Poetry Packet

An Open Letter From Rescue Annie to the Norwegian Toymaker (Heart Poem)

            Dear Asmund,

            When people ask you how I came to be do you tell then that our love story started with choking? With a little boy blue in the face and a crowd full of people shocked into stillness and your voice saying, “I am going to teach them how to breath.” Pretty soon people all over the world were pressing their mouths to mine, forcing breath into me. They think I am just a mannequin. You never told them how we met, that in 1891, I stood on the wrong side of a railing and let me body drop. Like a quarter into a wishing well. Like maybe this would finally make things different. When they pulled my body from the sand I was still smiling. You saw my dead face in the newspapers and called it your perfect canvas. Said I was so beautiful, men couldn’t wait to put their mouths on me. Pretty soon newspapers started calling you a hero. Because even though you couldn’t bring me back, you kept trying, but CPR won’t back from the dead, it’s just an attempt to preserve the body and more often than not the only thing you succeed at is cracking ribs. Asmund, if you hadn’t turn me to hard plastic my body would be broken hundreds of times day by careless hands trying desperately to save me, to push on my chest like the slamming of a door and I am already gone. My body is the first place so many people learn that sometimes saving someone is just another term for holding on after the body has gone cold. That moment you press your lips to someone else’s knowing it is the last time you will ever hold their body against yours, memorizing the exact anatomy of futility.

 Asmund, when people ask you how you and I came to be, do you tell them our love story started with choking? Am I everything you had hoped for? You’ve kept me 17 for a hundred and twenty two years now, soon will you dress me in a graduation gown? Carry me across the stage, on our wedding day, will you hold my torso to your chest for our first dance? Place a gentle hand across the back of my neck and say, “Smile Annie!” Smile like I ever had a choice, I have not broken this smile since you melted my face into it and you laugh and laugh because you are so clever. We are not unique, we are like so many other love stories, clever men and the women they melt down to better fit their hands, well they are right to call you a hero. You’ve kept so many people alive; I just never asked to be one of them. Let them bury me in an unmarked grave, tell them I never asked to be saved, never asked for anything but stillness. I was born with perfect lungs and I knew how to breathe before you got here.

Heart Poem Response

This poem stood out to me within hearing the first few lines. I was online, on YouTube, watching poems from poetry slams and competitions. Brenna Twohy is my favorite author, so when I saw a 9 minute video of her, I had to click on it. On this video was not the poem that I will be writing about, but is one of my favorite poems by her. This video made me watch part two and that is where I found this video. She is very similar to me; very awkward, so the way she introduced this poem, I loved. She said a synopsis of the poem, but in a choppy, sort of uncomfortable kind of way. When she was reciting the poem, you could tell the difference between Rescue Annie and Brenna Twohy. This was the second poem that I just could not stop watching or listening to. I mostly love this poem because it never stops making me think. There is so much to respond to in this poem, which is why I chose this particular on of her poems.

She uses repetition to state different points in the poem. The first time she says, “When people ask you how I came to be do you tell then that our love story started with choking,” Rescue Annie addresses her story and what happened to her. The second time she says this, she addresses the way she feels about what happened to her. She also repeats the name ‘Asmund’. She addresses him as if she is saying, “Yes, I am still talking to you, Asmund. This is all for you and don’t you forget that.” Rescue Annie is also not only talking about herself, she is talking about everyone who she feel has had similar experiences to her.

This poem made me think a lot about the idea of suicide and ‘saving’ people from it. In the poem, Annie doesn’t necessarily get to decide whether she wants to live or die. Her spirit is gone, but her body is alive and it makes me think, why are we trying to keep her alive when she is already dead? Who are we doing this for, them or ourselves? The Annie that the doll was based off of has been dead for over one hundred and twenty years and somehow she is still alive. If someone’s spirit and will to live is gone, then they are just a shell, which is technically what Annie is. This also reminds me of a doll, something that we drag around, just as a keepsake- to remind us of happy things or times. It does not actually do anything, but use this to make us feel better. This poem makes me think, ‘if we force people who have lost their will to live, to stay alive, won’t we just be carrying around a doll?’

I find this poem so amazing because of the fact that it raises so many questions about life, death and humanity. I had to listen to it multiple times before I could realize all of the themes. It brought out emotions that were, until recently, unexplored.

9/11

As everyone exploded around me

I stand tall

My arms outstretched

My head straight

Everyone is looking to me for help

But I cannot help them

They look at me with sadness in their eyes

And despair in their souls

When I look down

I’m crumbling too

Now what do I do?

