Tuesday 23 April 2013

Intro to Poetry

Yesterday in class, we had a discussion about poetry. We discussed what poetry was, what the difference between poetry and prose was and the characteristics of poetry.

I learnt things such as poems have a definite structure and don't need to be grammatically correct while prose's were the opposite. Poems use descriptive language and use literary tools such as metaphors, similes and personification. Poems are also written in stanzas and there are many different types of poems such as haikus, acrostic poems and limericks.

I don't think poetry is always shown through poems. There can be poetic lines in a story, or a picture could look poetic. What about a song, or a movie?

I think analyzing poetry can be fun sometimes depending on the type of poem since it's kind of like reading between the lines. It would be really confusing though, if you didn't know what was going on in the poem and what it was about.

I don't really like reading poetry or listening to poetic things so I don't have a favorite work of poetry but I hope to get into poetry more and start reading/listening to some as well.

Just now in class, we learnt a lot about analyzing poems and definitions of words related to poetry such as stanza, lineation and economy of verse. We also tried breaking up a poem that was mushed together.

It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be and it was sort of fun reading the poem and trying to structure it properly.

Monday 25 February 2013

Reading 'What is the What'

It's been about over a month since we were given 'What is the What' to read. I have read almost 300 pages and so far, I think the book is going okay.

In the book, there are some parts that I like and some parts that I find extremely boring, to be honest. The parts I enjoyed the most were the ones told by the older Achak about how he got to Ethiopia and the stories about the lost boys and the things they encountered. I found the part where he talked about his sponsors in America really boring and I soon got confused about what was going on. I really didn't like the parts when Achak described the elephant and the hyenas attacking a dead body. They were probably a bit too descriptive for me to read.

My favorite part was when Achak's home was taken over by the Murhaleens and he had to run away. It was a real cliff hanger and I was thrilled to read more, to see what would happen to Achak.

'What is the What' is not the type of book I would pick up to read by choice, but so far I guess it's going okay. Some parts are action-packed, while the others could put you to sleep (in my opinion). I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Monday 4 February 2013

Blogging is NOT an Important Part of English Class

           Blogging is a way of expressing your feelings and thoughts through text, in a place where many people can see it. Blogging is not an important part of English class because students can do just fine without have to blog about random subjects. If they wanted to, a person could write about what they wanted on their blogs, but it isn't necessary. It's been about six months since school started and in RKe, not many people are active bloggers. Even without blogging often, everyone seems to be doing just fine  with their writing skills. Furthermore, it can make a student stressed if they were ever forced to blog about their inner thoughts, something they did not want to share with the world. This could lead to pressure on the student. In conclusion, blogging should not be an important part of English class and students should be able to blog by choice.

How To Write About India


       When writing about India, always use the word ‘India’ or ‘Desi’ in your title. This will tell the reader what you’re writing about. Never have a picture of a sophisticated lifestyle on the cover. Always make sure the picture is either of the Taj Mahal, or the homeless children living in the slums. If you want to give the reader a real taste of the Indian culture, make sure you include the following points in your writing. 
       India is a land of the snake charmers. The roads are populated with cows and dogs, don’t even bother trying to get anywhere in 5 minutes. It will take you at least half an hour with all the traffic and chaos. Warn them, don’t be surprised if they see monkeys and elephants everywhere you go. India is full of insects. Mosquitoes, rates, cockroaches and lizards. Everywhere you look, there will definitely be some in your sight. Describe how everyone either lives on the road, or in the slums. There are no modern apartments or houses, just slums if any. 
       All your characters should worship Bollywood. They should burst into song and dance at the weirdest times, with backup dancers randomly appearing behind them, and color everywhere. All the guys should live cricket. Talk cricket, play cricket. They won’t be able to go a second without cricket. Cricketers are worshiped like gods. You can’t go 10 meters without seeing an advertisement with a cricket or Bollywood star on it. What about the Indian music? Contain the characters hearing the tablas and sitars playing. 
       If writing a love story, make sure the main character is named Raj, or Ram. He should be dark skinned with jet black hair and when speaking, has a thick Indian accent with a narrow vocabulary of English words. This Raj or Ram’s love interest should come from a very conservative family who do not approve of their relationship, especially the father. Do not forget to mention how the two families have a dark history between them. 
     Include how religious these families are. Every morning, the female should get up and go to a temple within her home, and pray to Hinduism’s many gods. Every year, the woman should make a big deal about fasting for her husband/the man she loves. This should result in a big melodramatic conflict which is usually solved when the main character goes all heroic on you. Make sure that festival takes place during the time span of your story, it adds a lot of drama. 
      One thing you should never forget to include, is Indian food. Incorporate the detail: the appearance, the smell and the taste in the variety of the country’s food. The naan, butter chicken, chicken tikka, dals and so on. 
      Lastly, talk about how all parents want their child to be an engineer or a doctor. Indians are known as the smart ones. Supposedly excellent at math. So why not include that in your story? End with a saying by a man very important to India, Mahatma Gandhi. Congratulations, you now know how to write about India!