If you were one of the many who have disliked poetry and writing from young, the last thing you would want to be would be a writer or poet. Well, that is exactly what Jack Prelutsky did.
The reason I chose this poet is because he writes funny and humorous poems (you can see in my previous post) which I enjoy reading and devotes his time to help children. I will elaborate further in the following paragraphs.
Let me give you a brief biography of his life. Jack was born in Brooklyn in 1940. As mentioned earlier, Jack hated poetry through most of his childhood, which I think is quite common in kids these days. However, he rediscovered it later in his life (not so common). This is what he said “I realized poetry was a means of communication, that it could be as exciting or as boring as that person or that experience."
He has written thirty collections of children’s poetry from the 1970s up to now. He now spends most of the time presenting poems to children in schools and libraries. His contribution to children should not be underestimated. He does not stop at writing poems for them. He also teaches them how to write some themselves. You can see some of his work on his website (http://www.jackprelutsky.com/). It is very informative. For example, if you want to know how to write a funny poem click here.
Below are 3 of his poems:
Happy birthday, Mother dearest,
we made breakfast just for you,
a watermelon omelette,
and a dish of popcorn too,
a cup of milk and sugar,
and a slice of blackened toast,
happy birthday, Mother dearest,
you’re the one we love the most.
As soon as Fred gets out of bed,
his underwear goes on his head.
His mother laughs, "Don't put it there,
a head's no place for underwear!"
But near his ears, above his brains,
is where Fred's underwear remains.
At night when Fred goes back to bed,
he deftly plucks it off his head.
His mother switches off the light
and softly croons, "Good night! Good night!"
And then, for reasons no one knows,
Fred's underwear goes on his toes.
My mother says I’m sickening,
my mother says I’m crude,
she says this when she sees me,
playing Ping-Pong with my food,
she doesn’t seem to like it
when I slurp my bowl of stew,
and now she’s got a list of things
she says I mustn’t do-
DO NOT CATAPULT THE CARROTS!
DO NOT JUGGLE GOBS OF FAT!
DO NOT DROP THE MASHED POTATOES
ON THE GERBIL OR THE CAT!
NEVER PUNCH THE PUMPKIN PUDDING!
NEVER TUNNEL THROUGH THE BREAD!
PUT NO PEAS INTO YOUR POCKET!
PLACE NO NOODLES ON YOUR HEAD!
DO NOT SQUEEZE THE STEAMED ZUCCHINI!
DO NOT MAKE THE MELON OOZE!
NEVER STUFF VANILLA YOGURT
IN YOUR LITTLE SISTER’S SHOES!
DRAW NO FACES IN THE KETCHUP!
MAKE NO LITTLE GRAVY POOLS!
I wish my mother wouldn’t make
so many useless rules.
From all this we can see how these poems can be easily understood by children and the lyrics are very catchy. The situations are what children can identify with. These poems can easily make children love poetry (but maybe not write.)
In conclusion, I feel that Jack is a great poet. His way of writing truly interacts with his audience—kids.
Citations
www.jackprelutsky.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Prelutsky
www.poets.org/jprel/
famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/jack_prelutsky
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Figurative Language
Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face by Jack Prelutsky
Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot.
Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you'd be forced to smell your feet.
Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair.
Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
your brain would rattle from the breeze.
Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place--
be glad your nose is on your face!
1)How is figurative language used in this poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is and why the poet chose to use this figurative language?
Figurative Language is used at times the poem in its various types (hyperbole, personification, simile, symbols except metaphor). I shall elaborate below.
Hyperbole--Used to invoke an emotion or image. In this poem, the writer exaggerates the fact that if your nose is within your ear, your brain will rattle from the breeze, this may not be true but is used to create an image in the reader of a person shaking with a nose of his/her head.
Personification--An example of personification is when the writer uses the phrase tickled by your hair. Tickling is a human action but it is hair that is doing it, this is known as personification.
Simile--An example of a simile is when the author uses the words "for if it were where it not". The author is using it to elaborate on the previous line about the nose being pasted somewhere else.