I look around frantically

Everything has stopped midway

Smoke and debris

Frozen in the still breeze

I am no longer burden to breath

 air clouded with dust

I look back down

My metal sweltering from the heat of the bombs

My sandy colored bricks

Soon to become part of the wreckage on the ground

When I realize my hands can move

I try to pick my pieces back up

But I cannot move through solid smoke

In this poem, I wanted to capture the feeling of the church and the cross. I asked myself, ‘What would the cross be thinking right now?’ I knew during this time religious people would look to their God for help.

Valentine’s Day

He grabbed my hand

I reached out for her hand

His hands were cold and clammy

Her hands were soft and warm

My house seemed like 100 miles away, but I couldn’t walk fast enough

It was funny, was her house getting closer? I lingered a little at the start of the block

He stopped. Ugh, why?

Our hands swung as we stood

He was eyeing my awkwardly

“So I had a great time tonight”

“Me too, I had fun”

I pulled her close to me

I stepped back cautiously

I leaned in

My neck swivled but he found my lips anyway

Her lips tasted like strawberries

He tasted like the extra butter that I begged him not to put on and twizzlers, which I will never be able to eat again

The kiss lingered for 6 seconds

I couldn’t even breathe

I smiled at her

I felt nauseous

“I really like you”

“Uhh, I have curfew, see you!”

In this poem, I wanted to explore two opposite sides of the spectrum. I figured that the best way to express that would be a date. First, I decided whether I wanted the girl or the guy to have a bad time. I wanted to emphasize the different perceptions of the same exact actions.

Sloane (Extra poem based off of the book: The Program)

First they took Lacey

My best friend

But I could handle that

Miller couldn’t

Then they took Miller

My best friend

But I could handle that

James couldn’t

Then they took James

My boyfriend

They could handle that

I couldn’t

Then they took me

Me

I made sure no one could handle that

In this poem, I wanted repetition to be the main focus. In a way, I wanted to make up my own type of poem (like a sonnet). 4 stanzas, the first three are 4 lines each and the last stanza is 3 lines. In the first three, each line is essentially stating the same message, but with different examples. The narrator of this poem is the main character of the book, The Program.   

Reading response

    Witchcraft is something people were killed for practicing. Now people want to burn books about it. In the book Americus by M.K. Reed, a young boy named Neil finds out that his favorite fantasy book about witches, Apthea Ravenchilde, is being banned by a group of Christians in his neighborhood. The Christians protest the book, but in the end, it doesn't get banned. The Christians want to ban the book because they believe that the book is sinful and they are threatened by it.

    Destroying public property is a sign of someone being threatened by the thing that they are destroying.. During the beginning of the book, a Christian mother found her son reading the critically acclaimed fantasy book, Apthea Ravenchilde. She was infuriated at the librarian who gave her son the book. She went to the library and ripped the book apart. On pages 32 and 33, the mother exclaims, "How dare you lead my son astray?" She believes that the book can lead her son t horrible things. This quote shows how angry she was. She did not simply tell her son the return the book; she wanted it to be non-existent. Even though her child would not be reading book, she did not want anyone else to read the book either. 

The Christians in the book who wanted Apthea Ravenchilde banned protested it in a very chaotic and radical way. They yelled and made posters of bible excerpts and offensive words. One of the posters said: "Burn All Witches!" Another said: "Evil Witches!" The evidence shows that the group of protesters could not protest in a civil way. They would not let the people who wanted to refute speak. If there is no rebuttal, the book will be banned. The fact that they would not let the refuters speak shows the close-mindedness of the protesters.

This text relates to the world because people try to protest the content of books very often. An example the famous series, Harry Potter. Instead of people just not reading the book or series, they feel the need to restrict everyone else from reading it too. There is no way the stop the protesters from protesting, but we can find a way to convince them to not worry about what everyone else is reading. Hopefully, people will be able to read whatever they would like without worrying about their book being banned. 

   

Authors note

    Dyslexia is a developmental learning disability, commonly identified with having difficulty recognizing and making sense of words and sentences. Dyslexia is a lifelong disability, and as a result it is usually discovered at an early age. People often develop frustration, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and family issues. Kids especially, do not understand their own condition, even with someone explaining it to them. To a child, say that they have dyslexia is like saying that they're not as good as everyone else.
    I don't have dyslexia, but as a young child I used to think that I wasn't as good as everyone else. I had a harder time understanding what people tried to teach me. As hard as I tried there were little times where I would succeed, and being as young as I was, my spirits were crushed. I didn't understand that I could get better if I tried my hardest and put extra time into whatever I was working on.  I thought I was stupid and that just giving up would be easier.
    There is always a silver lining. It chooses to present itself now, later or has someone come looking for it, it's there. When I grew to be a little older, I realized that I cannot just give up because something is hard for me. I learned that if I tried and tried, I would eventually reach my goal. For people with dyslexia, it could be immensely harder, but the outcome is worth it.

