“ HARLEM “

   So, have you read the poem “Harlem’ ? I read it last night. Short and simple poem. Ah, with hidden message. Langston’s “Harlem” is about what happens to dreams that are put on hold. The poem means  to lots  black people who didn’t get what they aimed for. A fair life. It makes them to put away their dreams. I like the way Langston arranged the series of images in this poem : “ Like a raisin in the sun ? Or fester like a sore, “ Does it stink like rotten meat ? Or crust and sugar meat , that function as a tool to tell readers don’t delay their dreams  or else  it  will change or unlikely to come true.  This poem reminds me another Langston’s poem “Dream Variations”. This poem also depicts the life of African- American and how they attempt to achieve their dreams that have been prevented by the society. Langston also use images vividly in this poem. In the first stanza , “To fling………….., Then rest……….. While night comes on gently , dark like me – That is my dreams” , that implies the  persona dreams for a carefree life without any prejudice or discrimination. For me, these lines are captivating , “While night comes , an gently dark  like me  reveals that he doesn’t want  even the environment associated with colour.

     Although these two poems touch on Africa American struggle, but I like to focus on the word “dream”. I felt every human being should have a dream. It will be their goal of life. The dream that they set should be achieve without any delay to avoid unnecessary negative affect. Take an instance ,  for students, they should have their own dreams. Having dreams or life goals will make them a valuable member of society. If they face obstacles in the way of achieving their dreams, they shouldn’t be abandon their dream . Overcome the obstacles. The dream will bring their talents and desire of the students  to what they want to achieve. It will be rewarding if they able to achieve dreams.

SHOOTING AN ELEPHANT

        Oh well, the essay is quite lengthy. Never mind. The essay is about an imperial police office who confess his inner conflict. It was wrote  during colonial rule at Burma. Although , there are a few issues mentioned in this essay, I was particular impressed with this paragraph , “ I perceived in………………. turns tyrant it his…………………….. For it is the condition of his rule that………………………….the  “natives” and so in every  crisis………………. what the  “natives “ expect of him. He wears a mask and his faces grows to fit it ,” that  implies although the writer doesn’t  want to shoot the elephant, he felt he was unable to do it. He needs to meet the expectation of the natives. He need to do so as , the colonial limited the freedom of the natives . The colonial also restrict their freedom in order to avoid any action that could provoke the natives to react. They need to do so to maintain their superiority over the natives

      The situation that the narrator faces reflects on what we go through in our lives. We want to do something that we think morally right but the entire world around us would influence us to change our decision. For example, take the life of a teacher and a student. As a teacher, we want to defend our colleague who was punished for an honest mistake . But we are afraid to do so because it will endanger our own life –lines. For students, they may have passion to study music and art but their parents may have other plan for their future that limit their passion in order to secure a good future. Honestly , I think that  a person should confess his or her inner dilemmas to face such situation without any hesitation so that they able to face the world around them boldly.

POSITION PAPER OOPS RESEARCH PAPER

    When Cik Dzeelfa asked us to write a position  paper,I was quite delighted. This is my first experience to write a position paper. All this while , I never heard  what is position paper all about. After Cik Dzeelfa explained about the position paper. I felt that it will be an interesting task. I choose a short story " A Lamb To Slaughter " for my position  paper. I already read this short story and familirized with the story lines. So I don't have to read the text 2 or 3 times to get to know the gist of the story. It is quite challenging for me to find appropriate textual evidence to support my argument point. I really need to look in depth and reflect the textual evidence that I had selected what it really means. With Internet, I able to understand properly the textual evidence that I had chosen. Writing a position paper also makes me to feel enthuse because I able to present a proposal that able to convice my readers with provoking ideas and that is something I looking forward to experience myself on how to engage readers with one's writing.

     On other hand, I totally lost when I need  to do research paper. Research paper , also a new experience for me to venture. I plan to write a research paper on Kate Chopin's selected works. I email my first draft to Cik Dzeelfa. At first, I thought my draft is going to be rejected  because I didn't plan it properly. I wrote the draft based on what I thought about the text after I read the short stories. I'm in correct path when I received feedback from Cik Dzeelfa. Writing a research paper is time -consuming. It requires a few stages  like drafting and editing to develop a well- organized research paper. Outline helps me to organize my ideas and thoughts in proper order. Although writing a research paper involves a great deal of time,I get to know more about background of Kate Chopin, why her writing usually deals with feminist and independence, women during her era and female protagonist in her short stories. It provides a good learning experience. 

DIARIES

 

   Andy Warhol and Kafka. Famous for their diaries. Diary, a person’s  story or private point of view. I read a few entries of their diaries from the module EDU 3234. To my astonishment,   their personalities totally constrasting.  Both of them lead their life in different persepective   point of view.  By reading Kafka’s entries, I assumed  that he is a typical character of mentally ill, loneliness and depression, sometimes has a sense of humor an cheerfulness inside him. In his entries, he describes people and their behavior around them.  It is quite nice to read. Particulary  his description of himself. He wrote that even though he is not perfect, he managed  make people turn  to look at him.  It quite amusing.  I feel that he didn’t write this diary just seem to be that way. Maybe he was provoked to write by his inner life. Nothwithstanding,  I  smile or laugh when I read Andy Warhol’s entries such  when he plan to invent a new kind of fast food, his dates and ”fifteen minutes people will be famous”. His ability critizing a person in humourous way is undeniably. Namely, he critized  actors in big size, actor not doing movie and the way an actress eats  a banana. I think that Andy is a media- friendly person, self-absorption, too concern on look and health and highly sensitive that I find how unsual it for us.  His entries also make us to follow him to where he went and meet the people he met. It’s quite interesting.  After I read  both entries, I feel  that I gain a humbling experience. It helps me to gain intimacy with both writers through their mind, emotion and experience that affect them.  Some of their life experience reflect  what happen in reality. Now I can indicate that whenever I feel  sad, been critized or delicate in ways both of them may have, I can lie with them and aware that both of them already went through  what I went through. People  still appreciate their works although what they are in their life. I reassuared that just move on  myr life no matter what in my path life.

