the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams - eleanor roosevelt

lit assignment

2009-09-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

1a. The persona was infuriated by the students. In the second stanza, the poet used "Of... Of... Of..." to emphasize on the three sentences whereby he commented on the attitude of the students and the quality of their work. The students' work had so much red ink (mistakes) that it was blotted. It is also described as "slovenly" which definitely makes a teacher go mad at the sight of such low-quality work.

In the first stanza, the poet described his feelings using the metaphor "hounds". The persona describes the students as hounds because they are uncontrollable, and shared the same characteristic of wild dogs. In the second stanza the poet used the metaphor "insults" to describe the persona's feelings. The persona refers the students’ work as insults as he feels that the students are insulting him by giving him shoddy work.

The poet used puns to describe the persona's feelings. The first pun is "quarry" in the first stanza. The word "quarry" has two meanings, one of them is "a rich or productive source" and another meaning is "a hunted animal". This pun tells us that the students have to hunt for knowledge but are hunted down at the same time. In the second stanza, there is the pun "I am sick". It has double meanings and it can mean that the teacher is physically sick or it could mean that he is very disgusted at the students’ behavior. The last pun is in the third stanza. It is "will". The word "will" also has double meanings and it can both mean "going to" and "willing to". The pun describes the persona's feelings well as the teacher is not going to teach the students any more and at the same time, he is not willing to.

1b. The tone of anger in this poem is illustrated through literary devices and careful choice of words. The poet used metaphors, alliteration and puns to bring out the tone of anger in the poem. Some of the metaphors that are used are "hounds" and "insults"; The alliteration is present in "Of... Of... Of..."; Some of the puns are "quarry", "will", and "I am sick". The choice of words also helped illustrate the tone of anger, the persona used words such as "weariness", "endure", "insults" and "dross of indifference".

In the first stanza, the poet described his feelings using the metaphor "hounds". This metaphor refers to the students who were rude, naughty and wild and shared similar characteristics as hounds and thus the persona is very frustrated. In the second stanza the poet used the metaphor "insults" to describe the persona's feelings. "Insults" here refers to the students' work because the persona feels that the quality of the students' work is an insult to his intelligence. The students' work that they have handed in had blotted pages, and the handwriting was horrible and thus the persona feel enraged and frustrated.

For alliteration, the poet used "Of... Of... Of..." to emphasize on the three sentences whereby he said about the attitude of the students and the quality of their work. The students' work had blotted pages and were described as "slovenly" which definitely makes a teacher go mad at the sight of such low-quality work.

For puns, the first pun is "quarry" in the first stanza. The word "quarry" has two meanings, one of them is "a rich or productive source" and another meaning is "a hunted animal". This pun tells us that the students have to hunt for knowledge but are hunted down at the same time. In the second stanza, there is the pun "I am sick". It has double meanings and it can mean that the teacher is physically sick from the stress the students give him and the other meaning is that the teacher is sick and tired of the students' attitude. The last pun is in the third stanza. It is "will". The word "will" also has double meanings and it can both mean "going to" and "willing to". The pun describes the persona's feelings well as the teacher is not going to teach the students any more and at the same time, he is not willing to.

The words that the poet used also helped to bring out the enraged feelings of the persona. He used "weariness" which means that teaching the students were very tiring as he needs to constantly try to make the students listen to his lesson. The word "endure" means that the teacher is frustrated at the sight of the students' work but has to endure it and mark the works no matter how angry he is. "Insults" means that the quality of work by the students is so poor that the persona feels that it is an insult to his intelligence by marking them. Lastly, "dross of indifference" means that the students do not care about their work and show little concern over them.

My favourite food

2009-08-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

In Singapore, there are many different types of food from different cultures. However, the food that I like most is the apple pie from MacDonald. Though many people say that fast food is bad for health, I feel that it is fine to eat it once in a blue moon. Although the apple pie is a snack and does not fill my stomach, I still enjoy eating it. Every time, when I take a bite of this scrumptious snack, the fillings will ooze out and it is very tasty indeed, especially when it is piping hot. Now, even when I talk about it, it makes my mouth water. Also, this delicacy is not very expensive at one dollar and can be found practically everywhere. Also, this snack provides us with some of the nutrients and carbohydrates we need. In addition, the pie is baked on the spot so as to guarantee its heat. This snack is cooked with such perfection that it is never undercooked or overcooked. The skin is also cooked to a crisp and it is mouth-watering. Finally, I can only say that the apple pie from McDonalds is my favorite and that you should go to try it or you will regret.

