Literature and Life : Shel Silverstein's Poems

The Little Boy And The Old Man

1. The underlying message that was being conveyed in the poem was that we tend to be selfish, concentrating only ourselves, especially in our adult stage. We do not care for our past and our future, which are the children and the old people, and they are often very lonely.
2. Shel Silverstein used dialogues in his poem to bring out the sadness and the loneliness of the children and at the same time, to show how selfish the adults are.

Messy Room

1. The poem is humorous. The speaker thought that the room was really messy. The wet raincoat was being stuffed in the chair causing it to be "mucky" and "damp", which implied that there were fungus growing out of it. Also the books were not in the bookshelf but instead in the closet, which was meant for containing clothes. Furthermore, there was a sock so dirty and sticky, stuck to the wall. However, the funniest part was when the writer realized that the room was his.
2. The aspect of human character that was being highlighted in this poem was that one is so quick to blame other and do not realize that when we point a finger at others, there are ten other fingers pointing at ourselves.

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Cloony The Clown by Shel Silverstein

1. The irony in this poem is that when Cloony tried to be funny, told jokes, acted silly nobody laughed but when he told the audience how miserable he was, they laughed.
2. The harsh realities that was being conveyed was that people enjoyed looking at other people's misery and it is also hard for others to understand you.
3. The poet used alliteration to emphasize on how miserable the clown was. Irony was also added in the poem to show how the people behave. He also emphasized the point by adding a dialogue, which showed how the clown felt when people laughed at his sorrows.

My Thoughts

The Poem that I can identify the most is "Messy Room". It is really true that people tend to point their fingers at others. Take me as an example , I always tend to blame my parents and my maid when I could not find my homework.

There was once I could not find my homework in my bag. Then I would start to blame my maid for messing up my bag. She was puzzled and did not know what she had done. However, I demanded her to help me find my worksheet. To no avail, the worksheet could not be found

The next day, when I went to school and it was only then I found out that I had left the worksheet under my desk and it was nobody's fault but mine. I really regretted my actions and it also taught me a lesson that I should not point fingers at others.

Thus, I feel that this poem is really a very meaningful one and it really puts me to thinking......

Discrimination!!!!

Definition of discrimination

1. an act or instance of discriminating.

2. treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against,a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that personor thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.

The different types of discrimination in the world

Physical appearance:

- age

In our present society, most employers tend to employ those who are below 50 years old, thus it is also harder of people above 50 to find suitable jobs for themselves.

-size

When we see someone who is rather large in size, we would normally deduce that he is unfit however this is being proved wrong as some fat people can swim really fast, and even do street dance.

-height

Some women prefer to have taller boyfriends than shorter ones.

-handicap disabilities

Disabled people are often not being hired by employers and at most of the time they were not even given to the chance to go for an interview.

Education:

-non-educated

The people without a degree would be much harder to get a job as compared to those with a degree, even though they have the same skills.

-scholarships

Students from good schools are more likely to receive scholarships from the government.

Sex:
- male

Males are less hardworking than females, in terms of studying.

- female
Most people feel that women are no0t as sporty as men, however this is not real true as some women are really fit and can run even faster that men.

- gays/lesbians

The gays and lesbians are not allowed in certain jobs in certain countries, for example being a soldier teacher, professor etc.

Race:

- skin colour

Black people are smelly.

- treatment

In the past, the Afro-American in the US were not treated fairly.

- hair colour

Blondes are stupid.

- physical appearances

Asians are smart but stupid.

Projects Day

The results of the projects day finals had finally been out after much anticipation. It turned out that our group got an A grade. Although my group members and I are quite disappointed in the grade that we had gotten, however we are already satisfied and as a sec 1 group, it is already an honor for us to make it into the finals. It has been quite fun working together with my projects day group. I could say that we are a very united group and seldom have quarrels with each other. I would really like to say a big thank-you to all of them. Thank you Fuman for your laughter and lame jokes that brought all of us joy. Thank you James always hand up the assignments that I had assigned you on time. Thank Shaodian for doing all the wonderful flash videos. At the same time I would also like to apologize to you all for being so hot-tempered sometimes. 7 months of hard work from each and everyone of us had paid-off. We had been really a wonderful group and say one last thank-you for the good co-operation that you all had given me.

Thank you!!!!!!

Book Review:Rules of Life

"Rules of Life" is a very inspirational book that teaches you how to live better, happier and be more successful in life. It teaches us how to get along with others, how to do our job better and other things that would really benefit our lives.

Here are some values that the book had taught me.

1) It doesn't hurt to forgive.
In such a stressful world, it's easy for us to be angry, mutter, swear or make rude gestures. Of course, it is hard to be forgiving. But try looking it from that person's point of view andyou will gradually learn how to be forgiving.

However, being forgiving does not meant that you have to put up to that particular person's, we can stand firmly and say that "Sorry, I don't need to take that."

2)Have a plan.
As students, we are involved in many activities like CCA, project and we also often test, thus a plan is definitely needed. A plan is like a skeleton that gives our lives a direction. Without a plan, our goals are just dreams that can never be fulfilled. It doesn't really mean that you must stick to your plan closely, you could change them according to the different circumstances. But remember, draw out a plan if you want to achieve your targets.

