Carolyn Forche’s “The Colonel” written in 1978 depicts a disturbing dinner party that reflects the animosity between the U.S and El Salvador during El Salvador’s civil war. It is based on a true story. The colonel is the poem violently disagrees with the human rights policies put in place by the American president. He takes his frustrations out on his guests by intimidating them with trophies from his victims. Forche’s nontraditional style and politically charge in “The Colonel” emphasize the power poetry has against fear.…
Peppers, parsley, pansy, pickles, and pears. Carrots, cabbages, celery, and cactus.There’s also rodgersia, rampion, and rapunzel.Oh, how I love my plants!…
“O say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” To people like Francis Scott Key, the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, the American flag is a symbol of men and women standing up for what they believed in, and even giving up their life for it. These people care greatly about the American flag being honored and respected, and I am too.…
All students must be silent, as said in a memo. According to page one it says “Say, ‘please all rise and stand at respectful, silent attention for the playing of our national anthem’” This applies because it is directly stated in the memo .On page 44 Mr. Benison says “Right ‘respect, silence, and attention,’ I think the rule reads.” Even a teacher, says that all students must be quiet.…
“Even as a kid she’d lived in a puzzle world, where surfaces were like masks, where the most ordinary objects seemed fiercely alive with their own sorrows and desires”…
Randall Jarrell, poet, critic, essayist, and former Poet Laureate of the United States, was born in 1914 in Nashville Tennessee and attended Vanderbilt University in that same city. There, Jarrell received his BA and MA studying under John Crowe Ransom and Robert Penn Warren. His poetry is influenced by W.H. Auden and Robert Frost and often uses what poets call “the common dialogue of Americans.” He passed away October 14th, 1965.…
Kendall also stated “It really doesn’t matter. No one is required to stand for the national anthem in the United States of America. Period. The First Amendment expressly forbids making a law that abridges freedom of speech, even if that speech makes people angry” (Kendall np). Although he is correct about the given right, it doesn’t mean it isn’t considered disrespectful. People have died for our nation and for those rights, so the least Colin Kaepernick could do was stand and pay his respect to the men and women who have fought for our freedom. He also says this witty remark towards the end of his article “If it were up to me, the national anthem wouldn’t be played at any sporting event. What’s the point? Why does playing the anthem before a sports event shows some form of respect for the country that isn't necessary for other entertainment” (Kendall np). Many people, who have read what she wrote, would want to strangle Kendall, myself included. The national anthem is played at sporting events because the comparison between a war battle, and sporting rivalries intertwine. The nation loves sports, winning, and patriotism, and the anthem strike all three of those aspects. Kendall then proceeds to tell the audience “Sure, sometimes you make sacrifices for the good of the team. But no one should sacrifice his or her principles, even if it means losing a spot on a team, facing public condemnation or suffering other consequences” (Kendall np). Kaepernick received all of those, in which he deserved every ounce of it. The song may not have been adapted to the nation until 1931, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t get the respect that it deserves and…
Many writers on their venture to becoming great, are faced with roadblocks. I too feel those stresses. When sitting down to begin a story, novel, or poem we all strive to be different. But as Baldwin explains, "there is no original thought, because we all humans think and feel has been thought and felt so many times before, by so many generations." This in itself makes starting writing a very daunting task. Not to mention the sea of fellow authors you are competing with for limited shelf space. A trip to a jam packed bookstore reiterates this feeling instantaneously. Really, what sets the writer apart is the original perspective and finding out what shape to give it to really hold the readers attention. This can all be achieved through the power in…
Ellis Island, established in January 1st, 1892 opened as three large ships wait to land. 700 immigrants passed through Ellis Island that day, and nearly 450,000 followed over the course of that first year.…
The Hippy era was a time in United States history when massive changes were made. Boundaries were challenged and crossed in literature and art, the government was confronted head-on for its policies in Vietnam; and the cause of civil rights was embraced by the young. This was a time of growth not only as a country but for people as individuals. People were standing up for their personal right to do what they felt they wanted to do. This was a time of change for the civil rights movement and women's movement. The two poems that I have chose center on the civil rights movement during the 1960's and how it affected people.…
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america…” ~Francis Bellamy, the pledge of allegiance. It is an iconic american poem. But there are some fundamental problems with the pledge that should stop it from being recited in schools. There is the fact that it has the line “...under god…” which is a problem with religious liberties. Then there is the original purpose of the pledge, a marketing campaign fueled by racism. Lastly it is a practice in nationalistic indoctrination. Students in the United States should not rehearse the pledge of allegiance.…
We left Fort Kearny, and currently following the south side of the Platte River, we reached the California Crossing, but we had to cross sandbars, and almost landed on one that wasn't stable. We reached a steep hill once we had got done crossing the river. I was explaining to everyone that we need to stop, so we could remove something to make it easier on us. I had dumped some of my books, I was saddened by this because it reminded of my wife, and she loved to read. Anyway, how we moved the wagon down was by tying rope to a nearby tree and slowly descending the wagon downward, I also locked the wagon wheels by putting in blocks of wood and sliding it into the wheels. When we got done going down the hill, we had to help all the other wagons,…
Do you know when our national anthem first came to be the official anthem of the United States of America? The anthem was written by Francis Scott Key and became the official American anthem on March 3, 1931. America's gift to my generation is freedom of expression. Freedom of expression means we have the right to express our opinions in many ways. Currently, the professional football players of our nation seem to be using their freedom of expression to, in my opinion, disgrace our country's anthem.…
you may think because we are the land of the free that we have freedom to choose whether to stand or not during the national anthem. Colin Kaepernick proved that to be controversial when he sat during the star spangled banner. By sitting out for the national anthem, Kaepernick couldn’t have expected the uproar that broke out. In the passage “In the ‘land of the free’ are you really free to sit out the national anthem?” 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick “set the national debate about race on a collision course with three pillars of American patriotism: football, the military, and police” (Kaleem paragraph1.). many people have taken sides on whether they support or disprove of Kaepernick’s actions.…
What are the reasons for the issue of a lack of patriotism? Could it be disrespect, mistrust or religion? The show of patriotism is an important part of American culture. Patriotism shows that the individual is continually practicing their right to stand and show loyalty to the United States of America. Students and teachers should not only be required to respectfully stand and recite the pledge, but also have a curriculum to learn the importance of it as well. In order for the pledge to be fully supported, it needs to have an educational value to help students learn and know what they are standing for. Students should have the opportunity to learn the full intended meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance. Although students are not required to say the Pledge of Allegiance, public schools should require a curriculum to help students have a reason to take a stand,…