0017

Afterthoughts On my Reader's Response

In hindsight, I feel like my analysis of my poem, "Jung One: Please Don't Cry" and the short story, "Patriot", was somewhat lacking. I would've liked to
include this blog entry into the analysis, but the scramble to compile a cohesive vision and project from the ruins of my unrealistic project ambitions forced this aspect of analysis to the background (at least in my fairly perfectionist opinion).

For much of the poem, the narrator focuses on mostly the external world (the concept of people taking advantage of one another, the naive being deceived), even suggesting that the narrator knows these things due to experience of these conflicts), and how he tries to explain to his "Son" how the world works currently. Eventually, the poem shifts from trying to teach his son, to the narrator revealing that his "Son" is not actually real and suggest he's unborn, and that his mother is dead, and that the narrator moves from a an external
conflict to a greatly internal conflict.

As for form, stanza, etc., I didn't pay much attention to such. I'm sure when analyzed, you could easily find a pattern, but the only thing intention was probably a type of parallel rhyming with the ending song to the game itself (Starsailor - Way To Fall, pretty good song). Though it was instinct to just let the poem flow, and not follow a particular form or outline, when I went back to revise certain parts, I wasn't tempted at all to change this. As I re-read the poem a few times, it became apparent to me that it wasn't really rhyming like a typical poem, but it felt like the poem was comprised of slightly rhymed dialouge. I thought this was effective, since for the most part, the narrator is talking to his son, and the rhyme add's a kind of emotional extension of his words.

I thought the short story was a bit of a creative freedom from what I originally said I would do my response on, and is not that similar to the other options provided, but I am somehow proud of how it turned out, mainly because of the challenge of brining insight into characters that do not exist in a traditional medium, in this case, they exist in a video game and not an actual poem, an actual story on paper or playwright in a book, but a medium that is much more interactive. The challenge with this is to try and bring true emotion to characters that you really have to interact with, in which for the most part, reading a short story is very linear, and you essentially just watch the story unfold. Albeit, a play would've been more effective at simulating interactivity, since the dialouge is a driving force, and requires quick a mental workout from the reader to discern the importance of certain phrases, how the dialouge is said. In a play, the author may or may not indicate the person is being sarcastic, I find in a short story or a story format, it is either easier to identify this, or it is specified in the text itself.

On top on converting to a different medium, and trying to emulate the former mediums ability of interactivity, there was also something I've noticed as the issue of compression on different types of writing. The poem, when I first started out, was the most compressed portion of the project, whereas the short story, "Patriot" was much less compressed and was harder to write as I went along. When I attempted to take a piece of the ending of another story, and modify the character's slightly in a way that is more like a different interpretation, I found it more challenging. I guess what I'm saying is that it all came back to the most compressed level, the poem, for the project to really come together. The short story, the blending of the game's ending and characters used, and the poem didn't happen until I went back to the poem and reinterpreted it. I found that the poem was the basis for everything else I did in the project, and came to an interesting conclusion that all of this may have made it much easier (along with more time) to actually go the extra mile with my more ambitious plans. My more ambitious plans involved going up a media level
that was much more on par with the interactive video game: re-editing footage of the actual ending. Interestingly, this re-editing of footage into a video file would've basically been a high-end version of the short story, so when I found I didn't have the ability to make the higher level medium, I went down to the lower equivalent.

This process gave me an intimate look at a creative process I hadn't really consciously realized before. I saw that a poem could indeed have the potential to evolve into a high end, interactive, video-game experience, and the exact reverse could happen. But in each level, in each type of format, the interpretations are all unique and fresh, because certain formats of medium (be it poetry, short story, novel, playwright, screenplay, or even radio show) have interesting effects on the imagination of the person reading and/or experiencing the alloted format. To counter a previous post in my blog, I believe this may the one huge idea and/or lesson I learn from this class. Of course, other than the fact that if your a writer, and the more your write, the better you get at it.

0016

I've always had trouble focusing on thing; brought up in a world of constant media, tv, Internet and such, it wouldn't be out of the question for such focus maybe becoming more scarce by the year, but that is simply a possible tangent I will not explore further in hopes of keeping my focus, lol.

