Monthly Archives: November 2012

11/7

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Today in seminar class, we continued our poetry presentations. We started off class with Jaclyn’s poem, which was a difficult poem for me to understand because of its hidden meanings. After Professor Kahan explained to us the beginning of the poem, I thought it was interesting because I can relate to it. Time and time again, I have had a dream that involved the alarm sound on my iPod trying to wake me up.

During Andrew’s performance, we had some fun after he finished reading his second poem. I think its safe to say that everyone enjoyed saying BangClash enthusiastically. We even got a good laugh when I came to my turn to read it. I was extremely impressed with Andrew’s poem that he wrote. It was a beautiful poem and he put a lot into his performance. You could tell that he was very passionate about what he was reciting. I give him a lot of credit for presenting his own work to the class. I think it would be a lot harder for me to say a poem that I wrote, rather read a famous poem.

Christian’s poem was my favorite out of the poems read today. I liked the fact that the poet just wrote a poem about a “snap shot” of a few moments in his life. It was a very nice poem that reminds us that there is more to a person than their appearance or occupation.

I was also impressed by Naomi’s performances today. I think that she did a very good job of performing Dorothy Parker’s poems. She showed a lot of emotion in her poem like Amber did in the previous class and was able to show everybody her great talent of performing.

11/5

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Today in seminar class, we started our poetry presentations. Although I am not very comfortable with public speaking, I had fun doing my presentation. I enjoyed my poem and I enjoyed performing it in front of the class. We all had a good laugh while I was trying to re-read my commentary. I would really like practice public speaking so that I can stop ending every sentence like a question and focus on looking at the crowd more. I am glad to know what I have to improve on, and I know I will be less nervous the next time I go to speak in front of an audience.

Overall, it was nice to see everyone’s performances. Everyone put their best foot forward in performing their poems. I especially enjoyed Amber’s performance because I saw a side of her that I had never seen before and she did a great job acting out her poem.

We had a lot of interesting discussions about the poems as well. It was interesting to talk about Marylyn Monroe. I did not know a a lot about her besides that she was a provocative actress in the 1940s. From this poem and the discussion we had, I realized that I only have this idea based on the media’s portrayal of her, which should not be my final opinion about her. People should not be judged based primarily on how the media portrays them. They should be judged based on facts and from our own interactions with them.

~Presenting Poetry Part 1~ 11/5/12

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Monday in seminar we began presenting our poems.  I’ve read and analyzed many poems  in the past for academic and recreational reasons, but I have never been asked to recite poems, or for that matter, seen poetry performed.  I enjoyed the ways my classmates interpreted their poems and presented them to the class, whether is was a poem about the threat of nuclear fallout, a lively interpretation of a city street, or a mournful tale of death and sorrow.  Each recital was unique and touching, I could really feel the weight of the words as my classmates performed them.

The first book of poetry that I remember really enjoying was in 5th grade and it was called Hailstones and Halibut Bonesby Mary O’Neil.  In this book of poems the poet, Mary O’Neil describes the colors of the rainbow with beautiful descriptive language.  Each poem in this book starts with the question, “What is?”. “What is red? Red is a sunset Blazy and bright. Red is a feeling brave With all your might Red is a sunburn Spot on your nose, sometimes red Is a red, red, rose…”  When I was ten this was the best thing since sliced bread.  I continued to enjoy poetry well into my intermediate school years (at which point the majority of poetry which I listened and read came in the form of song lyrics).  In fifth grade I also had the pleasure of writing my own poetry anthology.  Within this collection I wrote a poem entitled Crescent Moon.

Crescent Moon

Like a slide in the sky you shine from on high

In front of the tar, you shine from afar

And are replaced by the sun

After the crickets have sung

My Crescent Moon

My Crescent Moon

It’s not going to win any awards anytime soon, but I was proud of it.

What appeals to me about poetry is that it isn’t obvious.  Poets take great care in crafting each word, choosing their diction and syntax to portray their message.  In order to really get to the heart of a poem you have to dig and sort through all of the layers that the poet has developed.  As a lover of theater, poetry also appeals to me because it is an art form which is best performed instead of read.

