attributed to the passing, or impending passing of Henry, with whom Edgar was very close. Before I was aware of Poe’s background information I thought that The City in the Sea was referencing the city of Atlantis, which does seem rather impractical. But as I read up on Poe and repeated reading the poem, I recognized the bitter tone in which it is written, which hinted at its origins of negativity towards death and the afterlife.

Poem Three: To My Mother

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/to-my-mother/

To My Mother is a poem that Poe wrote for his mother-in-law and aunt. He wrote this to express to her his deep and unfailing love for her, as she is the mother of his true love, his wife. Of all of Poe’s poems I have found this to be the most profound. He wrote this soon after his wife’s death, and in a way it serves as a thank you note to his mother-in-law. What is striking is exactly how much he loves this woman, even going so far as to say that the angels above are awestruck at the amount of love he has displayed unto her. I find that this poem reads well, and is presented in such a form that it is easy to dissect. This is pleasing to the reader because it does not provide a daunting task to read, but still does not lose its meaning. It is without a doubt my favourite of Poe’s poems.

V. T.S. Eliot

T.S. Eliot was an English-American poet who is widely considered to be the most important poet of the 20th century. His work contained interesting elements combing his American heritage with his adopted English nationality, which created pieces that were American at heart and British in the head. His unique style changed the face of poetry forever, and helped initiate the modernistic movement in literature, particularly poetry. His popularity was immense throughout his life and has maintained for the years after his death. Each of the poems that I have chosen to analyze are from my favourite collection of Eliot’s poems, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.

Poem One: The Rum Tum Tugger

http://www.catquotes.com/therumtumtugger.htm

This poem, like most out of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, is a quirky and hilarious poem. In reading it, I can’t help but grin. From my experience with cats, they are all hard to please, just as the Rum Tum Tugger is. The lightheartedness of The Rum Tum Tugger is surprisingly just a mask for the look into the contrarian psychology of cats that Eliot was trying to uncover. Not only was this poem captivating, but it also laid out all of the personality difficulties that I have had with cats, which was not something that I expected to find. T.S. Eliot, has shown me the reason that I dislike cats so much.

Poem Two: Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer

http://www.angelfire.com/mi/JellicleBall/Mungo.html

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer has to be one of the most humorous pieces of literature that I have ever read. I think it might even be funnier than Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat. This poem’s jovial nature and simplicity make it a joy to read. This being said, it possess very little meaning and is just a play on the cat burglar. I feel that if Eliot had tried to create some sort of meaning underneath the plot than it would be a more enriching read, and would certainly be a little bit more fun to read. This being said, I would not try and change any of the plot if it was at the expense of the humour.

Poem Three: Mr. Mistoffelees

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/t__s__eliot/poems/15147

This poem is once again a look into the complex psychology of cats, through poetry. Eliot is using satirical tactics and a humourous plot to try and captivate the reader and show them how clever and manipulative cats can be. It, like nearly every poem of this collection made me laugh out loud on repeated occasions, and it did so by telling a story fit for all ages!

VI. John Masefield

John Masefield was the Poet Laureate of Great Britain from 1930 until 1967. He is remembered for his humility and also for his willingness to perform his duties as the Poet Laureate to the utmost of his ability. He was one of Jaquie Onassis Kennedy’s favourite poets and has many of his poems included in her book, Best Loved Poems of Jaqueline Onassis Kennedy. He was an avid reader and was heavily influenced by Robert Louis Stevenson and Geoffrey Chaucer. Masefield was an incredibly hard worker and did not slow at all until the age of seventy. John Masefield will forever be remembered as one of Britain’s favourite and most well loved poets.

Poem One: Cargoes

http://www.almosul.org/cargoes__by_john_masefield.htm

Cargoes is an fascinating poem about the cargoes that ships of great civilizations have carried throughout time. In the first two stanzas the ships and the cargoes that they are carrying are romanticized. Masefield paints a vivid picture of elegant ships and exotic cargoes in the first two stanzas, these great mental pictures put the reader in a place of historical bliss. In the third stanza, however, the reader is rudely awoken by the crude image of an industrial era steam ship carrying industrial era cargo. In a sense, Masefield may have been intending to demonstrate the evolution of discovery through ships’ cargo: Discovery-Cultivation/Greed-Industrial.