The focus of my response assignment is on a poem of mine I wrote back in January. "Jung One: Don't Cry", on an interesting note, was inspired by the ending of a Playstation 2 Game, Metal Gear Solid 3: Solid Snake. Normally, I wouldn't admit a seemingly trite and unrelated fact, but the ending was very emotionally vivid. I will actually go back and watch the ending to help with analysis.

My analysis on my poem, "Jung One: Don't Cry", will center around the main character in the poem: a would-be and/or future father whom is is looking towards the future. He warns his son of the world that awaits him, and ultimately ends up warning his son of possible lessons that the would be father learned throughout his life thus far. While in a normal analysis, I would slowly reveal this instead of simply giving it away as a thesis (I think...). However, for the response assignment, Knowing a little about the poem will actually help, as the option I will be using a collage and/or drawing(s) to convey the poem's meaning. Referring back to the Playstation game being mentioned as a source of inspiration, I will try and cut and paste certain images and scenes in the ending to help piece together an interesting depiction of the poem, one that may not be immediately available by simply reading it.

0015

Classyass

by Caleen Sinnette Jennings

*** I'm pretty sure this won't offend anyone, I'd feel odd warning anyone about an observation to this play.

The title is referring to, at least literally, to Ama's attitude to BigB when he faxed a reply back to her suggestion of an error on his part. However, as the play ended, "classyass" can refer to the situation of certain blacks being raised more well off and educated families and surroundings, and how they are viewed by those who weren't raised in a well off environment w/ education. Also, more importantly, to how subtle those very "classyass" blacks view those whom are economically below them, thus bringing in the age-old conflict of economic class.

It was interesting to see BigB reveal herself to be the daughter of the Dean, whom works at the shelter, and how Ama viewed BigB because of the fact she worked at the shelter. BigB confronts Ama's subtle prejudice by way of subtle disguise and slight deception, and Ama's confrontation with his own prejudice, i thought, reflected a greater problem with society nowadays. I believe a term for it would be liberally racism, although that would be too strong in this example, so liberal prejudice would be a better terms. Borrowing from a possible *definition* of liberal racism:

"Liberal racism...assumes that racial differences are so profound that they are almost primordial..." that "the fascination with racial differences that prevents many liberals from treating any person with a nonwhite racial physiognomy as someone much like themselves only begets policies and programs that reinforce nineteenth-century assumptions about race that are patently racist."

This is reflected when Ama has difficulty trying to explain his actions, how he didn't mean for it to sound offensive to BigB. Taken in greater perspective, it is fascinating that this problem occurs, as in the 1960's, racism was in the open, it was largely black vs. whites, a them and us type of thing. 30 years later; Black vs. Black, Whites vs. White, Latino vs.Latino, Asian vs. Asian, and then remaining past members of each race still vs. against other races. What the story reflects is that nowadays, it is mostly about economical divides. For example, some white people can't stand white people from a certain region because they are poor and un-educated ("white trash"), even when there the mentioned group exists in their family as their aunt or uncle. The same can be said of the supposed "white trash", although, I actually ignore another important factor by saying "supposed", and that factor is majority. If a majority of society says "these people are this", it is largely accepted and very little argue about the label, except of course, the minority, which are the label. This provides a social comfort level in dealing with a certain people, and it even starts at such a small scale as simply "that one family down the street who :insert an observation that goes against what is deemed "normal":.

In fact, my either exception of a similar explanation with blacks, or a postponing of a similar observation with blacks, or any other race for that matter, can reflect the very thing that drives liberal prejudice, or, the more extreme racism. The acceptance of certain things being particular to that race, or this race, seems like a cop-out; a waving of the white flag, giving up a chance to simply try to ignore social stigmas surrounding race. I cannot say the same for everyone, but I myself, when not blind to the everyday happenings of the liberal prejudice attitude, that, I for one, think affects anyone in modern day America, have a moment of clarity. I am no racist, not at all, but the social stigma and influence of this liberal attitude may influence me to: look a certain way, act a certain way, say things in a sentence a certain way, talk a certain way; essentially run a program accordingly to whatever situation presents itself, concerning race. Admittedly, I've inferred a lot from the text, but that reminds of what is so great in a text, a writing: the fact that it's a writing. If someone els, say, of a different race of me, were to infer a similar (most likely not the same, no two observations are entirely same between different human beings) conclusion, an opening for discussion can take place, which can bridge certain social stigmas found in society today.