I look forward to hearing the rest of the poems presented in class.

~Naomi

Seminar Class 11/5/12

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On monday’s seminar class, we started the recitations of the poems given to us by professor Kahan. I was excited to hear everyone’s poems and their interpretations of the poems. Knowing that professor Kahan chose the poems for my classmates and I personally, I knew that this was going to be an interesting experience.

Austin,very bravely, volunteered to go first. He read a poem called To Brooklyn Bridge by Hart Crane. I was very interested to hear his poem because I too have a poem written by Hart Crane and wanted to compare the two poems to better understand Hart Crane’s writing style. To me, Hart Crane’s poems are very difficult to interpret and understand. However, I think that Austin did a great job!

My favorite poem of the day was Ariana’s poem Love and Marilyn Monroe (after Spillane) by Delmore Schwartz. This poem discussed Marilyn Monroe and how she is more than a just a beautiful and desirable woman. Even though Marilyn Monroe was known as a promiscuous woman during her time, she wanted the public to take her and her acting profession seriously. She basically wanted to be treated the proper way a woman should be treated. She did not want the attention just because she was a desirable and beautiful woman. I especially loved this poem because I believe that it is easily relatable for all women. All women want to be treated respectfully and properly for who they truly are and not because of what they look like.

I enjoyed all the poems on monday’s class. I know how difficult it is to present something to others, especially your friends and classmates, and I believe that all my classmates did an amazing job presenting their poems.

November 5, 2012

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On Monday in Seminar, we started our poetry recitations. We each had to give the class a brief background on the poet, read our poem, and share our own interpretation and thoughts. I volunteered to go first. While I have previous experience in public speaking, the one thing that always gets me is speaking in front of my peers and friends.

The name of my poem was To Brooklyn Bridge by Hart Crane. The poem, in brief, detailed the various aspects of Manhattan near the Brooklyn Bridge. This included the mobs of people on the ferry, the businessmen on the streets, the exchange down on Wall Street, and finally the Brooklyn Bridge itself. Crane was a big Walt Whitman fan and, from the text and imagery that he uses, it can be discerned that he was trying to pay tribute to Whitman’s style.

Of all of the readings on Monday, the poem that stood out the most to me was Amber’s interpretation of February Evening in New York. Amber went up to the front of the room with her Mac and played a track of street sounds in New York City from YouTube. This greatly contributed to her recital’s ambiance. Her reading was absolutely fantastic!! The attitude and emotion that Amber added to the piece made the words jump off the page. Since Amber is so soft spoken, to hear her perform like that was amazing! Great job Amber!

The final poem and probably, by far, the most controversial of the day was Ariana’s reading of Love and Marilyn Monroe (after Spillane) by Delmore Schwartz. The poem describes Marilyn Monroe and her supposed “promiscuity” and “sexuality.” As Professor Kahan explained, Monroe’s public reputation was attributed to Zeitgeist, the culture of the time period. Back in the time when Monroe was an actress, women were not allowed to be open about sexuality. They were expected to be “family” oriented. If a lady was open to discussing these taboo topics, she was automatically labeled a “slut” or “promiscuous.” Today, however, that stereotype has faded away. A perfect example is the big stink that was made several months ago over the Fifty Shades of Grey series. In Monroe’s time, the author of the series would have most definitely been labeled a “whore” for her writing, regardless of her actual behavior. After doing some personal background reading on Monroe, there is no evidence to suggest that she was “promiscuous” or anything of the sort. Instead, she was open about her sexuality.

Stephanie Solanki, 11/7/12

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Yesterday in class, we did more poetry performances. Again, the poems were really meaningful, and they made me think deeper. Christian Siason’s poem stood out to me the most. It was about a simple cab ride, but it was my favorite. I never thought that a ride in a cab could be, as Dr. Kahan said, an “adventure.” Hearing the poem was an eye-opening experience for me. It was so interesting to think of this poem as a “snapshot” of a moment in time. I’ve never thought of a poem like that, like a moment that is frozen in time. The poem included the poet’s thoughts and observations in that moment. These thoughts have been immortalized forever. Like Austin said in class, a cab ride is an experience that many New Yorkers have had and will have. It is part of the charm of New York City. This is a familiar experience to New Yorkers, but different too. What sets this cab ride apart is that when riding a cab, one does not think that he or she is on an adventure. The cab ride is just a transition from one place to another. It is not usually the highlight of the person’s day. However, this poem causes me to appreciate every moment of my day. Each moment is unique and fleeting. I really enjoyed “Interview With a Cab Driver” for these reasons.

