"Singapore" is a poem written in which the author, Mary Oliver, compares a cleaning lady to nature with her use of imagery. Mary Oliver writes about how a woman, a tourist, is at an airport in Singapore. While at the airport the woman sees what seems to be a cleaning lady who is cleaning an ashtray in the toilet water and the author compares this to nature. The author was disgusted by what she saw so to rid her mind of this image she brings in images of nature to ease her discomfort. However, when the cleaning lady smiles at the tourist she then changes her mind, therefore, thinking that cleaning the ashtrays in the toilet can be blissful and beautiful. In the poem "Kingfisher", Mary Oliver, writes about the good found in the bad. With her poem Oliver shows us that death is an intricate part of life. The …show more content…
In the poem "Singapore", Mary Oliver, shows a relationship between nature and life lessons. The poem is about a woman who is doing everyday tasks as a cleaning lady in a Singapore airport. The author was disgusted with what she had seen in the bathroom so she thought about images of nature to comfort her. The author states that "a poem should always have birds in it" (Oliver) therefore, the author has changed her mind about the cleaning woman's job. Now the author thinks the cleaning woman can actually be a joyful and pleasant job. Oliver wishes that it was beautiful and pleasant like birds are as well as other aspects from nature. In the quote "rivers are pleasant" (Oliver) the author uses the river as form of peace because of how a river flows
Elizabeth Fernea entered El Nahra, Iraq as an innocent bystander. However, through her stay in the small Muslim village, she gained cultural insight to be passed on about not only El Nahra, but all foreign culture. As Fernea entered the village, she was viewed with a critical eye, ?It seemed to me that many times the women were talking about me, and not in a particularly friendly manner'; (70). The women of El Nahra could not understand why she was not with her entire family, and just her husband Bob. The women did not recognize her American lifestyle as proper. Conversely, BJ, as named by the village, and Bob did not view the El Nahra lifestyle as particularly proper either. They were viewing each other through their own cultural lenses. However, through their constant interaction, both sides began to recognize some benefits each culture possessed. It takes time, immersed in a particular community to understand the cultural ethos and eventually the community as a whole. Through Elizabeth Fernea?s ethnography on Iraq?s El Nahra village, we learn that all cultures have unique and equally important aspects.
This frustration acted as a vehicle for her to gain a desire to be more
In her story, “Greenleaf”, the author Flannery O’Conner shows us that people can sometimes blind their factual vision of the world through a mask of dreams, so that they would not be able to make a distinction between reality and their dreams of reality. O’Conner unveils this through the use of point of view , character, irony, and
Duong Thu Huong’s novel, ‘Paradise of the Blind’ creates a reflective, often bittersweet atmosphere through the narrator Hang’s expressive descriptions of the landscapes she remembers through her life. Huong’s protagonist emphasises the emotional effects these landscapes have on her, acknowledging, “many landscapes have left their mark on me.”
Ben - He is the main character, he is also the one telling the story about what happened to his family and Zan. At the beginning of the story, Ben didn’t want or like Zan. He thought he would take up too much of his time and be annoying. As the story progressed, he began to like Zan and they continued bonding together and eventually became best friends. As the story ended, Ben became the kind, loving person that got to keep and protect Zan.
The fundamental characteristic of magical realism is its duality, which enables the reader to experience both the character’s past and the present. In the novel, Monkey Beach, Eden Robinson uses this literary device to address the the trauma and mistreatment of the Haisla community in Canada by unveiling the intimate memories of the protagonist, Lisamarie, and the resulting consequences of this oppression. Monkey Beach illustrates how abuse in the past leads to another form of self-medication in the future - a neverending, vicious cycle for the members of the Haisla community. Many characters in Monkey Beach are scarred from childhood sexual abuse and family neglect, and resort to drug and alcohol abuse as a coping mechanism. These appalling memories are an account of the impact of colonization on the Haisla territory which continues to haunt the Aboriginal community throughout generations.