'This is what I did' synthesis page

Summer Boone                                                           1/5/14

812

Question- Who's perspective is missing in this text? What would it look like it we put it back?

Dad

Pg 2

After Logan has a bad day at school, his dad tries to comfort him and ask him what is wrong. It ends with his dad leaving without saying anything because Logan shouted at him without reason. The story entails that he looks worried, but gives no more information. If the dad's perspective is given, then we would know what he was thinking exactly. Did he want to hurt the kid that made his son feel like not talking? Did he even care that much?

Pg 16

"...Dad would think I was a loser again." (Thought by Logan)

If the dad's perspective were in the story, Logan would know how his dad felt, and feel better to know that his dad did not think that he was a loser.

Mom

Pg 6-7

Logan's brother Mack calls Logan a loser.

"Mom in talk shout: Don't you ever, ever say that to your brother. Ever!"

If the mom's perspective was given, then we would know why she exploded the way she did, over something so commonly said among siblings. There would be no question on whether or not she knew that Logan was getting bullied and she wanted to shield him from sensitive words that his peers used in such a negative way, or just did not like the word very much.

Laurel (girl)

Pg 30

*Notes between the two (during classes)*

     "To Laurel,

         A few palindromes

         Pop

         Level

         From Logan

         (From your geography and pre algebra classes)"

     

        "Logan

          No duh about the geog. + algebra.

          Lion oil.

          Laurel"

She is the one of the only people who talks to him. If we had her perspective, we would know why she doesn't brush him off, or bully him like everyone else. In their school, the bullies don't forget much, and if you were seen with him, they would approach you.

Bruce 

Pg 42

He is the 'ring leader' of the group of people bullying Logan. If we had Bruce's perspective, then we would know why he bullied Logan. There are no apparent reasons in the book. His parents and home life seem perfectly fine (for now).

Pg 65

"Bruce: You never know what you might do- you MOLESTER."

*After he said this, Logan hit him on the head with a shovel*

If we were inside Bruce's head, we would know why he would say something like that to get Logan so upset. We would also know whether he was expecting Logan to retaliate, whether Bruce just said it in the spur of the moment, or wanted to pick a fight.

Pg 110

"Bruce: Shoot crapstock. Looks like you better say something fast or you're going to get it.

And he shoved my face into the glass.

Hard"

If we had Bruce's perspective, we would know why he continuously messes with Logan after Logan has shown him how easy it is for him to hurt Bruce. We would know if Bruce wanted to start another fight because know he would be prepared and on guard, or just get Logan in trouble.

Pg 155

Bruce's dad, Jack was hitting him. For a second, Logan sees his best friend getting abused by his dad and he feels that he needs to stop it. He stands up for Bruce.

"Me: Leave him alone. LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

If we had Bruce's perspective, we would know if Bruce was thankful or embarrassed by what Logan did. We would also know if what Logan did cost him to get beat even more behind closed doors.

Zyler

Pg 59

His dad abused Zyler, but no other information was given about him besides the fact that he also had a sister.

"Here's what I heard: A scream. A 'No Dad! Please, no!' And it was Zyler and it was so loud and shaking and backed into a corner. 'NO, NO, NO!! PLEASE!!'"

 If we were in Zyler's head, then we would know when the abuse started and possibly why it started. Also, we might know what kind of things his dad did to him.

In general

If we had his perspective, we would know how he coped with seeing his girlfriend almost get raped by his father, and Zyler knocking him unconscious. He has been moved to a permanent family and if we knew what Zyler was thinking, we would know if he likes his new family or and if he has been to therapy for emotional trauma.




Conclusion

I took a lot from this synthesis page. Authors cannot have everyone's perspectives in the book, even if the book is in third person. It will be boring for the reader, for there will be no mystery. There will always be more perspective to add in order to make every reader happy. I learned that a single sentence or paragraph could make someone think very deeply about the plot, characters, character development, archetypes, symbolism or many other things. This led me to think about how every single sentence has a specific purpose. For example, in the notes that Logan and Laurel sent to each other, Laurel's palindromes kept getting larger and more unique. That makes the readers think about her devotion to Logan, keeping up the notes throughout the school year and making a going effort to keep them different and interesting. Logan's notes also progress in ingenuity, but it was not as distinct as Laurel's. Overall, this book and synthesis page made me tap into parts of a book that I had never known were there, allowing my to 'read between the lines'.