news article review

2009-08-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

MOSCOW - SEVEN women were shot dead in a sauna in Dagestan and, in separate attacks, eight policemen and two separatists were also killed in Russia's northern Caucasus region late on Thursday, police and media said on Friday.
Growing lawlessness and Islamist violence in Dagestan, Chechnya and neighbouring Ingushetia are undermining the Kremlin's control of its southern flank.
The attacks are the latest in a sharp upswing in violence against civilians across the region, where a local minister was shot dead in his office earlier this week.
The seven women were shot by rebels at around the same time as separatists attacked and killed four policemen manning a nearby checkpoint in Buinaksk, a town 41 km (25 miles) from local capital Makhachkala.
'At least four died when they attacked the traffic police. Around the same time they entered the sauna and shot seven women,' a spokesman for local police said on Friday. He gave no further details.
Separately, four policemen and two separatists died in a shootout in Chechnya, Russian news agencies reported on Friday.
The Chechen deaths occurred in an abandoned house near the capital Grozny, RIA news agency said.
Five other security force officers were also injured in a separate clash in the republic on Thursday, Interfax reported.
On Wednesday, Ingushetia's construction minister was shot at close range in his heavily guarded office.
In Chechnya three human rights activists have been shot and killed in the past month, two earlier this week and one in July. -- REUTERS

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/World/Story/STIStory_416686.html?vgnmr=1

This article caught my eye with the caption: 7 woman shot dead in sauna. It looked interesting to me as the article was about the death of a few woman. So, i proceeded to read the article. After i finished reading the article, I felt that the instigator was very cruel and cold-hearted to do so. The rebels of Islam did this terrible mass murder and apart from this, they also attacked some policeman. They must be very daring to do such lawless things. I also pity the women shot dead. They were innocent but they were killed in cold blood, all because the rebels wanted to show their power. They were killed, but all I can say is that they were at the wrong place and at the wrong time. The rebels also went overboard by killing the innocent. Their victims were not to blame for their problems but they still went on to kill them. However, it is not entirely their fault that they did that. From my point of view, I feel that some fault also lies with the fact that the government is not good. That is why the rebels were angry and wanted to take some action. Finally, I can conclude that the woman does not deserve to die and that the rebels should be punished, not to severely though.

2009-07-01T00:11:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I am sure that you all do not know that Robert Langston Hughes is my fravourite poet. Not only is he an American poet, he is also a novelist, a short story writer and a columnist. Here is a quote from him. "Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." This is a quote form the poem which I had blogged on just now. I especially like this quote as it tells us the importance of dreams, how greatly dreams can affect our lives.

Here is an extract of his biography from famouspoetsandpoems.com.

"We younger Negro artists now intend to express our individual dark-
skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased we are
glad. If they aren't, it doesn't matter. We know we are beautiful. And
ugly too... If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not,
their displeasure doesn't matter either. We build our temples for
tomorrow, as strong as we know how and we stand on the top of the
mountain, free within ourselves."

What I like about him is his positiveness to life. Although he was a black, he was not afraid of his skin color and instead, was proud of it. He felt that was equality in people with different skin color and people should be proud of their own color. His thinking was very profound and that is what intrigues me.

2009-06-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Hello to all, today, i will be posting on a poem called Dreams.

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Written by: Langston Hughes

He used metaphors in this poem.
One example is 'Life is a broken-winged bird'
He chose it to show the despair of life if there
were no dreams. Birds are supposed to fly and
if they can't, they msut be pityful.

Another example is 'life is a barren field'
he want to show the readers that people without
dreams are totally useless, like a barren field.

I like this poem as it tells me that people should dare
to dream. Without dreams, there will be no driving force
for a person and he will turn useless. It also tells us how
important dreams are to us and how it can affect us so
greatly.

Term 1 Week 6 # 3

2009-03-05T06:57:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, just in case you don't know me, I am none other than the Chairman of the Recycling Club in my school. Today, I would like to share with you about recyling, pros about recycling and hopefully, convince you to fund the recycling campaign.

First of all, what is recycling? Recycling is letting used and unwanted materials such as cans and bottles undergo melting and form new materials. Did you know that throwing litter into regular rubbish bins and recycling bins make a lot lf difference? If you make a point to throw recycable materials into recycling bins, there would be less shortage of such materials and the world would also be less polluted and a better place to live in. In addition, the cost of such materials would also go down enabling you to save more money in times like" The Great Depression". Recycling kills three birds with one stone, so why wait? Pick up all your recycable materials and put them into their respective bins. Thank you for your kind attention.

News In Class Term 1 Week 5 # 1

2009-03-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

Hello, do you know who I am? I am none other than the president of the Activists' Club in Singapore. I have recently recently conducted a nationwide survey and its results are shocking.

Many of the primary school students have a nonchalant attitude towards enviromental issuses. Pherhaps you may be too young to understand what is happening now, but it's alright. All you have to do is to do your part in saving the enviroment.

