JC's Blog

Gregory Saad

Purple Hibiscus Poem Dad, I'm sad. love, I'm in pursuit of. See me, the only thing I plea. Impress you, the only thing I try to do. Dad. Perspective of Kambili to her father.

      While reading Purple Hibiscus , I noticed a large amount of pressure on Kambili and Jaja to do well in school. It was expected for them to be the top of their class, and their father is very disappointed if they aren't. This is very stressful and difficult for Kambili. She says "it was like balancing a sack of gravel on my head every day at school and not being allowed to steady it with my hand." When she does well, the only thing she thinks about is the approval of her father.       Kids should not have this amount of stress and pressure put on them. By setting this standard, their father is forcing them to give up their social life and free time. It is especially terrible because this is the only way they can get affection from their dad. It is at the point where Kambili is obsessed with trying to impress her dad and get his attention. A child should not have to work for the love and support of their parents.

Saad Thomas

      I chose "Float" by Aesop Rock to analyze for major techniques. In the first stanza alone, the artist incorporated assonance, consonance, and sibilance into his lyrics to cause the listener to focus on his lyrics and their meaning. He speaks about the struggles of life and even uses a metaphor to compare life to a jail cell.       He also includes cacophony throughout all of the song. Phrases like "my cell called life. Inside the tortoise shell, tortured" and "I am not a crook, I cook the wick at both ends" have many hard K and T sounds that introduce an overall feeling of hardship to the listener.

Early in the morning, up before the light. And up after too,  long past midnight. The working man worked with will and resolve. Not for himself, But the ones that are his all. The work of others, sometimes left unknown. Pushes people forward in the life of their own. Alliteration, End Rhyme, Assonance, Cacophony, Euphony.

Evan Emma