Poem Two: An Epilogue

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/an-epilogue/

This poem is simple and stunning. It is a classic message, combining, “You can’t judge a book by its cover”, and, “Everyone and everything can be, and is, capable of anything”. At times when I have felt down or when I have doubted myself, or others, this poem I have used as an inspiration. It truly is a life lesson.

Poem Three: The Seekers

http://www.poemsabout.org/the-seekers-john-masefield/

The Seekers is a poem that covers the constant quest by some to find the City of God. It is an interesting take on religion and dedication to religion. In a nutshell, the poem states that in order to find this mystical city you must be dead, but still many, even with this knowledge carry on in their search. I found The Seekers to be an accurate take on the fanaticism that is often demonstrated by hardcore religious followers.

1. Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson was a great Scottish novelist an poet of the 19th century. He is known primarily for works such as Treasure Island and the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Me. Hyde, but that is not all that he wrote. Throughout his time as an author Stevenson compiled a great deal of poetry. In fact, his poetry is so well regarded that it served as a major influence to poets such as Rudyard Kipling, Ernest Hemingway, John Masefield and many others. He fell out of favour in the mid 20th century, but has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity.

Poem One: The Land of Counterpane

http://www.bartleby.com/246/955.html

The Land of Counterpane is a charming poem by Stevenson. It describes a child’s effort to amuse himself while he is sick. In a time when medicine was neither reliable or desirable, fun was one of the few cures that could work. Stevenson shows that here. I loved the poem simply because I remember doing the same thing every time I got sick as a kid.

Poem Two: The Swing

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-swing/

The Swing is a timeless escape from the stresses of everyday. For children it represents mere fun, but for adults and teenagers, it is a metaphor for the importance of getting away. Stevenson is simply trying to inform the reader that every now and then you should take a break from the brown and bland workings of everyday life, and take a peak at the broader, prettier picture, the big picture. That way you will not become one dimensional.

Poem Three: Foreign Lands

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/foreign-lands/

This poem by Stevenson documents a child’s ascent into his imagination. This takes place gradually as he climbs a cherry tree. With every step that he takes, his imagination further expands and opens up. He wants to keep climbing, deeper into his imagination, deeper into his fantastical world of paradise. This poem was one that I found to be particularly enjoyable. My mind opens up to distraction and I always want to delve deeper into that world. I found with this, and other poems that I can relate to, that I really get what the author is trying to convey.

Mary Rogan Blog

The class that Mary Rogan came in to explain the art of investigative journalism was a wonderful experience. It provided a template for our investigative pieces and inspiration to improve them. The three works by Mary Rogan that I have chosen are Josef Penninger, A Little Bird Told Me, and Everyone Wants a Piece of John Tavares. Each of these articles stood out to me based on their ability to relate to me, and I assume, almost every reader.

Typically I have held no interest in science, or talking birds, or even the family life of young stars, but somehow these articles seemed to engage me. They read like a story and were written using relevant information. By that I mean that it contained pop culture references, not just recognizable to an adult male reading esquire, but also to teenagers and women and anybody else who was reading these articles. Mary’s ability to keep the interest of the reader is further demonstrated with her unfailing sense of humour. Her sharp, dry wit features prominently in all of her pieces. In particular I found that the sarcasm that Mary demonstrated in A Little Bird Told Me was especially amusing: “I didn’t go to Boston to hear Alex speak. There’s a parrot right here in Toronto who sits in a cage outside a pet shop and creams ‘Fuck you’ if you say hello to him. No, I came to Boston to see Alex think”. The bluntness and unexpected profanity are what, to me, makes this so funny. The weird bit about Mary’s writing is that this strange, witty, real life style of humour exists and thrives in all of all of her pieces, regardless of the levity.