3) If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.
Its very easy to complain but hard,moan, criticize. However it is much harder to say about the situation or a person. Moaning is natural, but however we should try our best stop moaning. What we should do to overcome this problem is to look at the positive points of that someone, and try to highlight them.

For those who really loves to criticize people, do a simple experiment. For a week, before opening your mouth, think of something positive and highlight that fact, and wait to see how things around you change. If you really can't say something good, then the best solution is to not say anything at all.

Here are the three values that I had learned from the book that I believed can benefit all of us in both our studies and our relationship with others.

Book Review:Speeches that changed the world

This book entitled "Speeches that changed the world" is a compilation of speeches from prominent figures in the whole world, which includes political leaders, scientists and also religious leaders. (eg. Jawaharlal Nehru, Charles de Gaulle, Mother Theresa, Marie Curie, Indira Gandhi)

Now I am going to pick out 4 particular quotes that I like the most.

1)
" At stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom."
This is a quote by the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. This quote shows the end of India's long struggle for independence as when the clock strikes 12 , India would no longer be a colony of the British, but a new nation. I like this quote as it shows the patriotism and unity of the Indians.

2)
"France has lost a battle. But France has not lost the war!"
This is a quote by the famous French resistance leader Charles de Gaulle. Although France was defeated by Germany, it is just a temporary defeat. de Gaulle's quote shows the patriotism and love for his country. He believes in the fact that the French would not succumb to the Germans and would stand up and fight against the German invaders.

3)
"Africans want to be paid a living wage."
This is a quote from Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela believes the Africans under the apartheid-era of South Africa were facing racial segregation and marginalized. His quote shows that he wants to fight for the rights of the Africans, equality of people regardless of their skin colour.

4)
"Women education is almost more important than the education of boys and men."
This quote from Indira Gandhi shows the fact that she is fighting for women rights. She is fighting for the equality in both men and women and education should be enforced regardless of sex.

My Feelings
I think that this book is a very inspirational book as it contain inspirational speeches that are so powerful to change the world. I think everyone should read this book so that we can understand the struggle of our forefathers.

Frankenstein!!!

Introduction
Frankenstein is a marvelous piece of Literature work written by the famous horror story-writer, Mary Shelly. Frankenstein was published on January 1, 1818, and became an immediate bestseller. Frankenstein is literally one of the best Gothic novels in the whole-wide-world, sit back and "enjoy"!

The Plot
The whole story begins in the setting of the frozen seas of Arctic, where young, ambitious English Captain Robert Walton was on a voyage, to explore the oceans and lands that mankind had never been able to reach. Robert Walton hoped to discover a sea route near the North Pole from Europe to Asia. However the voyage was disrupted by unbreakable ice and Walton managed to find a frost-covered man, a dog team and a sledge. Walton rescued the barely alive man, and fed him food and tended to him while heard the story of the man.

The man's name was Victor Frankenstein, born in a respected family in Geneva, Switzerland. He had a wonderful childhood with the company of his siblings, adopted sister, and his best friend Henry Clerval. He began to develop an interest in science. When he was seventeen, to pursue his dream for unlocking the secrets of science.

Victor met his teacher, Professor Weldman and he was taught about how the human body works. However, Victor did not want to know just about how the human body worked, he wanted to know how human life was created. He extensively studied the different human body parts and finally he found out the solution to create a life. After almost two years of hard work, he assembled all the body parts that he had collected. It was the time to give life to this lifeless creature that he had created.

Victor finally created life that he had longed for. However, the moment the monster rose up, he felt utterly disgusted on his creation.Victor was horrified and rushed out of his apartment. The next morning he wandered through the streets feeling regretful for creating such a monstrous creature. It was a coincidence when he met his friend Henry who had came to receive university education.

Victor finally decided to return home when just when he was departing for Geneva, he received the news that his younger brother had been murdered. On his way to Geneva, he caught sight of the monster in the woods that his brother had been murdered. It was clearly evident that the monster was his brother's murderer. He arrives at Geneva in painful agony. He learnt that someone else had been charged for the murder but he knew clearly that the murderer was the monster. However he had no choice but to watch the accused being executed.

Taking a break from all the stress, Victor left for the mountains to take a break where he came across the monster again.The monster confessed to the murder of Victor's brother, however he wanted Victor to understand that he was lonely and needed a companion, someone that looked equally grotesque as him. If not the monster would destory the life of Victor.

After returning to Geneva, Henry,together with him embark on a journey to create a female monster. Henry stayed in Scotland while Victor stayed in a secluded island to work on the female monster. The whole process was closely monitored by the monster. However, thought of terror made Victor ponder his decision. He succumbed to his conscience and destroyed the half completed female monster. The monster swore for a revenge upon knowing the fact that his companion had been destroyed.

He dumped the remaining parts of the female monster into the sea. However the wind was too strong for him to turn back, but he drifted to another island. He soon received the news that his friend,was being murdered by the monster. However, Victor was being accused of the murder. He soon fell ill in prison and was being imprisoned until his recovery andwas acquitted of the crime.