    A  Thought  Of  Mind

    What are my opinions on  fables and the concept of moral values and hidden messages ? I feel that it is an appropriate medium to bring a person into contact with intention , feelings and experiences of people who lives outside his own environment. A quite number of fables is still near to my heart. Such as mouse-deer and the crocodile , mouse –deer and the monkey , the thirsty crow,  the ant and the hunter are quite a few to mention. These fables perform as a springboard to encourage language, social , moral and aesthetic development in every stage of my life .During my primary school days, my favourite choice was  fables based on “Sang Kancil”. One of them was “ The story of Sang Kancil and the Crocodile”. This fable taught me  how to value the kindness of those who help us and not to betray them. Although this story comes in different versions  but all potray  that a weak animal such as “ Sang Kancil “ has the ability to overcome a big  and strong crocodile. The message from this fable develop in myself awareness of social issues and a system of values related to it. It gives good impression that "don't judge a book by its cover". In spite of this , it helps me to form a perception about an individual’s ability. I learnt to appreciate  an individual uniqueness. I shouldn’t judge a person based on look, age , social background, etc. It  enlightens my thought to value my pupils with great care and effort.  I think many of our local fables should be made in Big Book for early childhood education  because such stories contain educational motivates of moral importance. Developing our  local fables in ICT form will attract the attention and interest of the children of the new era who are growing up surfing the World Wide Web. In such way it will increase recognition of the cultural traditions, beliefs or values within the fables.

LOVE LETTERS

      When I read letter of John Keats to Fanny Brawne, I was mermesied   on how the letter was written. As I read this letter, I felt as if I were by some means enliven on the beautiful and clearly passionate romance between Keats and Fanny Brawne.  A lover Keats poured his heart out in this extremely well detailed letters he wrote to his beloved Fanny Brawne. Lines like, “Write me ever so few lines and tell you ( for me ) you will never for ever  be less kind to me than yesterday”, “You dazzled me- There is nothing in the world so bright and delicate” are beautiful and captivating. The lines are vivid and fluid in prose of poetry.  I noticed that these lines provide a wonderful window into the heart and soul of a lover to his  beloved. It made me aware just how deeply Keats feelings towards Fanny were. I feel strongly that this letter is a true showcase of the talented John Keats. This letter remains me another famous love letter that was written by Voltaire to Olympe Dunover.  A  tragic love letter  that touched me deeply. Voltaire was thrown into prison because he loves young Olympe but it didn’t stop him from writing to her so that she would know how much he loved her. He wrote that he would risk his life just to see her. Indeed, he risks his life by climbing out the prison window to be with her.   It was touching moment for me when I read the letter with his biography. Some lines : “ they can take my life, but not the love that I feel for you” , “nothing has the power to part me from you , our loves is based upon virtue, if you love me, reassure  yourself and call all your strength and presence of mind  implies a lover’s dedication without limitation to his beloved .  These lines also make  the readers ‘s  spirit awake  through its magnificent  meaning. These lines are still ringing a peal in my both ears although I read this letter a few days ago.  Sad to say , both love story end in tragic.  For me , love whether perfect or imperfect, it never dies as long as long as it has wonderful energy and strength of emotion with a hint of madness.  Another  valuable lesson I glean from these love letter is that we should appreciate our loved ones dearly as long they are with us.

 SIMPLE THINGS

Iroquois : 'The Girl Who was Not Satisfied With Simple Things '. Hmmm........After I read the title , I made two assumptions. Either this story will  bring good impact to my thought or impress  me with an odd twist at the end. Well, the story able to capture my interest and fulfill  two assumptions .  It presents an interesting allegorical aspect, the feature of which lead unfailingly back to the themes of appreciation, gratitude and satisfication.  I love the way the writer develops the main character or  should I say the girl. The girl goes through from stubborn person to a wiser or more mature  as result of the events and conflicts that she had encountered. The lines” she had been satisfied with simple things……..”, “she thought of the fire……”, “ she thought of the simple, good hearted men…….”. These lines tell us that the girl’s sense of regret when she continues to think back on her decision. She realized how hard the world was going to be after made a hesitation decision. Even though in reality , we also  regret to some decisions   that we made by overlooking  simple aspects that near to us. How we wish that we have time tunnel to go back to that moment  and correct the decision that we made. In this story, the girl gets  second chance in the form of old man or Heno to escape from the serpent. How many of us really get second chance to correct the mistake that we made?  This story helps me to revive myself on appreciating on small improvements and mini-goals  I set on moving myself towards larger dreams. I feel that it is more satisfying to set and meet an attainable goals by this way. There is always room to be better. Now  I look things I do as opportunities to get better from one day to the next. It  gives me  a simple pleasure to enjoy eventhough things aren’t perfect.