In the case of the first poem, it was more of the perspective of a high class woman. The narrator who saw the women cleaning in the airport did not like the scene due to the fact that she believes that there are better jobs and options out there. As a woman coming from a higher class, she may think one way. However, we do not know whether or not the lady actually cleaning feels the same way. In line 16, Oliver mentions, “Yes, a person wants to stand in a happy place”, in a poem. But first we must watch her as she stares down at her labor, which is dull enough.” This quote goes to show that the narrator dislikes the fact that she is doing such a low job. The narrator considers that peoples too showy and live only on the external, and the woman
In his essay, Fatwa City, it is clear that Cullen Murphy is ridiculing the idea of legislating moralism, which he explains throughout his writing. Prior to reading this piece, I had never heard of a Fatwa and did not know what it was. Murphy lists various fatwas that he finds ridiculous and uses them to show how he believes legislators are becoming as extreme as the Islamic. He criticizes the fact that legislators are attempting to limit people’s morality. I agree with Murphy because the proposed bills that he wrote about were made to threaten and change people’s lifestyles. The bills not only take away the rights of the people, but also fine them for the way that they live. One of the bills that stood out to me was the bill that would fine
After the Bomb written by Gloria Miklowitz is a thrilling novel that takes place before, during, and after a bomb which supposedly was sent from Russia by accident. L.A. and surrounding cities are all altered by the disastrous happening.
“ Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” - Swami Sivananda. Only you can create your future and control your success in life. Adeline Yen Mah finds a way to get through her tough life and keep her head up. Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah is an inspirational story. Adeline, abused and treated horribly by her stepmother, rose above her dreadful life. She is an inspiration because she keeps going when she is treated horribly and learns to have pride for who she is.
Elizabeth Gaskell once said, “How easy it is to judge rightly after one sees what evil comes from judging wrongly!” “Paper Towns” by John Green is a story about failing to see the truth in an individual. Quentin Jacobsen, the main character, sees his neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman as beautiful and adventurous from afar, but when she enters his life, summoning him on a quest for revenge-he follows. After their night is complete and a new day begins, Quentin arrives at school to find the Margo is now gone, and a mystery. However, Quentin quickly discovers clues left behind for him, and the closer he comes to solving the mystery, the less he sees the Margo he imagined. The theme of the story is perception, and seeing people for who they really are. The theme is best expressed with Quentin Jacobsen’s obsession with Margo, but is also expressed in a comical way when Quentin and his friends look at various car drivers and make snap judgements about their lives. Finally, the perception Quentin has of one of his best friends, Ben, makes him come off as having a friendship by convenience and selfishness.
A prominent theme throughout Mary Oliver's poems is the appreciation of the natural world and all of its little details. Oliver is renowned for her ability to immerse the reader in the natural world through powerful language and imagery, allowing them to truly appreciate the beauty of nature. Her close observation of nature illustrates her intimate relationship with nature and is exemplified in one her most famous poems "The Summer Day," in which she questions the origins of nature. In this poem, Oliver conveys her love of nature through the speaker, who is not only a passive observer and admirer of nature, but also an active thinker and component of nature. By choosing nature as the poem's center of attention, Oliver is able to depict nature as a beautiful and mystical place, evoking the reader's awe and fascination. This poem is so beautiful because the speaker describes to the reader the lovely little idiosyncrasies that she notices within nature, illustrating how nature is infinitely complex and that even little insects are worthy of appreciation.
There are a lot of ways to present the story which the author wants to share with the audience. It can be a book, a poem, a song, a music item, a film, a play, a dance, anything that the author may imagine. But each form is unique and one and the same story told using different forms will look different. Sometimes a bad story in verses may look perfect in a dance and vice versa. The form in which a story told is important, because it can highlight those important features, which another form may avoid.
To what extent does Carol Ann Duffy’s poem ‘Medusa’ challenge stereotypical masculine and feminine attributes?
I can picture him seeing life and feeling it in every flower, ant, and piece of grass that crosses his path. The emotion he feels is strongly suggested in this line "To me the meanest flower that blows can give / Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears." Not only is this showing the kind of fulfillment he receives from nature, but also the power that nature possesses in his mind.... ... middle of paper ... ...