ipl-logo

Analysis Of American Hero By Essex Hemphill

223 Words1 Pages
The poem “American Hero” by Essex Hemphill, is about a competitive match of basketball, however, towards the end the author describes a social denial from other neighborhoods that despise his team. To convey his feelings, the author’s tone in the beginning of the poem is thrilling as it stimulates the feeling of playing competitively in a game of basketball when reading until the game is over when the tone gets wretched as the thought of being denied by the opposing team’s school sinks in to the author’s mind. Furthermore, the tone and the use imagery are used to convey the sense of being in the game and knowing the environment in this tense basketball game. An example of this is on lines 5-9, it states “It’s a shimmering club light and I’m
Show More
Related
528 Words | 3 Pages

Soon his team runs onto the field and begins to play. As a reader I felt that the imagery enhanced my experience, describing why the protagonist does these tasks. If the author had not used imagery like the baseball announcer approaching the protagonist or the description of the old fashioned uniform what Shoeless Joe was wearing, it would have been difficult to imagine the scenes. Since these scenes are the beginning of the story and are very important to the novel, the author used good words to make it visually

Read More
478 Words | 2 Pages

We Can Be Heroes (2005), created and co-written by Chris Lilley, is a satirical mockumentary at the search for the Australian of the Year with six nominees all played by the ever observant man himself, Chris Lilley. Generic conventions, throughout the ever so humourous mockumentary, has had an effect on viewers to realize how Australia truly is than how Australians identify themselves as. The two characters I’m recalling are Ricky Wong and Daniel Sims. The detail and subtlety Lilley puts into each character's language and social interactions is truly striking and shows the world the real and true Australia.

Read More
134 Words | 1 Pages

Throughout the poem, “Ex-Basketball Player”, John Updike emphasizes the importance of preparing for any possible situations in the future. In the first stanza, the author’s use of enjambment symbolizes the beginning of Flick’s basketball career. The fluidity of the lines contrasts with the choppy basketball related terms such as corner, blocks, and cut-off which are used to support Flick’s one track mind. Even in his life after basketball, Flick sees everything through the eyes of the player he became so familiar with.

Read More
1005 Words | 5 Pages

In Illuminae, the main character Kady flees her planet after it is invaded in the year 2575 with her ex-boyfriend Ezra and boards a refugee ship, where she encounters many obstacles. These include a war between two rival megacorporations, a conscious and sometimes deceitful AI, and biological warfare in the form of a plague manufactured by BeiTech Industries, the enemy megacorporation. The authors, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, use Kady’s Hero’s Journey to develop the plot and show Kady’s growth. In particular, they use Crossing the Threshold when Kady and Ezra escape their planet and Tests, Allies, and Enemies when they meet and overcome the challenges mentioned above. Kady helps Ezra get on a refugee ship, the Hypatia, after BeiTech

Read More
887 Words | 4 Pages

It is like a breath of fresh air, in contrast to the somber and heavier sections mentioned previously. It”s a noteworthy part of the story because it drives the plot forward, as the author displays Saul’s newly found passion for hockey, as well as his brotherly bond with his teammates. In the text, the reader is introduced to concepts such as laughter, expression and freedom. This demonstrates that, in the midst of the most gruelling and sorrowful times at the residential school, Saul has finally found a safe haven. The spirit of the game is an excellent outlet to distract him from the everyday upheaval and abuse.

Read More
578 Words | 3 Pages

John Updike poem “The Ex-Basketball player” is a form free verse poem written in third person narrator about a young man, Flick Webb who still lives in his past rather than moving forward in his life. Flick Webb who was once a great basketball player during his high school years but now he just “sells gas, checks oil, and changes flats.” Flick is an indeed example towards high school students of what not to be. A person should not cling to one important memory in one’s life but should move further and be capable of doing something beyond.

Read More
566 Words | 3 Pages

“Execution” by Edward Hirsch is about an adult recollecting his thoughts about his high school football career and especially how his coach inspired him because his authoritative role model was battling cancer. The speaker talks about the coach’s goal for “perfect execution” and the infinite strategies the coach would draw up in order to reach his goal. The speaker concludes with their team’s loss against “the downstate team” and how they were ironically defeated by “perfect execution.” A superficial reader might assume that the poem was about the disappointing results that came from his team working hard to reach a goal, but the author’s use of impersonal tone and irony in the fact that their team’s loss is caused by “perfect execution” shows how a strong force can be conquered even when putting your best foot forward when accepting a challenge. Have you ever been a part of a team that seemed invincible and you lost?