Persepolis Argument Essay

Summer Boone                                                                                              12/17/14

Argument Essay

            A controversial argument when discussing the book Persepolis is if the main character was desensitized by the war, in some cases the answer would be yes, if the psychology was not so flawed. The war taught Marjane many things about herself and other and she appreciated what it took for her to realize that. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a memoir about when Marjane was a young girl in the Iranian Revolution. The book deals predominantly with the issue of war. Marjane describes in epic detail her experiences going through war and how she saw the revolution in her eyes. This text should not be removed from middle school libraries because it teaches students about countries and culture along with the topic of war, and allow students with unique experiences to connect to the book.

People, middle school children included, need to learn about the countries, cultures and what these countries are like, war being a part of that. Middle and high school students should not be naïve to that. Children in middle school are being taught basic knowledge of war, what it is and what causes it, but there are limited primary sources. This book, a primary sources can help children understand not only what happens throughout war, but also how people of all ages are immediately affected. Just because the Iranian Revolution is not typically taught in middle school does not mean that it will not help the kids gain perspective on wars that they learn in their textbooks. In the book, it states how textbooks changed after the revolution. Marjane Satrapi suggests that the textbooks only reveal certain parts of the Iranian Revolution, which may leave kids clueless on some parts of it. Marjane Satrapi does not hold back when writing about her experiences in Persia as a child. A particularly compelling example of this is on page 102. The book illustrates scenes from Satrapi’s minds eye of how children were being forced to essentially kill themselves for their country. Suicide bombing most likely will not be in the textbooks because it is a poor depiction on the country. Without knowledge of the past or present, middle students will be too naïve.

            Censoring nonfiction and fiction texts with ‘questionable’ content do not allow readers with unique experiences to connect to anything.  Jake Rich, the author of, “Can Book Censorship Save Our Children and Their Innocence?” suggests that most books about middle and high school student completely realistic. Specifically, a line in the article demonstrates how realistic a fiction book called The Fault in Our Stars is. In fact, Rich states that the book, “inevitably focuses on the pair’s (Hazel and Augustus, the main characters) sexual awakening, as well as showing the human side of high school students: less than perfect and unafraid of crude language.” What this makes clear is how students, both middle school and high school are not sugar-coated in any way in books like The Fault in Our Stars.  They realistically depict the actions and feelings of the average student. In addition, Jake Rich also indicates in his articles that as children get older, they start to think about things that had never occurred to them when they were younger. Growing student seek guidance not only from adults but also from their peers, going through the same things. Students find it reassuring that they are not alone in situations, which they will most likely not happen if books like The Fault in Our Stars is taken away from them.

            Persepolis contains many graphically violent scenes in the book. Marjane Satrapi did not desist from accounting even detail of her knowledge of the revolution, violence being a monumental part of her book. An example of this is on page 76, when Marjane depicted her first sighting of real violence, leaving out no detail. Satrapi delineates a girl around 13-15 years of age, being stabbed in the leg, calling out for her father. Although some argue that this is too violent and graphic for middle school students, Marjane experienced this before she was of age to enter middle school. This moment empowered her to fight for what she thought was right. The violence had a liberating effect on her and she encouraged those around her to fight for what they believe in also. On page 89, Marjane presents an illustration of fires burning cars down to represent her country being bombed on a regular basis. Most parents would say that they don’t want their children to know about the bombings and missiles, but often forget that it is another child’s life. Persepolis is not spurious. It is a true account of what Marjane Satrapi went through. Her book is not fiction made to mess with a student mid, but to tell her story. She lived through it and handled it very well. If Marjane Satrapi lived through it, middle school student can read about it.

            The book Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi should not be removed from middle school libraries because of the benefits that it brings to middle school students. The book allows students to learn about countries and cultures, and allow students with unique experiences to connect to the book. Banning books is an peremptory way to eliminate things that other people have a problem with. If books are being banned now, no one knows what the limit will be for banning anything. For instance, eating certain animals like cows, pigs or goats can be banned because certain religions worship them. Words could be punishable by law because certain people find then offensive. Banning books could be the start of something that could essentially end freedom of expression.

Work Cited

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon, 2003. Print.

Rich, Jake. "Can Book Censorship save Our Children and Their Innocence?" Highlander RSS. 7 Oct. 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://www.highlandernews.org/14413/can-book-censorship-save-our-children-and-their-innocence/>.