For years, people have been using writing as a way to convey their dreams for the world and what others must do in order to achieve those dreams. Many of these writings have succeeded in their goals. Writing is a powerful tool that can help affect change in the world.
After reading "The Bombing of Baghdad" I felt saddened for all of the innocent victims killed during the bombing. This was exactly June Jordan's goal. Her poem was purposefully filled with emotional appeals in order to convince her audience that the bombings in Iraq were wrong and to stir up antiwar feelings in the reader.
"What anthems or lullabies soon can restore us after we killed the children?" This quotation comes from an untitled poem by Rose Styron. What Styron is asking is how a soldier can celebrate a victory or feel content when innocent people, namely children, are killed in the process. Stryon uses the image of dying children to make those engaged in battle feel ashamed for killing such innocence and beauty.
To many people, writings like these may seem like words on a page. However, hidden in these words are important messages that have the power to change minds and hearts. Words have much more power than most people give them credit for, and maybe if we all make an attempt to understand what is trying to be said in writings, we can take the first step in trying to carry out the author's wishes.
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Short and sweet; I also liked how you included your own emotional response to Jordan's poem. The end of your writing was the icing on the cake! If only people would take another's ideals into deeper consideration, maybe we could start a huge social movement, but until people can take these issues seriously, we can only sit back and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteColl, your writing just has a great natural flow to it! It runs so smoothly with each word, and each word is precise in what you exactly mean in your statements. Your ending was really great; I was intrigued by the main topic of using writing to reach people's aspirations in their lives. Reality needs to really settle in for people today in order for them to realize that dreams and aspirations aren't physically handed to them; people need to work their hardest to achieve these dreams. Overall, this was a great piece of writing, Coll! I enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDeleteColl, I really think your opinion was one hundred percent correct. I personally agree with you, and feel that writing is not just some letters put together but each have a special message and meaning. I do not think I have read much of your writing at all, which is weird because i went to school with you for almost 11 years. Wowww. But I deffinately enjoy it and probably commentary much more in the future. Good job.
ReplyDeleteYour opinion on June's poem was very well. I was very moved when reading this poem for the first time. I actually got the feeling that I was actually there. I also like how you quoted from another poem to get across how writers portray their feelings and want other peoples' feelings to be involved too. Over all I really enjoyed readers you response.
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