Ego Tripping?

Bonjour, Class of 2014:

Remember Nikki Giovanni? She is the author of "The Cyclops in the Ocean," a poem you read when we were working on The Odyssey. If you have not read more of her work, I highly recommend that you do so. However, in the meantime, read your copy of another of her pieces, entitled "Ego Tripping (There May be a Reason Why)". Be sure to hold on to your copy- I have no intention of posting it (as it is quite long) and "I couldn't find my copy of the poem" will not be taken as an excuse if your blog is not posted in time.

After reading this fantastic poem/song, answer the following questions. Remember, the great thing about poetry is that it is SUBJECTIVE, but you MUST BACK UP YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS WITH EVIDENCE FROM THE PIECE YOU ARE STUDYING. An opinion without backing is like building a house without a foundation- there's nothing to hold it upright.

1. Which poetic characteristics can be found? (And yes, you must provide me with line numbers.)
2. Who is the "I " Giovanni refers to in the poem? (Hint: it's not Nikki Giovanni, but of course you already knew that, right?)
3. What are some supernatural elements in the poem? (No, I not talking ghosts or the boogy man- if that's your only definition of the word, I would recommend a trip to the dictionary.)
4. How does Giovanni bring different religions together under a common respect for humanity?
5. Why do you think Giovanni makes SEVERAL references to Egyptian imagery? (Come on- think back to your world history days and make Mr. Hall proud!)
6. Some of the characteristics in this poem are the same that can be found in hip hop: repetition to create momentum, alliteration, rhythm, rhyme, and linking the ancient world to the modern one. How does Giovanni use all of these characteristics in her poem?

YES, I am asking a lot of questions, and YES, I know that inwardly, you are all grumbling. The biggest recommendation I can make to you is to (you guessed it!) think deeply and critically. If you are willing to go outside of the box, you will find that the answers to these questions are easier to discover than you realize.

As always, some of you have and are continuing to share fantastic posts, and for this, I thank you. For those of you who continue to do the kind of work that makes my eyes roll in the back of my head, I would recommend taking a lesson from those who consistently do well. Coming in second (or third, or fourth, or last) is never something to brag about. Always bring your A game- your blogs are no exception.

Posts are due by Saturday, March 14 at noon (that's 12 PM, in case you were unsure).

Au revoir, my dears-
MC

Controversial or not? Ready, set.....argue!

Hey all! The following is the latest and greatest submission for your response.

The poem you are about to read was written by a man named Vachel Lindsay, a poet from Illinois who is called the "father of modern singing poetry" in which the verses are meant to be chanted or sung. Here is one of his most famous, entitled "The Congo":

Their basic savagery
Fat black bucks in a wine-barrel room,
Barrel-house kings, with feet unstable,
Sagged and reeled and pounded on the table,
Pounded on the table,
Beat an empty barrel with the handle of a broom,
Hard as they were able,
Boom, Boom, Boom,
With a silk umbrella and the handle of a broom,
Boomlay, boomlay, boomlay, Boom.

THEN I had religion. THEN I had a vision.
I could not turn from their revel in derision.
THEN I SAW THE CONGO, CREEPING THROUGH THE BLACK,
CUTTING THROUGH THE JUNGLE WITH A GOLDEN TRACK.
Then along that river-bank
A thousand miles
Tattooed cannibals danced in files;
Then I heard the boom of the blood-lust song
And a thigh-bone beating on a tin-pan gong.
And "BLOOD" screamed the whistles and the fifes of the warriors,
"BLOOD" screamed the skull-faced, lean witch-doctors,
"Whirl ye the deadly voodoo rattle,
Harry the uplands,
Steal all the cattle,
Rattle-rattle, rattle-rattle,
Bing!
Boomlay, boomlay, boomlay, Boom,"
A roaring, epic, rag-time tune
From the mouth of the Congo
To the Mountains of the Moon.
Death is an Elephant,
Torch-eyed and horrible,
Foam-flanked and terrible.
Boom, ...
Boom, ...
Boom, ...
Like the wind
Hoo, Hoo, Hoo.

Whew! I know it's a lot, but bear with me.....this poem has been referred to as "a legitimate variety of African dialect" by some scholars of poetry. Other scholars of poetry have called the author racist due to his portrayal of Africans in the work because the author is white and the people of the poem are not just African, but seem to be images of stereotypical Africans.

With which opinion do you agree? Why? Tell me!!!

Your post is due by Saturday, March 13, 2010 by noon.

Getting Started....

Hello All!

Like Odysseus, we are starting on a journey....a journey that will hopefully help us all to become better writers in terms of expression and how we choose to share our ideas. That is what this blog is all about. So, without further delay, let's get started. Please share your ideas on the following:

So many of us love adventure or quest stories- in fact, when I asked you about your favorite types of literature at the beginning of the semester, action/adventure was the leading category! I want to know: why do you think this is so?

Furthermore, I want you to think about the people who join us in our own personal daily "quest"- why are these individuals so important? Why are we constantly searching for the right relationships with one another and the people around us?

Lastly, I want to know: what qualities/actions/triumphs must occur in a person's life before he or she can qualify as a hero? Don't just list them out- I want to know WHY the attributes you choose are so important or necessary.

Yes, you have several questions to answer- please answer them all with thought and elaboration. Remember, I can't read your mind, and I'm guessing your classmates can't either.

Your post is due by 4:00 pm on Friday, February 26, 2010.