Immigrants in our own land

For this blog post I chose to talk about “Immigrants in our own land”. I felt like I connected well with this poem since I could just clearly scratch out the true underlying meaning. The title itself gives you a good clue of what to expect. When I read the title the first time I was thinking to myself, “I wonder if this poem talks about the Indians being placed on reservations”. When I read the poem the first time, I was kind of close but not quite, although I did enjoy reading and translating the underlying meaning as I read along.

In my previous English 102 class I read more than a handful of poems, but very few were about racism and ethnicity. As sad as the true meaning of the poems like these are, they are quite intriguing. A poem like this is almost an entire history lesson within itself.  I had a bitter taste towards poems and analysis’s in the beginning, but since I have learned to appreciate the art in these poems, I have grown much to liking them.

In the beginning of the poem, Baca starts out with, ”We are born with dreams in our hearts, looking for better days ahead. At the gates we are given papers, our old clothes are taken, and we are given overalls like mechanics wear. We are given shots and doctors ask questions”.  This is the intro that gave me the initial hint that this poem was possibly talking about Indians being placed on reservations and being put to work. Although as I kept reading on it was including all races, whites, blacks, Chicanos (Spanish), and Indians. All in all this is a great poem and I recommend it to all.

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179708

Summary vs. Analysis

Summary….analysis. What a dilemma this is. I have argued in the past with many English instructors that there is no difference. However there is, shocking! I had an English instructor who finally laid this dilemma to rest. Here is the example he set to me. This is how he explained a summary to me. When writing a summary you write your paper as if you were building a brick wall. Your wall won’t stand unless you place all the bricks in the right places. The same goes with a summary. The story will not make sense unless you recite it in the order it happened. A good way to keep track of this is to write down a chronological time line.

Now to the confusion. The infamous analysis. Here is the difference. Instead of “reciting” a story in a chronological manner, you are instead describing hidden underlying meanings of the story. For example say you come across a poem that could be two sentences. Ok?? How are you supposed to analyze that into three pages? Simple. In poems especially there are usually always some form of hidden underlying meaning the reader doesn’t always catch the first time reading. This is why poems are confusing when read the first time. So you should break down the story or poem line by line, verse per verse…etc. In whichever way it helps you break it down to translate the poem. This is how you should analyze.

This instructor also gave me a good example to go by when writing analysis’s. He told me to think of these papers like a construction site, or a house halfway through construction. Imagine yourself walking though this house and looking at all the different projects that still need to be done in the house. Now you can apply this to a paper. Break the paper down and take it piece by piece and translate it. What does this paper need to make it understand? How should I make sense of this? And so on.

Here is a good book you can choose to summarize on since it is so simple

http://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/

Here is a good poem to analyze.

DULCE EST DECORUM EST

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html

Nobakov

What does Nobakov think makes a good readers? :

Nobakov believes that a good reader is one with an imagination to create the story in the book into a reality and surround it around you, in other words putting you into the book. He makes a good comparison when he mentions looking at a painting. When you look at a painting, what do you do? You step back and look at its entirety or the “big picture”. Reading a book should transform your perception on reality and be enjoyable. And that’s exactly what Nobakov believes. 

What do you believe are the characteristics of a good writer? :

I like what Nobakov said about being a good writer but I would like to add a few of my own opinions. The concept of writing could be related to persistence. Just like anything else, muscle for example. You either use it or lose it. I believe with writing there is a certain “touch” and art to it. You should be sharp with your imagination and tune it occasionally.

Do you consider yourself a good reader? :

I feel that if one is a good reader they have to enjoy the book to be able to get “into” the book. When I read a book that is really good and juicy, I am completely lost in it and it is as if nothing else around me exists. Now we can agree that everyone will come across books for school that they aren’t going to enjoy and absolutely abhor reading, they won’t apply themselves to the book as easily to a book they enjoy.

 

Intro Vid