All in all, if I were to conclude my inference to this text, I'd say it would be that reading "Classyass" reminded me of something important, something gravely important: it isn't over, the struggle for civil rights isn't over. While key victories, milestones in fact, were made during the 60's, they were victories for battles, not for the war. For the war involves every single human being, not just human beings of race but human beings as organisms within a system that is both evolving and becoming stale. While society has made leaps and bounds, parts of society still remain stale, and those leaps and bounds have obviously only went so far, but that's not to say no one is thankful they occurred. For now, it'll be hard to face, because the "them vs. us" are both the same, and in terms of race, it is largely sub-divided with races. However, it is not to say that the old racism is entirely gone either, the old racism is much more of a minority, where a prevailing majority disdains).

I kind of went off into a few tangents, hopefully it makes sense lol.

*** For a definition, I quoted this site: http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/article.php?id_article=608, from which the quote is Jim Sleeper's.

0014

Poetry Quiz- En 190

"Japan"

Bill Collins

The poem "Japan" at first glance seems like a poem with an exotic name but not so much substance as an exotic name may imply. However, the very misleading nature of this first glance reveals the magic of this poem. Collins describes reading a haiku, and in the process shows a similar process to what the reader may go through while reading the very poem that is about Collins reading another poem. This hint-hint, nudge-nudge at a type of 4th wall reveals itself through the rest of the stanzas, as I found the poem “Japan” reached vastly beyond paper, beyond poetry form.

Collins loosely utilizes the haiku form by using three lines per stanza; except for stanza 7, which notably describes the poem that Collins is reading in “Japan”. I found it interesting that Collin’s doesn’t immediately tell the reader what the poem is, and when he does, he puts the stanza in the middle of the poem. Before this stanza, Collins describes how he reads “the one about the one-ton temple bell with the moth sleeping on its surface”, and after this stanza, he describes how he interprets it. I felt this was a sort of metaphor (possibly a reflection) of how readers may often read a poem over and over, but do not feel like they understand it. The significance of “When I say it at the window”, “ When I say it at the mirror” and “when I say it to you in the dark”; these represent different modes of perception that can be used for poetry.

More literally, however, Collins goes what are usual haiku rules (these I know for certain): 5-7-5 syllable pattern, while keeping within 17 syllables total for a stanza. The first stanza is 8-6-9, and after refreshing my knowledge of haiku after I read this poem, I found that one who isn’t familiar with haiku could easily mistake this poem for one. I think this was intentional; a theme of reading something foreign, then mistaking it for something else (or perceiving it as something else), ties in with my above observation of perceiving poems. Admittedly, however, this observation of syllable pattern is a stretch, but might further prove the perception theme; observation is after all, intertwined with perception, if not the same thing.

Collins also switches from staying within the 17 syllable limit (2nd stanza being composed of 16 syllables), to going well beyond it (1st stanza being 23-24, the 4th stanza being 30-32). After noticing this, I began to think if Collins purposely or inadvertently chooses this pattern in a rather small detail that the average reader would not pick up. Possibly, Collins tweaked the traditional form of haiku to represent trying to understand haiku, trying to break from non-haiku into haiku, as he uses some rules, but not all. Going further from this, I thought that maybe this could be tied with Collins in the poem trying to understand the haiku he was reading, how it looked different each time he read it.

Or, referring back to the earlier mentioned “hint-hint, nudge-nudge” of the 4th wall, in the final lines, Collins is using a perception of his own, of the haiku he reads, to describe the effect of us reading a poem by him: “And later, when I say it to you in the dark you are the bell, and I am the tongue of the bell, ringing you.” It’s difficult to say exactly; I could even say all the above is true, that all my perceptions are neither correct nor incorrect, but rather are either existent or non-existent. If ringing is a metaphor for “thinking or perceiving”, and the bell represents while the tongue of the bell represents Collins’s poem, perhaps that is what Collins wanted all along; just simply ring our bells.



.end entry