Many of your parent's are still fetching you around for school, tuition, training, etc... but did you know that you unwittingly contributed to global warming? If you are old enough, take buses instead of cars. Although they are slower, they still do not contribute to global warming that much. Another alternative is taking Mass Rapid Transit(MRT). In fact, they contributes the lest (among the three mentioned above)to global warming. Another good point is that you spend less money on travelling.

Hence, I would like to advise you to step out of your comfort zone and start learning to be more enviromentaly friendly. Hopefully, more of you will be less nonchalant about enviromental issuses and think about what I have just said. Thank you for your kind attention.

News In Class Term 1 Week 4 # 2

2009-03-04T05:34:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. Today, I would like to disscus about the human body which is laden with processed food that is bad for it, with referance to my own diet. Today, many like to eat processed food which is bad for our health. In today's society, many eat processed food because it is not only able to last long, but also quite tasty. Howecver, did you know that it is extremly unhealthy? The process of processing the processed food make it unhealthy because of the ingredients they use to process it. Not only is it unhealthy, it is also cancerous. Fortunately, a little of it is quite hamless(unless you are allergic to it).

In my diet, I don't usually eat processed food(unless there is absolutely no other choice). I prefer to eat non-processed food as it is not only a healthier choice, it also taste better to me. Most of the time, my maid would cook or I will eat in school. I believe that the food served in school is a much healthier choice than processed food.

From what I know, all the ingredients that are added to process the food will stay in your body in a long time before it's cleared. All in all, i hope that after reading my blog, you will try your best to abstain from processed food. Thank you for your kind attention.

News In Class Term 1 Week 3 # 1

2009-03-03T07:04:00.000-08:00

Hi, I think that most of you will know me by now. If you don't, I am none other than Dr. Tan. I feel extremely honoured today to be invited to make an article contribution to a youth magazine to encourage young people to set worthwhile goals and work towards them.

The first question is what type of goals is worthwhile and which are not. Goals which are worthwhile are within reach. For example. if you are a beginner in mountain climbing, do not set goals like climbing Mount Everest. Instead, set more worthwhile goals such as climbing Mount Kinabalu. then work hard towards it. For example, you can start off by running 5 kilometres or climbing twenty stories a day. I believe that with much perseverance, you would be able to achieve your goal.

I hope that after my speech today, more people would be able to set more worthwhile goals and work hard towards them. Thank you for your kind attention.

Alternative Ending For Nohting But The Truth

2009-02-24T07:22:00.000-08:00

A long distance phone call from Philip Malloy to Miss. Narwin

Philip Malloy: Hello, may I speak to Miss. Narwin?

Miss. Narwin: Speaking. Who is that on the line?

Philip Malloy: It's me, Philip. I would like to apologise to you for singing the national anthem in the morning for the past few days. I did that in order to spite you because you had failed me for literature, causing me to be unable to join the school track team. I hope that you will not bear a grudge against me as I did not realise my mistake until now. I would also like to request to change my homeroom teacher back to you. I sincerely hope that you will forgive me.

Miss. Narwin: It's alright. I understand. Just don't make the same mistake again. I think if you put in more effort in class, you will excel. I can see potential in you.

Philip Malloy: Thank you for forgiving me despite my rudeness to you. I have learnt my lesson and i will never repeat it again.

News In Class Term 1 Week 2 # 3

2009-01-17T05:55:00.000-08:00

A very good afternoon to all of the local buinssesman present here to listen to my humble talk. Today, I will be talking to you about the issue on the re-employment of older workers like me.

I am sure that every one knows the saying "old is gold". However, in our rapidly changing society, is old really still gold? In the past, many people treated the elderly with utmost respect. However, in the modern times, people like me, the elderly, is treated as a burden, as dirt, as a scab. Therefore, I would like to tell you about the advantages about hiring the elderly.

FIrstly, older workers will have more working experience compared to the younger generation. Secondly, although the younger generation is more efficient than the older generation, the pay for the older generation is much lesser than that of the younger generation. Thirdly, in case of an economy recession like The Great Deppresion, not much manpower is needed and by hiring older workers, you can cut down cost on manpower and it could keep your company bouyant for another couple of months or so.

Hence, by hiring older workers, you are killing three birds with one stone. And one last thing, please hire one or two older workers. It will do you good.That is all I have to say for today. thank you for your kind attention.

Dreams

2009-01-11T05:48:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! My name is Ng Qi Hao Joshua. I an 13 this year and I am studying in Hwa Chong Institution .My fomer school was Tao Nan School and it is located at Marine Parade, opposite the National Library.There are six people in my family: my father, my mother, my two sisters, my twin and not to forget me! As for my hobbies, I usually play basketball or Counter Strike. This is about all that I have to say already. Got to go for now.