In order to understand and stay interested in news articles, one must have a general understanding of who or what they are reading about. In Mary Rogan’s pieces she provides this background for you. She does this through literary allusions. This is displayed with the most prevalence in her piece Josef Penninger. In this article it would be impossible to anything at all that is being talked about without some scientific knowledge. She goes through Josef’s personal literary history by referencing work that Josef has done in various fields and the books and papers that he has written on this eclectic array of subjects within the wide spectrum of science. She also references the work of scientists that Josef has collaborated with in the past like Tak Mak and George Wick. These literary allusions act as the mortar between the bricks of the story that she tells in this article. They fill in the gaps and effectively glue the article together. The literary allusions also serve the purpose of proving that what she says is true.

Part of what makes Mary’s work so credible is that she goes to the source to get the best information available. It seems that she does not write about something unless she can go directly to the people that have been or are immediately involved with the subject that she is investigating. In every piece she goes to the trouble of documenting her journey to the source, which adds colour to the article. But the true colour of Mary’s articles comes from her glowing personality and ever present personal perspective. Regardless of the topic, Mary’s personality shines through the piece as if it were written to be translucent. I found that her pieces are not written to be objectionable or opinionated, but they nonetheless contain subliminal undertones of perspective underneath the meat of the article.

The three pieces that I have chosen are just three in a host of well written and unique articles that are not only enjoyable, but thought provoking. In her writing she manages to effectively display five prominent traits in particular, these are: pop culture references, literary allusion, use of humour, source, and her own personal perspective and personality. Through these she crafts wonderful and easy to read articles that I, personally hope to come across in the future.

The Bishop's Man

Book: The Bishop's Man

Author: Linden MacIntyre

Chapter One

From what I have read of the Bishop's Man, it seems to be deserving of its Giller Prize victory. The chapter opens with a mystery drawing the reader into its plot. As you continue, you begin to find out more about the character. You find out that he is a war child and a priest. You find out his age and little bits about his past and what his job in the priesthood entails. MacIntyre uses a lot of detail in moments where detail is appropriate. His writing style is very thoughtful and seems to follow the same path that the mind would follow in real life. This effect makes the story feel interactive.

MacIntyre uses a lot of flashbacks in this excerpt. As a result of this, the reader can clearly map out the character progressions. What I found particularly unique about these progressions was the simplicity of some. For example the character progression of Dan MacKay was recognized by one exchange of dialogue. It showed his advancement from "Danny Bad" to a family man in Dan MacKay. The progress made by the main character, Father MacAskill, is all mental. He still does the dirty work for the Bishop as he did at the beginning, but he now has reluctance in his duties. The Bishop seems to remain a self absorbed man who does not want to get tangled up in anything from start to finish.

I felt that MacIntyre's usage of flashbacks and dialogue made this story an enjoyable and fascinating ride for the reader. His impeccable use of detail was unconventional and really seemed to compliment his writing style and the plot development. The end of Chapter One really enticed me to read on.

The Translator-10 Blogs Assignment

Blog 1

The Translator-Daoud Hari

“I am sure you know how important it can be to get a good phone signal. We were speeding through the hot African desert in a scratched and muddy Land Cruiser that had been much whiter a week earlier. Our driver, a Darfur tribesman like me, was swerving through thorny acacia bushes, working the gears expertly in the deep sands of another, and always another ravine, which we call a wadi, and sailing over the bumps in the land—there are no roads to speak of…” –Pg. 1

This is the opening passage in Daoud Hari’s The Translator. It is very effective in immediately engaging the reader by almost talking to him/her, “I am sure you know how important it can be to get a good phone signal.” Hari then begins to take the reader on his journey through the desert. The language he uses is simple but effective for it reaches one on a personal level. The detail that Hari provides puts the reader in the place of a passenger on that muddy Land Cruiser. One can almost see the mountains of sand as they drive by. This passage prides a good start to a wonderful account of a tribesman’s journey through Darfur.

