Blog 2 - Tuba Ahmed - Period 2 - 4/5/21 - Freshman 2021
Aim: How are metaphors used by writers to send meaning to readers?
Do now: Love is...
This do now is asking what love means to us, and our classmates came up with answers such as love is family, love is everywhere, love is affection, and more. These different answers symbolize how all of us view the concept of love and how we all feel about love. We all have different understandings of love and the do now really shows the different ways we can perceive it. I personally answered that love is a warm and comforting feeling. This is because to me you need to feel at ease when you experience love. I am able to connect this do now back to the original aim, since love can be described as many different things, but all the things we stated are not literal definitions to love.
Vocabulary
Metaphors- A metaphor is a figure of speech that shows a comparison between 2 different things. However they are not like similes, which are obvious. Metaphors are implied in writings and often uses the verb form “To be”. “To be” includes many forms such as ‘is, are, was, were, will be, and more. Metaphors are different from similes because similes are direct statements that are explicitly written. It’s easy to notice a simile because they mainly use the words “like” or “as”. Metaphors use different forms of “to be” to describe something in a way that is not direct.
Extended metaphors- Extended metaphors are different from regular metaphors because they are developed over several lines. Extended metaphors require a lot of detail to paint the picture of the actual metaphor it is about.
Spirit reading
After doing some spirit reading from “Poetry for everyday life” We can see that metaphors are very commonly used. In the first paragraph, it refers to 4 different metaphors being used in a single sentence that reads “Britain’s recovery from the worst recession in decades is gaining traction, but confused economic data and the high risk of hung Parliament could yet snuff out its momentum.” As we continue to read this, the writer goes more in depth, explaining how we use different types of metaphors to correlate with different situations such as a marriage or time. The writer shows that being aware of metaphors is important, since the more we know about metaphors the more we are able to think critically. This is because we are able to make connections and notice patterns when navigating through metaphors, since we have to take a moment to understand what is really happening. Since metaphors are implicit, a reader would have to dig into the deeper meaning. Therefore, awareness of metaphors strengthens our comprehension.
Class discussion
The class read the poem “Hope is the thing with feathers“ by Emily Dickinson. One important thing about the poem is the use of punctuation. We often use punctuation wrong, but an easy way to think about it is to stop when we feel like taking a breath. When we want to take a pause, we can add punctuation. Moving on to the question, “How does the author utilize the extended metaphor to express a theme or message to the reader?” The author says that Hope is the thing with feathers. This is the metaphor itself, but keeps expanding on this idea throughout the poem, which gives us a better understanding of the feelings in this poem. The feelings that are being expressed here really show how the idea of ‘hope’ is a concept that can keep someone going even when they feel like giving up. This is why the poet refers to hope being the thing with feathers, it always sings, and doesn’t stop.
Team work
First, we read the poem “Mother to Son” By Langston Hughes:
“Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
5 And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare.
But all the time
I'se been aclimbin' on,
10 And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back.
15 Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
20 And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.”
My group and I thought that the metaphor in this poem was that life is not always going to be an easy path to take. The crystal stair symbolizes that “easy path” and the tacks/splinters symbolize the obstacles that one might face when trying to go on their own path. From the mother’s perspective, she understands that life may not be easy but there is no reason to back down and shy away from these obstacles. She is actually encouraging her son to keep going because she believes that if she could do it, then he can too.
Next we read “The Rose That Grew From Concrete” By Tupac Shakur:
Did you hear about the rose that
grew from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it
learned to walk without having feet.
[5] Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.
We all had similar interpretations of this poem. Valerie, who is one of my team members, suggested that this poem could be about an individual against society. I agree with this, since the individual can be the rose, and the concrete is the society in this poem. However the concrete doesn’t have to be only society, it can be any obstacle that someone is facing. The concrete is something that is holding you down, and stopping you from being great. The rose is able to break down these barriers and show through the concrete. Also, a rose growing through concrete is unusual, but also a beautiful sight to see. This can mean that it’s a great thing when someone is able to break through.
After comparing these poems, we realized that a common theme that is being displayed here is determination. Life will always throw something at you, and it will definitely not be easy. But you have to try your best to overcome the obstacles that stand in your way. Hard times don’t last forever, and you have to keep pushing until you break through.
Reflection
This lesson taught me the importance of metaphors in poetry. However, metaphors are commonly used, and they are not limited to being found in poetry. The use of metaphors helps people understand the feeling of what they are reading/hearing/experiencing. With metaphors, we are able to interpret things in our own way, instead of being told exactly what something is and how we are supposed to view it. Using and understanding metaphors is an important thing, even in daily life since we hear them everywhere. For example, metaphors are largely found in music, and it may gives the songs we listen to more meaning when we understand the metaphors. I listen to music on a regular basis, and understanding metaphors could help me feel what the singer/songwriter is feeling in their voice and words. It gives the music more meaning, and allows me to think deeper than the lyrics. However this is not the only time metaphors are useful. Sometimes we might use metaphors in conversations without realizing. Saying a phrase as simple as “Life is a dream” is still metaphors, but the phrase implies that life is something that can be beyond our wildest imaginations. Using phrases like that help show our strong feelings about life, instead of just blatantly stating that life is cool or interesting. After this lesson,I’m able to understand how and when a metaphor is used and what the true meanings behind them
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