Victor marries Elizabeth after returning to Geneva with his father. However, he fears the monster’s warning, that it would be present on the wedding night and suspects that the monster would take his revenge and harm him. To ensure the safety of Elizabeth, he sends her away to wait for him. While he awaits the monster, he hears Elizabeth scream and realizes that the monster had been hinting at killing his new bride, not himself. His father died of grief after the tragic death of Elizabeth. With all his loved ones being killed, Victor embarks on a quest and take his revenge.

Victor tracks the monster moving northwards till he came across the ice, however the ice prevented him from catching up with the monster and after a few days he was in complete fatigue and that was when he was rescued by Captain Watten.

The ice finally broke and the crew continued on their voyage. However Victor was growing weaker day by day. Finally, he ended his miserable life with the monster still not found. Several days later, to the room in which the body lies, he is startled to see the monster weeping over Victor. The monster tells Walton about his poor, lonely, miserable life full of hate and remorse. He then promise to disappear in this world and departs for the northernmost ice to die.

My Feelings
This Novel is truly the best Gothic novel I had read. I think that Mary had made use of the different emotions of the character to portray the hate and remorse presented in the story. I really sympathizes Victor as he lost his loved ones and his whole life was ruined just because of his creation of the monster...

Why is there hate in this world?

The Count of Monte Cristo

INTRODUCTION
The Book entitled "The Count of Monte Cristo" is written by the famous french author Alexandre Dumas. It is being regarded as a literature classic, and along side with his other great work, "The Three Musketeers". Let us travel back to France in the 19th century and immerse ourselves in the world of "the Count of Monte Cristo".

THE PLOT
The whole story began when Edmond Dantes returned to Marseilles after his voyage. The original captain of the ship, Leclere had passed away in the middle of the voyage. Edmond being a successful sailor was entrusted the captain post by the owner of the ship Monsieur Morrel. Moreover, Edmond Dantes was also going to marry his Fiancee, Mercedes. The success-fullness of him had gained jealousy from Fernand Mondego and Danglars. Danglars felt that he should deserve the captain post instead of Edmond while Fernand wanted to marry Mercedes.Together both of them drew up a vicious plan to sabotage Edmond as a Bonapartist traitor (it was earlier mentioned in the story that Edmond was entrusted by Leclere to be delivered to a letter to a Bonapartist in Paris). Both of them wrote a letter to the authorities in Paris and Edmond was arrested.

The investigation was carried out by Villefort,the deputy crown prosecutor in Marseille. However when Villefort found out that the letter was delivered to his father, he destroys the letter, and sent Dantes to life imprisonment without even conducting a trial.

Dantes fell from a successful young man to a prisoner being imprisoned in the notorious dungeon, Chateau dlf. Dantes managed to befriend an Italian priest during his imprisonment and the priest also gave him education. When the priest knew that he was going to die he gave Dantes a treasure map about a legendary treasure situated in the isle on Monte Cristo. Making use of Danglar's death, Dantes escaped from the notorious dungeon. After 15 years, he finally gained freedom.

With the help of a smuggler ship, he came upon the Isle of Monte Cristo and discovered the treasure that his friend had mentioned. With wealth and knowledge, it marks the start of the revenge. But first, Dantes re payed the kindness of Monsieur Morrel by saving his ship, trading company. He also found out that his father died of poverty and Mercedes marrying Fernando. This angered him more and he was filled with even more hate. Dantes, now as the Count of Monte Cristo, tried to befriend Albert, who was the son of Mercedes and Fernand and even rescues him from the Italian bandits in Rome. The Count then moved to Paris.

The Count met Danglars who became a banker. He started manipulating the market and resulted in a loss of a huge proportion of Danglar's fortune.

He also tried cause conflict in Villefort's family to take his revenge against him. Villefort's father had the plan giving all his wealth to the daughter of the first wife of Villefort. However, the second wife of Villefort wanted her son to inherit all the fortune. Knowing this fact, the Count introduced her to a way of poisoning. The second wife of Villefort poisoned Valentine and was soon discovered. She was given a choice to commit suicide or a public execution. On the later part of the story, Villefort tried to stop the his wife from committing suicide but it was all too late as she had already died together with her son.

For Fernand, he was charged for collaborating with the Turks in the death of Ali Pasha and he sold his daughter and wife as slave. The Count later rescued Haydee, the daughter of Ali Pasha and she stood up to testify against his crimes. The Count also made use of Danglars to investigate this incident.

Fernand was disgraced publicly. Albert believed that the Count was the cause of his father's downfall and challenge him to a public duel. Meanwhile, Mercedes explained to him his fathers wrongdoings.

The Count suddenly felt bad, and decided to stop his revenge. He gradually forgave those who caused his misfortune. He accepted Haydee's love and leave for an unknown place for a peaceful life.

MY FEELINGS
"The Count of Monte Cristo" is a wonderful story to me with a great historical back ground of France then in the 1800s, for example the return of Napoleon the first. I personally thinks that it is the blend of history into the fiction that make it such a wonderful book.

Revenge Can't solve things!