Blog 2

The Translator-Daoud Hari

“In the Tine marketplace, men were cleaning their guns—mostly old rifles and Kalashnikovs—and talking about where they might be most useful. They were buying and trading ammunition and supplies. Others, without guns, were also organizing to go back into Darfur to find relatives and friends. That, of course was my situation, and I was soon on the road.”-Pg. 35

In this passage, Mr. Hari provides a marketplace scene. Where this place may have once been an area of trade and innocent purchases, it is now basically a military checkpoint. He describes this scene with an undertone of sadness and regret, but he acknowledges that he is participating, albeit positively. His diction and sentence structure is again simple, but in a way this makes it even more powerful. The lack of detail in this passage contrasts a lot of what is found in the rest of book, but it leaves room for imagination. His matter of fact tone offers a simple sense of reality.

Blog 3

The Translator-Daoud Hari

“See you soon, Daoud,” said an old school friend with a serious smile, meaning not in this lifetime.”-Pg. 47

This is a short and moving passage. It demonstrates the enormous magnitude of the situation in Darfur. Although short, the selected text is very well expressed. In this scene Hari is moving towards his childhood village just days before he knows it will be attacked. There is a certain undertone of sadness and sorrow that resonates through to the heart of the reader.

Blog 4

The Translator-Daoud Hari

“I walked into the family enclosure where a donkey, several goats, and some chickens watched my arrival. My father was on the far side of the village with some other men, as were my brothers. I saw my mother under the shade rood attached to the cooking hut; she was with my sister Ayasha and with several other women of the village; they were all in mourning. Mother looked very old now. Her hair was matted with the earth of grieving. She wore dark clothing, a dark shawl over her old head. She saw me and wept her hands, as if to think that my homecoming had to be at such a time.”-Pg. 48

This quote does a marvellous job in displaying the endless mourning of war. Hari makes it clear that although his homecoming is meant to be a joyous occasion he is still met with grieving family and friends. The passage displays how war can tear apart life in all forms. The usage of words is again simple and contains an undertone of sorrow for the current situation in Darfur and the impending danger. The words that Hari uses allow the reader to let his/her imagination reign free.

Blog 5

The Translator-Daoud Hari

“It is interesting how many ways there are for people to be hurt and killed, and for villages to be terrorized and burned, and for children to die in deserts, and for young mothers o suffer. I would say that these ways to die in deserts, and for young mothers to suffer. I would say that these ways to die and suffer are unspeakable, and yet they were spoken: we interviewed 1,134 human beings over the next weeks; their stories swirled through my near-sleepless nights. I found that if I made little drawings of the scenes described to me, it would sometimes get the stories out of my head long enough for me to get some sleep…”-Pg. 84

This bit of Hari’s inspiring tale is very jolting. It demonstrates, as he phrased it, the unspeakable horrors of genocide. He also identifies clearly that those who have been at the receiving end of the war are human beings. It is clear that in this particular part of the book he has carefully chosen the words to phrase himself. One can easily tell that the sentence structure is carefully made to evoke the most emotion (and rightfully so) from the reader.

Blog 6

The Translator-Daoud Hari

“…Here is a woman in a small shelter of wood sticks and white plastic, living with her four small children. Her husband and two other children were killed when her village was attacked. Her surviving children often go to sleep hungry because the monthly food ration from the U.N. is not enough. Even so, she always sells some of the wheat in the nearest market so she can buy nutritious foods such as milk, meat, and vegetables. She is trying very hard, but you can see that her children have patches of deep orange in their hair, which means malnutrition…”-Pg. 89

Mr. Hari has clearly structured his sentences here to almost include the reader in his tale. He beckons the reader to join him. The engaging style in which he writes makes this part of the book all the more enjoyable. It is admirable the way he tells stories like this with no extrapolation; this speaks of his character and humanly qualities. His diction represents a desirable flow and movement from word to word. This too catches the reader’s interest and encourages them to continue following Hari’s incredible quest.

Blog 7

The Translator-Daoud Hari

“The Heat wakes you up in N’Djamena. The Children playing outside your door also wake you. I had taken a small room in a low, mud-walled building of eight families, so I can testify to this. Men and boys on camels, riding along the dirt streets to market, shouting from camel to camel, wake you up, too-though it is not unpleasant to hear this as you wake, for the French and Arabic of N’Djamena blend together very musically. Little scrappy motorcycles also wake you up and you can smell their smoke…”-106

The detail and happiness behind Hari’s words is a reminder that there is a little joy to be found in the smallest of things, regardless of the situation one finds themselves in. Hari manages to express in his word the utmost joy for the wonders of life. Once again, his structure beckons the reader to join him in his story. This engaging style is not only interesting, but also fun to read.