Symbols--This poem may be an allegory of a human life. We usually fail to be thankful about a lot of things and always think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
2)Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.
I enjoy this poem as the author of this poem makes this poem meaningful and it also rhymes well. It reminds to be thankful that our body parts, not just the nose, are placed well on our body so that we would not have the difficulties as mentioned in this poem.
Another reason I like this poem is that the author uses modern English language to write the poem, unlike many other poems which uses the “thou”s and “thee”s. Not many authors are able to compose like the author of this poem Jack Prelutsky. The way he uses language makes his poems exciting and interesting. That is why I like this poem.
Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot.
Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you'd be forced to smell your feet.
Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair.
Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
your brain would rattle from the breeze.
Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place--
be glad your nose is on your face!
1)How is figurative language used in this poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is and why the poet chose to use this figurative language?
Figurative Language is used at times the poem in its various types (hyperbole, personification, simile, symbols except metaphor). I shall elaborate below.
Hyperbole--Used to invoke an emotion or image. In this poem, the writer exaggerates the fact that if your nose is within your ear, your brain will rattle from the breeze, this may not be true but is used to create an image in the reader of a person shaking with a nose of his/her head.
Personification--An example of personification is when the writer uses the phrase tickled by your hair. Tickling is a human action but it is hair that is doing it, this is known as personification.
Simile--An example of a simile is when the author uses the words "for if it were where it not". The author is using it to elaborate on the previous line about the nose being pasted somewhere else.
Symbols--This poem may be an allegory of a human life. We usually fail to be thankful about a lot of things and always think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
2)Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.
I enjoy this poem as the author of this poem makes this poem meaningful and it also rhymes well. It reminds to be thankful that our body parts, not just the nose, are placed well on our body so that we would not have the difficulties as mentioned in this poem.
Another reason I like this poem is that the author uses modern English language to write the poem, unlike many other poems which uses the “thou”s and “thee”s. Not many authors are able to compose like the author of this poem Jack Prelutsky. The way he uses language makes his poems exciting and interesting. That is why I like this poem.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Book Review 2
Book Read: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia)
From this story, I learned about the danger of gluttony. In this story, Edmund gets attracted by the Turkish Delight that the White Witch (evil) gave him when he first stepped into Narnia. Edmund did not care when he hands over his brother and sisters to a woman whom he knows deep down is a dangerous witch. In my opinion, it is always important that we remember our moral values as once we stat doing something and like it, it is difficult to stop. Therefore, we must try our best not to fall into temptation.
The 2 main characters in this story, Aslan and the White Witch, have very contrasting personalities. The Witch is merciless, cruel and power-hungry and myopic The Witch claims the throne of Narnia by brute force. She enchants the land so it is always winter and never Christmas and so that the poor Narnians have no hope. The Witch sways many Narnians to her side out of fear or lust for power, so that the Narnians are divided and are completely terrified. However, Aslan is completely different. Aslan's amazing love for the Narnia people is demonstrated when Aslan sacrifices his own life to save Edmund. Aslan is quiet, patient and has foresight Although the Witch can use magic to gain power, she does not have the vision or the character of Aslan. Aslan is confident that his power is greater than the Witch's strength, but Aslan never shows bravery and is willing to die to save Narnia.
I think that the climax of the story is when Aslan becomes alive again after being killed by the witch. It gives the Narnians new found hope and after that they go on and win the war.
I think the author intended the book to be read by children. It is an allegory of Jesus Christ’s life and he wanted to show a new perspective from this story.
From this story, I learned about the danger of gluttony. In this story, Edmund gets attracted by the Turkish Delight that the White Witch (evil) gave him when he first stepped into Narnia. Edmund did not care when he hands over his brother and sisters to a woman whom he knows deep down is a dangerous witch. In my opinion, it is always important that we remember our moral values as once we stat doing something and like it, it is difficult to stop. Therefore, we must try our best not to fall into temptation.