Read More
791 Words | 4 Pages

“Americans want to be liked--and Senators are no exception,” quipped President John F. Kennedy in his book, Profiles in Courage. Wayne Morse, a U.S. Senator from the state of Oregon, exemplifies a rare exception to that sentiment. He rarely went along with the crowd. He remained calm when waves of pressure crashed against him. Senator Morse exhibited profound political courage when he and Ernest Gruening stood as the sole Senators to oppose the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Read More
545 Words | 3 Pages

Have you ever been inspired by a beautiful piece of literature? Yusef Komunyakaa’s “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” changed people’s perspectives on the game of basketball forever. The work of literature was about all of the arts and finesse that occur in the game of basketball. Yusef Komunyakaa used several diverse poetic elements to express his love for the game of basketball in “Slam, Dunk, & Hook.” Komunyakaa gives off a joyful attitude through the feeling that you are out on that court with those basketball players when they make a shot.

Read More
790 Words | 4 Pages

Debi Mazar is an actress who stated, “A hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who just tried to give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to me is someone who saves people and who really, deeply cares.” Heroes are relevant to everyone, because at some point, everyone has had a hero. Sadly, today’s society degrades the meaning of the word “hero”. Heroes are an important aspect of life, but famous people are not always heroes.

Read More
496 Words | 2 Pages

Atticus Finch Is A Hero In Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird,” Atticus Finch is the hero of the story because he is very reasonable, ethical, and compassionate in his beliefs. Atticus lives in Maycomb, Alabama with his two children and their maid. His children are Jem and Scout Finch whom he teaches important life lessons to throughout the story.

Read More
806 Words | 4 Pages

Ellison’s Introduction Paragraph for King of the Bingo Game The first paragraph of any story is arguably the most important element. It should capture the attention of the reader, as well as begin to develop the most important elements of the story. Ralph Ellison’s captivating introduction paragraph for “King of the Bingo Game”, is an emotionally involved depiction of a nameless African American man who was a member of the United States Black Migration from South to North. Written in an indirectly detailed style and strewn with images evoking pathetic feelings, this passage is key in characterizing the main character and snatches the attention of the audience.

Read More
936 Words | 4 Pages

There is a defining silence as I hold my breath in anticipation, the buzzer sounds, breaking the silence as the crowd erupts. Sticks, helmets, and gloves scatter the ice as jump on the glass to celebrate with their teammates. They have done it, the Little Falls Flyers are going to the state tournament. This is the scene I witnessed during my brothers junior year of high school; his hockey team won the section and had advanced to the state hockey tournament. Because it is every hockey players dream to make it to the state tournament, I committed this triumph to memory.

Read More
845 Words | 4 Pages

Would the statement, all heroes and heroines are originated from the same basis be true? Most likely, ones favorite hero novel would follow the hero’s journey which is the cycle of the hero’s adventure involving different archetypes. A hero novel does not necessarily have to involve supernatural powers and the hero does not necessarily have to save the world; a hero can go through the hero’s journey to save one person or to reveal a hidden truth. If a story follows the hero’s journey, it includes the three categories of the archetypes—character, place, event. Midwinterblood written by Marcus Sedgwick is one example of a novel that fits into the hero’s journey archetype.

Read More
934 Words | 4 Pages

In John Updike’s poem “Ex-Basketball Player” the poet uses literary devices to depict the existing way of life of a once-famous sportsperson. Flick Webb was in before times a gifted athlete on his high school basketball team, and he was commendable of much awe. However, Flick never acquired any other skills to prepare him for a future. Accordingly, he now is locked into an unskilled job and his former glories have pale to all but Flick himself. Updike has created a character that is at this point in time going nowhere and spends most of his time thinking about his former days of glory.

Read More

More about Analysis Of American Hero By Essex Hemphill

Related Topics

Open Document