I really like how each poem has to do with New York and each poets experience in New York. The poems are all from different time periods, but they live on. The poetic geniuses have immortalized their experiences in their New York and made it familiar and recognizable New Yorkers in the future generations. This is why we read “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” by Walt Whitman as a class. Whitman was walking about New York in his present time and the future generations.

This class is really opening my eyes to appreciate poetry in a new way. I love the discussions we are having in class and hearing the analysis of the performers.

11/7/12 – Part 2 of Poem Presentations

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Today’s seminar class was part two of our poetry readings and despite the snowstorm everyone attended. Unfortunately, I still didn’t present my two poems yet, but by observing my classmates’ performances, I feel a little uneasy and wary. Public speaking is an art, that if not mastered can be nerve-racking and worrying. Most of my friends today, remained composed, and spoke with confidence. However, there still were some who let it get the best of them, and lacked emotions or feelings.

When I do present, my history of the two poets will be very concise because little information was present on the computer, due to their age and other such factors. However, I admire Michael Cirelli because he combined hip-hop culture and poetry. At first, when I researched him and found about this duality within his poetry, I was a little skeptical and unsure how it would turn out. But, after I read Birthplace, my whole viewpoint was altered greatly. Not only did I respect him, but began to wonder how creative as well as difficult it must be to combine the hip-hop and poetry world together.

Pertaining to today’s class, I specially enjoyed Naomi’s performance and Andrew’s presentation of the poem he wrote. Both were spoke with such emotion and enthusiasm I truly understood the meanings behind each of the poems. I was taken back when I heard Andrew’s poem, because I never knew he was capable or even into that type of writing. It was marvelous how he just sat down one day and wrote this heartfelt and ingenious poem. If he hadn’t had told us that he wrote it, I would definitely have thought some famous author wrote it back in the early 1900s. Also, Naomi’s presentation was empowering and vivid in nature. She used a lot of feeling and passion, making it enjoyable and pleasant to witness. I felt as if, I was in the poem acting out what was being said.

All and all, I learned different techniques to public speaking as to what works and what doesn’t work. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and as an individual, I must find what works best for me. I am looking forward to finally presenting my poems on Monday, and I hope I can be half as good as some of the performances earlier today.

The Art of People Watching: 11/7/12

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Today’s seminar class was another day of poetry recitations.  I’m finding that I am really enjoying these days.  I like watching my classmates and hearing them put their own emotions and thoughts, and their own personal touches to each poem.  It was particularly enjoyable to hear one of my fellow classmates’ own personal poems…I’ve never been able to skillfully write a poem, although I have tried, so I really admired his talent and everything he put into the poem — the words, the meaning, and his presentation.  The presentation of his poem led to a discussion revolving around the art of presentation and performance.  You never truly realize how difficult it is to give a performance in front of an audience, whether you know the people in the audience or not, until it is your turn to get up on stage or in the front of the classroom and present your own work.  Not only is it nerve-wracking, there is much to take into consideration.  When giving a performance, you have to decide how you want to depict a certain character or how you want to present a poem or piece of writing.  You have to try and get into the mindset of the author who wrote piece you are presenting and read it with emotion, adding your own personality and flair to give an enjoying and captivating performance.  I personally have always admired people such as Broadway stars, actors and actresses, anybody who can confidently go on stage in front of a large audience, and dramatically portray a character and really give a performance.  When I sit and watch performers, I think about how much time must have gone into preparing for the show and I really appreciate their work and dedication.