The 2 main characters in this story, Aslan and the White Witch, have very contrasting personalities. The Witch is merciless, cruel and power-hungry and myopic The Witch claims the throne of Narnia by brute force. She enchants the land so it is always winter and never Christmas and so that the poor Narnians have no hope. The Witch sways many Narnians to her side out of fear or lust for power, so that the Narnians are divided and are completely terrified. However, Aslan is completely different. Aslan's amazing love for the Narnia people is demonstrated when Aslan sacrifices his own life to save Edmund. Aslan is quiet, patient and has foresight Although the Witch can use magic to gain power, she does not have the vision or the character of Aslan. Aslan is confident that his power is greater than the Witch's strength, but Aslan never shows bravery and is willing to die to save Narnia.
I think that the climax of the story is when Aslan becomes alive again after being killed by the witch. It gives the Narnians new found hope and after that they go on and win the war.
I think the author intended the book to be read by children. It is an allegory of Jesus Christ’s life and he wanted to show a new perspective from this story.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Oliver Twist Book Review
Book Read: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
In this story, Oliver, the protagonist acts in a way I would probably never do in his circumstances. When he first saw the two boys steal the handkerchief from Mr. Brownlow, he was horrified. Even though if he continued doing that, he would be able to have food and water for his survival in the hands of Fagin, he placed moral virtue above all that and ran away. I would probably have in this scenario just gone along with the flow. This is even more astonishing as Oliver was a boy who had lived in poverty all his life. Another example is when he was on a robbery mission, he decided to try and risk his life and alert the family he was robbing.
The author wrote this story in 1839 and therefore the conditions then are very different from that of the present. In those days, the poor could just live on the streets and the poverty cycle for that group of people would continue for generations to come. However, today, the government of countries and cities better off like London, where this story is based, the poor are given adequate food and lodging, while the young are able to go to school and get an education.
The climax of this story to me is the part when Nancy gets killed by Sikes. I feel that this is the climax as out of all the crimes that occurred in this book, this is probably the worst of them all. Also, after this incident, all starts to go wrong for the “bad guys”.
I feel that the title of this book is good as it gives readers a good picture of what the whole story is about. It is of course about the life of Oliver Twist from birth to the time he is adopted by Mr. Brownlow.
In this story, Oliver, the protagonist acts in a way I would probably never do in his circumstances. When he first saw the two boys steal the handkerchief from Mr. Brownlow, he was horrified. Even though if he continued doing that, he would be able to have food and water for his survival in the hands of Fagin, he placed moral virtue above all that and ran away. I would probably have in this scenario just gone along with the flow. This is even more astonishing as Oliver was a boy who had lived in poverty all his life. Another example is when he was on a robbery mission, he decided to try and risk his life and alert the family he was robbing.
The author wrote this story in 1839 and therefore the conditions then are very different from that of the present. In those days, the poor could just live on the streets and the poverty cycle for that group of people would continue for generations to come. However, today, the government of countries and cities better off like London, where this story is based, the poor are given adequate food and lodging, while the young are able to go to school and get an education.
The climax of this story to me is the part when Nancy gets killed by Sikes. I feel that this is the climax as out of all the crimes that occurred in this book, this is probably the worst of them all. Also, after this incident, all starts to go wrong for the “bad guys”.
I feel that the title of this book is good as it gives readers a good picture of what the whole story is about. It is of course about the life of Oliver Twist from birth to the time he is adopted by Mr. Brownlow.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Should you be rewarded for your efforts in school?
The answer for me is a definite “Yes”. All people alike love receiving rewards. Why should students be exempted?
Let us look at why people love receiving rewards. It makes them feel that their work is appreciated and that their efforts have paid off. It will also motivate them to work even harder.
From my knowledge, the Singapore government gives out quite a few awards each year to those who did well academically, in sports and aesthetically. However, this does not cater to everyone.
Some students may be trying very hard but cannot make the mark both academically and aesthetically. However, they are not rewarded and may just give up. To remind these students that they are just as important as anyone else, they also should be rewarded.
I feel that achievements need not be big to be rewarded. In my old primary school, they had this thing called the “five-mark challenge” where pupils improve by five marks each time for each subject. If they achieve this in two or more subjects, they are rewarded. This strategy has worked and has really helped to pull up the grades of some students especially those in the weaker classes in the school.
