The Things They Carried

 For the most part they carried themselves with poise,

 A kind of dignity

Lighting a joint and tracking its passage from man to man

"Stay away from drugs. No joke, they'll ruin your day every time."

They crawled under tunnels and walked point and advanced under fire

Too frightened to be cowards 

Sweet pain, then evacuation to Japan

Forget it

They were tough

We all got problems 

He was a soldier, after all

He would show strength

He understood

Henry Dobbins ate a tropical chocolate bar

Ted Lavender popped a tranquilizer 

Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha

The things they carried varied by misson

The things they carried were largely determined by necessity

Harlem Renaissance- Claude McKay

The Barrier

I MUST not gaze at them although

  Your eyes are dawning day;

I must not watch you as you go

  Your sun-illumined way;

I hear but I must never heed

  The fascinating note,

Which, fluting like a river reed,

  Comes from your trembing throat;

I must not see upon your face

  Love's softly glowing spark;

For there's the barrier of race,

  You're fair and I am dark.

Claude McKay




     The Barrier by Claude McKay is a very powerful poem that shows one of the many "barriers" that African-Americans faced during the Harlem Renaissance.  I chose this poem because of the imagery it portrays and the message it sends to its readers.




     The tone of the poem is set in the first two words that McKay wrote.  The capitalization of MUST inflicts anger and frustration in his voice.  The reader can infer that McKay is very passionate about his topic just by reading the first sentence.  He also uses imagery to show his passion.  For example, McKay uses images such as "sun-illuminated ways", "fluting like a river reed", and "Love's softly glowing spark".  The significance of his last example of imagery is that it reveals to the reader what "the barrier" is.  His poem is about how he cannot love another person because of the color of their skin.  




     McKay does not use many sound devices in The Barrier.  The only two forms of sound devices that I found were end rhyme and meter, which he uses to give the poem a nice flow.  While I was reading the poem, McKay's use of end rhyme made me feel a sense of connection between his ideas from line to line.  




     McKay uses a few figures of speech in The Barrier.  For example, he compares eyes to the dawn of day and gives love a soft glowing spark.  To me, these descriptions add another dimension to the poem.  The dawn of day and spark of love create a good contrast from what his state of thought is at the end.  They really bring out his feelings and emotions on how he feels about the color barrier.  This was the biggest part of McKay's poem that said something to me, that made me feel as if I was fighting against the color barrier too.

Modern Transcendentalist- Rachel Carson

            When you think of modern transcendentalists, Rachel Carson probably is not the first person that comes to mind.  But when you look at her closely, she exemplifies the traits of a transcendentalist in the work that she did over her lifetime.

            Rachel Carson’s work shows her appreciation for nature.  She was a marine biologist and conservationist who wrote the book Silent Spring, which discussed the problems of the chemical DDT and its effects on the environment.  The chemical companies fiercely opposed it in the 1950’s, but it led to the eventual ban of DDT because of its harmful effect as it spread up the food chain. 

            Carson also fit into the transcendentalist mold by being a non-conformist.  She stood up for what her research said, especially to the chemical companies that constantly ridiculed her for her ideas to ban DDT.  She also showed that she was not a conformist in her personal life.  She was the main breadwinner for her family, supporting her sisters, mother, and cousin.  This was very unusual for a woman to be the head of the household in the 1950’s.

            Rachel Carson’s intuition was vital to the field of science, especially to conservation research. Carson conducted research that was critical to the field of conservation and the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment.  Her findings, along with her book, led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  After her death, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Jimmy Carter, the highest civilian award in the United States.          

The Great Gatsby

Throughout the novel, Jay Gatsby repeatedly stares at a green light across the bay.  Why does he do this?  What does it represent to him?

The Value of Learning Poetry

What is the value of learning about poetry? Why is poetry taught in school, instead of reading from a textbook?

It is important to explore the world of poetry for many reasons.  Poetry allows for a person to express themselves in any way they want to, which a textbook can not.  Writers can express feelings, opinions, or ideas about anything that they please.  It also teaches the reader to hear and respect the opinions and feelings of the writer.  There is also the great value of poetry when reader finds a certain poem that reaches out to them. A person can truly appreciate poetry when they find "their own" poem.

American Dream

     What is the American Dream? That's a good question.  I believe that the American Dream is different from person to person.  The typical dream would be living in a large house in the suburbs with a wife husband, 2 kids, and a dog.  Every one's dream is different though.  Some would prefer to live in the inner city while trying to start up their own business, while others want to live on their personal farm out in the country.
     The way each person's dream is has a uniqueness to them.  That's the beauty of it.  The American Dream can be altered to every person's preferences and likes.  There is no one dream.  There is only the open mind to dream and the willingness to pursue it.