Blog 8

The Translator-Daoud Hari

“Some of the BBC had to return to Chad, where they were in a medical clinic for three days to recover from what they saw, and smelled, and learned about the nature of what must simply be called evil.”-Pg. 113

Hari’s “no frills” writing style resurfaces here. He explains in a matter of fact manner the nature of evil. He uses simple language to describe a simple occurrence. In a sense he could go into greater detail, but that would take away from his trademark style. As with everything Hari writes, this short passage has a defined undertone to it. This one in particular is of mortification regarding the Sudanese governments treatment of its own people. It is also of sadness for the reporters’ sickness.

Blog 9

The Translator-Daoud Hari

“They didn’t shoot us. They sat us under a tree and we waited. We got a little sleep finally. Nine rebel commanders soon arrived for a meeting a little ways away in the rocks. I knew two of the men from previous trips when this rebel group had not joined with the government. It was raining and each drop of it felt good on my face.”-Pg. 129

This passage first indicates a downtrodden and dejected mood from Daoud. As this excerpt progresses, however, his attitude changes to pleasure. He notices the presence of some men that he knows and this could bode well for his situation. He again uses basic sentence structure, to explain a situation that is relatively complex. He demonstrates that hope is always present through his magnificent storytelling.

Blog 10

The Translator-Daoud Hari

“At this time, though we did not know it, letters from big stars such as Bono and from famous leaders such as Jimmy Carter and Jesse Jackson were piling up on this man’s desk-copies of letters sent to President Bashir. The Vatican had even written, and the government of France. When I heard about these things several days later, I hoped that Bashir was a stamp collector, because this would be a good time for him…”-171

This is a humorous passage from the closing chapters Hari’s book. Bashir, someone who has done so much wrong to Hari is being wished well from Daoud. Not only is this surprising, but it is also touching. His unfaltering positive attitude is admirable and clearly expressed here. Hari seems to be flattered by the international interest being shown in him, and he is grateful for it. By the words chosen he could not describe this in a more evident fashion.

Cutty, One Rock: The Dog, The Family: A Household Tale

August Kleinzahler lived a very interesting and odd childhood. His life was filled with a group of unconventional people and events. One can immediately tell that this will be a humorous and interesting tale when it opens with the line, “I was raised by the dog”. His unique upbringing was a direct result from his eccentric parents. With both of them often gone, August was initially raised by his Eastern European nanny. This resulted in August being in possession of a “Kafka” accent. After that phase of his life ended he was raised almost solely by his dog named Grand. As a result of this, August was said to have looked like his dog.

What made August Kleinzahler’s upbringing significantly different from the average child was not the fact that he was brought up by figures other than his parents, it was the way that they raised him. His parents appeared to care how young August turned out, but not how he was raised. This resulted in a humorous and unconventional raising. The hilarity is resulting in August’s dry wit and light-hearted outlook on life. Despite the obvious flaws in parenting during his childhood, I think that Klenizahler turned out all right.

The Glass Castle

In Jeanette Walls’ memoir The Glass Castle, the author does a good job of establishing a tone and allowing the reader to understand the situation. The contrast that she provides is an excellent way of introducing conflict and adding character to the story. The beginning of the piece gives the reader a vibe that Ms. Wells’ tale will be that of an upper class woman in New York City. When Ms. Wells’ mother is introduced, then the story truly begins. The tone set is that of conflicting ideas and lifestyles. And you, as the reader, are immediately on side with the plot.

Wells demonstrates a masterful use of diction. Each word is chosen carefully and cleverly to truly represent what she is trying to say. She uses simple metaphors to implant a picture into the readers mind, and then goes on in great detail about certain occurrences. As a writer, using diction well is a skill that takes years of practice and although Ms. Wells is only on her second book, she demonstrates that she is a natural. Her masterful use of diction truly enhances the story and the characters inside of it.