Therefore, I feel that it is a “win-win” situation if students are rewarded for their efforts in school.
Let us look at why people love receiving rewards. It makes them feel that their work is appreciated and that their efforts have paid off. It will also motivate them to work even harder.
From my knowledge, the Singapore government gives out quite a few awards each year to those who did well academically, in sports and aesthetically. However, this does not cater to everyone.
Some students may be trying very hard but cannot make the mark both academically and aesthetically. However, they are not rewarded and may just give up. To remind these students that they are just as important as anyone else, they also should be rewarded.
I feel that achievements need not be big to be rewarded. In my old primary school, they had this thing called the “five-mark challenge” where pupils improve by five marks each time for each subject. If they achieve this in two or more subjects, they are rewarded. This strategy has worked and has really helped to pull up the grades of some students especially those in the weaker classes in the school.
Therefore, I feel that it is a “win-win” situation if students are rewarded for their efforts in school.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
What is Beauty?
To me, there are two kinds of beauty. The first kind is outer beauty and the second kind is inner beauty.
What most people see as beauty is outer beauty. Outer beauty is the nice hair you have, the beautiful face and the wonderful body shape a person has. I agree that this is a form of beauty but I feel that the other kind of beauty is more important.
The other kind of beauty is a person’s character. For example, a person’s kindness towards something else is a form of beauty in itself.
In my opinion, many people only care about their outer beauty. This can be seen in the way some people go about their life. Many people dream to become celebrities and stars so that they can be seen by others as beautiful. I feel that this is very vain but from what I see this will carry on happening for a very long time.
A person who only sees a person’s outer beauty is a very silly person. It is for that reason that many people who marry celebrities often divorce soon after. It is because many of them only see the celebrities’ outer beauty and his/her character.
In conclusion, I feel that people should really think about what they define as beauty.
What most people see as beauty is outer beauty. Outer beauty is the nice hair you have, the beautiful face and the wonderful body shape a person has. I agree that this is a form of beauty but I feel that the other kind of beauty is more important.
The other kind of beauty is a person’s character. For example, a person’s kindness towards something else is a form of beauty in itself.
In my opinion, many people only care about their outer beauty. This can be seen in the way some people go about their life. Many people dream to become celebrities and stars so that they can be seen by others as beautiful. I feel that this is very vain but from what I see this will carry on happening for a very long time.
A person who only sees a person’s outer beauty is a very silly person. It is for that reason that many people who marry celebrities often divorce soon after. It is because many of them only see the celebrities’ outer beauty and his/her character.
In conclusion, I feel that people should really think about what they define as beauty.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Should you criticise people or the opinions they have?
This is a difficult question because as human beings none of us like to be criticized. However, without criticism, a person will never be able to improve from their current state.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say a student hands in a composition and the teacher just puts a tick at the end of the composition indicating that he/she has read it. The student will just continue writing compositions of the same standard and will never improve.
First, let us look at why people do not want to be criticized. The reason is that they will “lose face” or in other words be humiliated. Everyone on Earth has his/her own pride.
Therefore, I feel that people should critcise others but do it in a polite manner. A person who says “I feel that your play can be improved by designing better costumes” comes across much better than a person who says “The costumes were very lousy!”
A person will probably be more willing to accept the first person’s criticism as it sounds more like advice than the second one which is pure criticism even though both mean the same thing.
My final stand is criticise all you like but do it properly.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say a student hands in a composition and the teacher just puts a tick at the end of the composition indicating that he/she has read it. The student will just continue writing compositions of the same standard and will never improve.
First, let us look at why people do not want to be criticized. The reason is that they will “lose face” or in other words be humiliated. Everyone on Earth has his/her own pride.
Therefore, I feel that people should critcise others but do it in a polite manner. A person who says “I feel that your play can be improved by designing better costumes” comes across much better than a person who says “The costumes were very lousy!”
A person will probably be more willing to accept the first person’s criticism as it sounds more like advice than the second one which is pure criticism even though both mean the same thing.
My final stand is criticise all you like but do it properly.
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