The conversation in today’s class that was most enjoyable was that of the art of people-watching.  I have always enjoyed people-watching, whether I am at the mall, in the city, on public transportation, in the car, anywhere.  Whether it’s to pass the time or just to have fun, at some point in my life, people-watching turned into a game.  Because of this, the poems The Cab Driver’s Smile and Public Transportation really appealed to me.  I could definitely relate to the authors who were drawing a sketch of life around them, a sketch of the people who they saw on the streets of New York City.  As we discussed in class, you never really know what kind of life the people around you are leading.  There is a plethora of possibilities for why people look and act the way they do when you see them, wherever you see them.  It all comes full circle, in a way, to the teaching that you can’t judge people. Maybe the guy on the bus next to you really is a parish priest, even though he looks like a mugger.  What do we know?  I find this concept fascinating.  The fact that you can look at any one person and devise this whole life for them inside your head, which could be the complete opposite of who they really are…it’s just entertaining to think about.

I also want to say I really enjoyed the poems by Dorothy Parker.  Observation was my favorite, because it shows that she didn’t care what other people thought about her, as long as she was pleased with herself and how she was living her life.  I think that’s the best way to live.  From the background of her life that we heard from Dr. Kahan, about having a deadpan, no-nonsense personality, it seems to me that she lived her life the way she described living in the poem Observation.

I am definitely enjoying the class discussions that come about as a result of the poetry readings and I look forward to hearing the remaining poems on Monday.

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It was nice to jump back into seminar after a week off from classes.  This session was very enjoyable since the class had plenty of engaging discussions.  However, even though the discussions were a blast, my favorite part was rereading my poem to the class.

At first I felt uneasy about my second reading, I thought that it was not the way it was supposed to be read.  The recording of Langston Hughes on Youtube had been in a very slow and mellow tone.  I realized after the session that my personality and the way I read Night Funeral in Harlem the first time did not flow in harmony.  Instead, presenting the poem with a sarcastic tone was a much better performance.

As a matter of fact, Langston Hughes was known as a comical man.  Imagining Hughes read the poem in a manner such as mine would not be too farfetched in my opinion.  Perhaps Hughes was at a very old age when the recording was made, which would justify his slow and smooth reading.

Even though I initially felt uneasy with my second reading of the poem, it was still a good time.  In all honesty, I think of myself as a great presenter. I was in a presentation team for a business program in my senior year of high school and I did pretty well.  The program had multiple competitions in which the presenters had to present lengthy business plans and sit through grueling Q & A sessions.  The reason I did so well was due to the fact that I presented with my natural personality; I did not try to mimic someone else as I did with Langston Hughes.

Hopefully, we will have more presentations in the future.  Presentations are vastly more enjoyable than a meer essay.

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11.5.12

Today, we began our poetry performances. I enjoyed all the different poems that were read today. Austin started us off with To Brooklyn Bridge by Hart Crane. I thought the sounds of this poem were very soothing. “Out of some subway scuttle…”, “…Accolade thou dost bestow”, and “…prophet’s pledge” were some of the things that stood out to me. I also liked how the poem used a lot of older modern English words such as thou, thy, and thee which I think added to the Biblical feel of the poem which I felt while the poem was being read.

I also enjoyed Night Funeral in Harlem by Langston Hughes. It reminded me of how some preachers dictate their sermons. The speaker of the poem asked a question that was follow by an answer. Looking at the structure of the poem, I can see how much it resembles a song. I think the structure of a poem is very important as it affects the way the poem is read. If this poem was one whole big stanza, I feel it would lose how it feels like a song. After Ariana read Love and Marilyn Monroe (after Spillane) by Delmore Schwartz, I thought the poem was a big joke making fun of how Marilyn Monroe tried to be taken seriously. After the poem was read a second time, I realized it wasn’t a big joke and the speaker was on Monroe’s side.

The poem Ariana read made me realize that sometimes poems need to be read more than once to grasp the meaning. Understanding the poem when someone is reading it can be quite difficult. Now, that I’m looking at the poem myself, I can analyze certain parts more in depth rather than trying to catch everything that was being said at the time. It’s not that easy trying to think about what the person reading the poem has just said and listen to what they’re saying in the moment. For the next presentations, I’m going to try to listen without thinking too much into things. When the person is finished I will begin to analyze the poem.

– Amber G.