My Reflection of the Course

This semester turned out to be one of my most challenging. This semester also helped me discover things about myself that I never thought existed. I think what allowed for this to happen was the relaxed and understanding environment that Professor Brady and all of the classmates provided for me. Firm day number one I felt as if I knew everyone with in the class my entire life.
One main point that helped me evolve not only as a better writer but as a better individual was the class fish bowls. Usually in classes you write a paper and hand it to the professor and that’s it. However the professor feels about it, that’s how it is graded. I know I always question myself and get nervous whether or not I am wrong on certain topics. With the class fish bowls, it allowed me to get a understanding of how other people feel on certain issues or topics which in time made me feel more confident about my own personal beliefs. It helped me develop a voice for myself which is a new experience in which I will never forget. The confidence I have received in this class will remain with me for the rest of my life.
Looking at all of the work I have done for this class I can see the difference in my improvement from paper one to the final paper. This class along with the people involved in it really helped shine a new light on myself and helped me accomplish thing I never thought to be possible.

The Human Condition

Another class lecture that I felt I learned the most from was the discussion relating to the human condition. The fact that the people who we are today were not created by ones own free will but by the environment in which we were raised in. Things such as culture and higher authority are what shape our behaviors, thoughts and ideas. I see this first hand at every family event mainly because I am apart of a family who are mostly made up of city firefighters and City Police officers. There always telling me to live the life that was practical for them rather than go off and take on life with my own personal goals. It feels like a never ending competition between each other to see who’s the ideal member of the family that listened to the older generations guiding directions the best. At first as it was happening I didn’t understand why people would tell others to live an almost duplicated life of that individual, but after the lecture I realized that these people just want you to live an already planned out lifestyle to help them feel better about their life choices. To share with them what their idea of a successful lifestyle in order to give them relief of there past struggles and hard work to get them to where they are today. I respect the guidance, but people should be able to choose for themselves what in life will make them successful. If a person just follows what majority of people are doing and obtain the same lifestyle in the long run that’s not living life. But to stray off this worn guided path given to us by others, to later be successful by making your own path to success is how life should be lived.

The Language may be explicit to some veiwers but sometimes poetry has to be in order to make a point

Poetry Vs. Rap
My most favorite lecture we discussed about in the class involved the comparing of Rap to poetry. After many years of listening to Rap music I never drew the connection to the Art of poetry. What interested me was how rap music uses the same type of format as poetry, except in rap, the sentences are broken up into what is known as meters or bars, while poetry is broken up into stanzas. After the discussion I later researched more information on this topic and discovered rappers such as Common, Kanye West, and DMX all have taken part in actually poetry slams. Discovering the connection of rap to poetry has now helped me gain more respect for certain rap artists as well as rap music as a genre.

The Real Breakfast of Champions...

My Style/Technique of my poems for paper 3

                In my first poem titled “My Structure”, I used a mostly the rhyme scheme known as eye rhyme. This is when the words rhyming do not sound the same but end in similar letters. The tone I was trying to use is that of excitement at first, then that of worry toward the 4^th Stanza, later sadness, but finally motivated and ambitious. I compared my first experience with love to the creation and the destruction of a building or structure. The foundation of the building was me before the relationship. I tried to point out that toward the beginning of the relationship it was simple, much like laying the first bricks on a foundation, almost exciting due to the fact the workers or the creator cannot wait until it is finished. As the bricks kept stacking, the structure grew taller, and the structure just began too hard to maintain. The height of the building represented the length of the relationship. Each brick that was laid symbolized a memory or experience we each both shared. Toward the top of the structure, weaker bricks were being laid making the structure to begin to crumble. Each one of the bricks toward the top signified a bad experience or fight between the two of us.
                  The collapse of the structure signified the collapse of the relationship. The workers symbolized my ex girlfriend and myself. When one of the workers quit(the ex girlfriend) the lone worker (me), was left with the hurtful broken memories. Instead of succumbing to this upsetting misfortune I tried using this happy/ painful experience to warn myself of future relationships. To not just let feelings take control of my judgment. What inspired me to write this was because we learned that poetry can be about all types of love such to the of pain as well as happiness.
                For my second poem I used a traditional piece of the Irish culture. On the Irish Claddagh it usually says “Friendship, Loyalty, and Love.” I felt that these three words could be explained in more depth to help people understand them more clearly but also show how they are three of the most important morals a person should live by. I only used two lines in each stanza mostly to show how simple these three words are in my everyday life. I explain my friendships as short and simple due to the fact that’s how they are. The people whom I’m friends with look past all of the unimportant stuff. Majority of people judge people on unimportant things rather than see a person for who they really are. The only way you can have a successful family is if you are loyal to one another. This goes for friendship as well. Majority of Irish people are roan catholic and usually remain devoted to their creed in order to properly marry in a Catholic church. Finally I felt that Love is the main emotions that allow friendship and loyalty to be possible. It may be possible to live without friendship, or loyalty, but without love a person could not live. My tone for this poem is upbeat and positive much like the true Irish attitude.
           I enjoyed writing these two works of poetry for this paper. I believe I could have done better if I continue writing poetry. I never realized how writing how you feel can help you feel more positive toward a certain topic.

My second poem for our 3rd paper

My Irish Claddagh reads Friendship, Loyalty, and Love
Although Friendship is the first of three
I can only think of a few friends that are dearest to me

Who share the same morals and sense of humor,
And don’t contribute to drama, or childish rumors.

Loyalty is in second place
And means devotion, like such as keeping faith

Whether it be in family, friends, or even in creed
Loyalty is one of the most important morals you need.

On this Claddagh Love is final
And nothing to that of banal.

Love is the cohesive that holds together the three
And having Friendship, Loyalty and Love is what life truly means to me.

My first poem for paper #3

My Structure
My first experience with love is much like the creation of a building
When my eyes laid upon her, the first bricks were cemented to my foundation.

New sensations to which I was virgin to started immersing,
Acting as a cement holding this new potential forever together.
Each day, a new brick filled with tender love and care at the seams bursting.
Feeling lucky, I asked, “what person shouldn’t experience this?” I wish it lasts forever.

Many years went by, and many bricks have been laid,
But as the structure continued to take height the frame started to change.
Started as a solid symmetrical beauty, it towers an uneven, unbalanced, impure eyesore.
Soon to be destroyed.

The creaking and moans heard from the weak bricks toward the top
Are potential threats to the entire foundation.
Love the designer, is puzzled with no explanation.

The workers scream with sharp edged tongues blaming each other for evolving this once God like creation,
Into a man made abomination.

But it is too late. The intense storms over the years have taken their toll
As the bricks fall the workers try their all to keep the structure standing tall.
They watch each brick (experience) slip from the top and tumble,
And hit the ground with such force they crumble.
As if they meant nothing.

There is now this pile of rubble
And the two workers are standing in the dust befuddled.
One of them walk off and refuse to persist.
The one left with these broken bricks wish he didn’t exist.

My structure, now is just a bare foundation,
But these broken memories are the fuel to my inspiration.
To help me learn from my past relations,
And be careful for my future infatuations.