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The tree is meant to stand out from everything else and is disregarded by society. In the line “Oh fellow citizen, what have they done to us” it represents what the Indigenous people have had to go through and what pain the English brought with them. Similes are a powerful tool used by writers, they are used in communication as they help to create vivid and memorable descriptions by drawing comparisons between things that may not be inherently
In Speak Laurie Halse Anderson uses trees to represent Melinda's emotional growth throughout the novel. At this point of the story she has just been raped and is feeling depressed and alone and it makes her feel “diseased”. “My last tree looks like it died from some fungal infection”(92). At the start of the story she’s in a bad place because she feels that she can't tell anybody about what happened because they might not have a positive output on the things she has been through. When she starts school, everybody hates her for what she did at the party and it makes her feel unwanted.
“On The Pulse of Morning” By: Maya Angelou and “One Day” By: Richard Blanco really explain the effects of cultural diversity among us Americans during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. For eample in some ways we are all the same. In the poem one day Richard Blanco stated these very true things such as, how we all wake up, go to work , go to school, and how each of us have our own prbolems no matter what background we came from or even social status. We can grow up living on dirt but with time we can grow into a successful citizen.
The first speaker then says that equality is in the air we breathe, being a metaphor for that equality is everywhere in America. After this, the second speaker responds in a harsh manner, stating that he has never had equality and mocks the phrase “homeland of the free.” Next, the first speaker finally addresses the other voice, asking him,“Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?” As a result, the second speaker responds with a forceful tone saying that they are the poor white, the slave who is scarred, the native american who had their land taken, and the immigrant who only has hope.
Millay acknowledges this awakening in her poem, as she gradually becomes aware of the sin and darkness that is present on Earth. Lines 62-65 encompass the individualistic mindset of Americans, “And all the while for every grief, Each suffering, I craved relief With individual desire”. But now, people began to have a sense of emotion and sympathy for others. When discussing a starving man in Capri, the poet says “I felt his gaze, I heard his moan, And knew his hunger as my own.” People were now conscientious of others, and had a greater perception and appreciation for other people.
“Mom and Dad smiled at each other and laughed. It was a sound that Tree hadn’t heard from them in the longest time” (132). This shows how Tree wasn’t sure his parents were ever going to get along again, but they end up having a good time. This is an example of how family matters most and hope is always around. This situation gave Tree strength to preserve.
The poems “Tableau” by Countee Cullen and “Now and Then America” by Pat Mora display a common theme of following one’s own unique path. A person should not allow society and its standards to influence one’s individual beliefs. Figurative language, diction, and the poem’s structure are used to to demonstrate the theme of following one’s unique path. The poem “Tableau” uses figurative language through the use of simile “Now and Then America” uses figurative language through the form of personification. In “Tableau”, Cullen writes “That lightning brilliant as a sword/ Should blaze through the path of thunder” (819, 11-12).
For example, in lines nine and ten, "No equal rights for this nation/ The quality of life goes down," the repetition of the word "nation" emphasizes the ongoing aspects of the struggle. Furthermore, in lines 21 and 25, "To overcome all oppression/And continue to fight each day" highlights the need to remain determined in the face of adversity. The repetition in the poem creates a sense of urgency, which is essential in understanding the theme of the poem.
Challenges During the Late 20th and Early 21st Centuries in America America faced many hardships throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In Maya Angelou’s poem “On the Pulse of Morning” she details the struggles that we have faced as well as ones we have created such as racial and cultural division. She states, “You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought, Sold, Stolen, Arriving on the nightmare Praying for a dream.” Angelou describes the mistreatment of these ethnic groups and tribes, and how they hope to live a better life where they are treated equally.
Historically countries, such as America, have muted and failed to addressed the social injustices against minority groups. Although America is considered to be the “melting pot,” it continues to face issues regarding freedom and justice for all of its citizens. Langston Hughes, who was a writer and social activist, wrote poetry during the Harlem Renaissance which addressed the social issues facing African Americans and minority groups. Allusion, anaphora, and rhyme scheme are employed by Hughes in his poem, “Let America Be America Again” in order to show how false America’s claims of equality and “Justice for all” are.
In this poem “On the Pulse of the Morning”, Angelou refers to different races, cultures, and religions all working together. The main theme and purpose of this poem was for Angelou to point out to all of humankind that they need to return to the original foundations that made the country great, including basic values and an appreciation of nature (Bloom, 2001). This theme was related to Bill Clinton’s mission as President. "On the Pulse of Morning" dually worked to help convey the many goals of Clinton's new administration (Lupton, 1998, p.
Simultaneously the tree feels some of the pain and emotions of Jesus, at the crucifixion. This is explicitly stated when the tree exclaims, “they mocked us both together” (3). This connection to the tree appeals to the connection with the Earth and nature that the pagan people
“Race Politics” Luis J. Rodriguez has written a poem called, “Race Politics”. This piece shows that the diversity between two parts of the town he grew up in and how it affected everyone. Rodriguez helps his readers learn that diversity isn’t an ‘old’ problem and that it didn’t end after the civil war, but that it still happens and it can affect people strongly. “Race Politics” can help prove that diversity is still going on and it’s still a major problem. When reading anything there is always connotation; which means that there is always a hidden meaning under the literal words and meaning.
The second speaker also reshapes the first two lines of the entire poem into a plea to the majority. Beforehand, the first speaker uses those lines as a call for the old American spirit to be revived: “Let America be America again / Let it be the dream it used to be” (1-2). Both speakers change the meaning of the lines to express their thoughts on America. As a result, the poem expresses the desire for everyone to be treated equally in the land of freedom. The readers can relate to the speaker because they wish that everyone has equal rights in the country that proclaims itself to be the symbol of freedom.
The possible metaphor of how a flood devastates a village could be compared to how the new Europeans pushed the Native Americans out of their homelands and sent them farther west. Even though this is a thing of the past, the true meaning of this poem could still be applied today. Everyone’s beliefs, values, and traditions are not all the same, and there will never be only one that everyone would agree to, but everyone’s way of life should be respected. Forcing the Native Americans out and killing them if they resisted prevented the preservation of ideas, which means that invaluable information and new ideas were also lost in the process. In the present day, we know how inhumane that was, but we should know that individuality is a very key aspect of our life and is something that we should
