Posts

Churchill and Influenza

https://www.nationalchurchillmuseum.org/winston-churchill-the-influenza-poem.html I think what attracted me to this poem was the fact that it was written by Winston Churchill, and depicts reflections on something similar yet so different from our current situation. He also wrote this poem when he was 15, which provides a similar perspective on a similar situation. But seeing as this post is supposed to be about differences, I picked this poem because its similar and different. Sure our situation is kinda similar to his, but he wrote this in 1890 which is most certainly not similar to today. I find it interesting that modern hope tends to be in science, yet he didn't have the knowledge that we do today, and as a result, his hope lies in religion. Oh how shall I its deeds recount Or measure the untold amount Of ills that it has done? From China's bright celestial land E'en to Arabia's thirsty sand It journeyed with the sun. O'er miles of bleak Siberia's plai...

Langston Hughes

I know we glanced over some of his work, but I don't think we did this amazing poet justice! I've been a long time fan of his work, and the complexity of his poetry never ceases to amaze me. Take Mother to Son , one of his most famous poems. It is relatively short, yet the length is there for a reason. If a mother is talking to her son about hardship, she isn't going to put it lightly or try to beat around the bush. The fact that this is short and to the point only adds to the importance of this poem both to the mother's son and to the audience. Furthermore, the rhythm of the poem adds another layer of complexity that drives home the poem's meaning. The long continuous sentences make the poem feel more real, making it feel like the mother is adding more and more examples on the spot to prove her point. I think that this is the true reason why I enjoy Langston Hughes' poetry. He is so creative when it comes to rhyming and rhythm, which creates a poem that is both...

Short and Simple: Clerihews

This strange poetry form is straight out of a high schooler's notebook. Clerihews are made up of 4 lines, the form of which is AABB. These short poems are meant to be funny or satirical, although it can be pretty much whatever people want. For some reason, people made a bunch of Clerihews about different chemists throughout history, who knows why. Here is an example. Sir Humphrey Davy  Abominated gravy.  He lived in the odium  Of having discovered sodium. It's pretty straightforward that these poems are made out of boredom, although some are funny nonetheless. I don't think this specific poem stands out from any others of the genre, and I don't know how much more there is to say about such an unserious structure! Here is one I wrote! He's got the toupee plus the MBA Yet we doubt his vocation to run this nation

The Triumph of "Triumph"

The evolution of rap music is incredible. Who would have thought that a genre originating from a handful of people would grow to top the Billboards consistently? Whether you actively follow and listen to modern rappers or only know songs from dance playlists that have been played year after year, you've probably heard Kendrick, Schmurda, Drake, Migos, and many more whether you know it or not. Our generation is living in a Hip Hop frenzy, but other generations (my parents included) can't seem to get past the nefarious lyrics or boujee lifestyles these talented artists are creating or living. When writing the poetry assignment about how I would teach a class about poetry and what poem I would include, I knew that I wanted to write about rap. People usually associate education with our generation, but I want to prove to the older generations who don't accept rap that whether you like it or not, rap is a legitimate genre containing artists with legitimate talent. Even though it...