Category Archives: Responses

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.

Stephanie Solanki, 11/5/12

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Today in Seminar Class, we had poetry recitals. I have always loved poetry, and I have always loved hearing different interpretations of poetry. For me, poetry is like music. It has a rhythm and a beat, and the experience of hearing poetry is like listening to a concert for me. A person can express one poem in many different ways. It was nice to hear my classmates express themselves or different sides of themselves through their poetry.

I really liked the poems that were given to each person. It seemed as if the poem was meant for the person who performed it. Everyone shined through their poetry. Each poem emphasized certain personality qualities in the performer. I was able to “hear” the personality traits of the speaker through the performances. This was because of voice intonation, hand gestures, emphasis of words, and rhythm and beat choices.

We had a class discussion about zeitgeist and social perceptions on women. Years ago, Marilyn Monroe was considered promiscuous because she was comfortable in her body and flaunted it. In this era, we would not think that a beautiful women is a promiscuous. It is not a correlation that occurs to us. This then led to the discussion of power between the people and notorious celebrities. In my opinion, the people give celebrities their power through attention and gossip. Celebrities need attention to stay in the spotlight, and so they rely on the people to keep them there. I liked having a full class discussion and hearing the opinions of others. I think we should do that more often.

I cannot wait to perform on Wednesday, although I have touch acts to follow. My classmates did great jobs, and I hope that I will too.

Poetry Recitations: 11/5

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Let me begin by saying I really enjoyed Monday’s seminar class.  We began poetry recitations and while poetry is not my favorite topic, I do enjoy hearing poetry being read and hearing other people’s interpretations of poetry.  I love how one poem can mean several different things to different people, and how there is not one concrete answer about a poem’s meaning, because a poem speaks differently to each individual person. 

There were two aspects of Monday’s class that both surprised me and resonated with me.  First, after reading my own two poems, “Lament” and “Recuerdo,” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dr. Kahan pointed out that sometimes, a poet’s personality and the way they write are at odds with each other.  Millay was known to be a very flamboyant person around other people and in society, and yet, the poems I read seemed to be very conservative, simple, and moderate.  I had never given much thought to the idea that personality and writing style can be so contrasting for one person.  I personally liked the idea of having two different sides: one everyone sees and one that is more private and hidden, just for that own person to express his or her feelings or ideas.

The second class discussion that particularly interested me was the discussion that began with Marilyn Monroe and ended with the idea that the way people are portrayed is not necessarily true, nor is it “their own fault.”  Everybody knows Marilyn Monroe as a promiscuous, provocative, showy actress, singer, and model from the 1940’s and 1950’s.  However, as we discussed in class, how can we know that this description was who she really was?  What right do we have to judge her and label her?  Some people might argue that she wanted the attention and knowingly made a name for herself.  But in reality, what we know of Marilyn Monroe is a result of the media and other people’s ideas about who she was.  Sure, she is and was known to the American people as one of the most well-known sex symbols in contemporary culture, and that was no doubt, a result of the time period when she was popular; but there was so much more to her than we could ever know.  We tend to label people based on what we see and the gossip we want to start; the catch is that the gossip we start and the labels we attach usually only refer to one aspect of the person’s personality.  They most likely have much more substance than we give them credit for. 

I look forward to hearing the other poems in the class and seeing the kinds of discussion they lead to.  These discussions not only interest me, but help me develop a more open mind about the world around me.

11/5/12 Ariana Z. (Poem Recitals)

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Todays seminar consisted of our first round of poetry recitations. While listening to my fellow classmate’s poems, I was amazed to hear how different they really are. From homosexuality to coping with death, these poems had a plethora of meanings. I was shocked to find out that the poem I recited, “Love and Marilyn Monroe (after Spillane)” by Delmore Shwartz, happened to be the most talked about poem.

Ultimately, the class got into a discussion of how Marilyn Monroe, though known for her provocative image, was not actually promiscuous. The class seemed to conclude that Marilyn Monroe was more than simply a sex symbol. This is what I stated to be personified by the poem. The poem focused on the woman behind this overly sexual character. Professor Kahan stated that even though Marilyn Monroe had this image of a sinner (by the fifties standards) she did in fact try to live a “normal” life. Attempting to have children during both of her marriages.

When discussing this poem, I thought about how celebrities use certain characteristics to create their signature style. For example, who is Lady Gaga with out her outlandish outfits? And where would Katy Perry be had she not expressed her feelings about kissing a girl? These otherwise taboo forms of dress and behavior would probably label these women as “sinners.” In my opinion, these women are not truly these characters they portray. Instead, I think that they are brilliant business women. How? Simply for taking advantage of the human interest in all things that are not the norm.

11/5/12 – Poem Recitals

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Today’s seminar class was definitely interesting and unique. Prior to class, each student was assigned one or two poems that had to be researched and recited in front of the class. Also, we were to give brief details we found interesting about the particular poet or poets that Professor Kahan assigned.

However, towards the end of class, the class got a little sidetracked and we began discussing the influence of the media on women and how the audience portrays them. For example, Marilyn Monroe was looked upon as a sex symbol because of the various things she had done during her life. This falls hand and hand with our discussion because, people during this time perceived Marilyn, as a very provocative and promiscuous woman, simply because the media and other forms of news reported her in this way. It’s very rare for people even in today’s world, to produce an opinion solely based on what they feel. This relates closely to the presidential election. For example, there are many news channels and radio stations that are either Pro Democratic or Pro Republican, and if one listens to these networks on a constant basis, their outlooks and views are greatly affected. This idea was one of the topics discussed in today’s class, leading me to question if I fall into this category, or if I base my judgments on what I personally feel, despite what the media and my family tells me.

But, I must touch on the fact that even though I didn’t recite my poem yet, I get the feeling that speaking in front of the class is easier said than done. Many of my classmates, had a difficult time expressing their opinion and speaking clearly, which is a very common problem during public speaking. Thankfully, Professor Kahan was able to clarify any loose ends within the poems, enabling me to get a better understanding of what the poet is trying to portray. Hopefully, when I present my poem on Wednesday, I won’t be corrected too much, but I take all corrections I receive in a positive way and try to use them to better myself.

10/24

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When we discussed Walt Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” in seminar class today, I realized that my favorite part of the poem was the ninth stanza.  The speaker seems to be commanding nature to continue as it is, for the nature is what connects the generations and different people; time proceeds and the world changes, but the waves will still “cross from shore to shore countless crowds of passengers (stanza 9 line7)”.  In fact, this stanza reminded me of Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem “The Brook”, in which the speaker, the brook, says, “I chatter, chatter as I flow To join the brimming river, For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever.”  The brook, and all of nature, connects generations.  People benefit from the brook, and when they pass on, their children, and eventually grandchildren will enjoy from the same water. Though I’m not really a conservationist, and I am guilty of throwing soda cans into the regular trash, these poems make me feel a little worried about our environment.  Trees are constantly being cut down to make room for more buildings, and we are losing a source of connection between generations.  So, “flow on river! (Whitman stanza 9, line 1)” “For men may come and men may go but [you] go on forever (Tennyson 11)”.