What is the scope of today’s world? Through the eyes of Cornelius Eady, the author of The Supremes, it may be seen differently than any person’s view upon the world. Through the examining of the theme of the poem The Supremes we are able to understand in some sense how the author may view the world. The Supremes was written by Cornelius Eady is a free verse poem that covers the lack of creativeness in the education system. The poem has a lack of rhyme and meter that aids in establishing the tone of the poem. This is compensated as the poem switches between anapest meter and iambic meter (Branchini). This makes the poem non consistent, disturbing, and interesting all in the same movement. “We were born to be gray (Meyer Line 1).” Is an opening …show more content…
that is not really expected as a grandeur way to start things. It is actually a direct proclamation to what the poem is seeking to address. The opening line sets the mood of the poem almost immediately and can catch the attention of most readers that start reading. It is assertive in stating the very purpose of life can be established from the word “we”. The idea of being born to be average, or gray as the poem puts it, is a powerful one. Someone does not dream of being average, nor do they imagine themselves as average in their own pendulum of life. It is clear from the very beginning that this poem is a criticism of a society that seeks to place limitations on people. The poem later establishes through some elaboration and descriptions that the word “we” are children, it also uses the word “we” as a way to show a lack of identity of each individual (Branchini).
The narrator and the children are referred to as having “went to school, sat in rows, ate white bread (Meyer Line 2)”- the lines use imagery very well to pass along the impression that the children suffer from dullness and are being conditioned for everyday life (Branchini). The concern of this education system is not the education and growth of the children, but rather the attendance of the individuals themselves and learning to conform to the expectations of the rest of their …show more content…
society. The next verse begins, “A long scream (Meyer 6).” This fragment is particularly different in the poem because of the way it is placed, not only from the previous line, but the previous verse. It is not part of an idea of the poem, but rather something to show what is occurring within the school children while they attended school. It takes the reader out of the monotone style of the first verse and shows that the children were struggling and even feeling tortured to sit through such conditioning when they felt they could be excelling in other areas besides the normal regimen of school. The rest of the line quotes “we did what we could (Meyer Line 5),” which is meant to say that the children found whatever methods they could to survive the dull and overbearing regiment of their education model. The methodology they took to avoid the overbearing regiments could not be referred to as “good”, and the tone seemed to point out with the statement “How fat kids suffered (Meyer Line 7)!”. Of course children choosing to turn on each other is not a helpful nor healthy method of managing for anyone, least of all the children who became targets of the bullies. We are given the knowledge that the victims of this state of affairs were the fat kids, the anal retentive, and the “brown-noses” (Meyer 6,10). The poem refers to this as “training” and it implies, through the line “our parents shook their heads and waited (Meyer Line 13)”, that any adult who knew of the torture that was occurring simply chose not to intervene and stop the madness. In the poem it said that “we drank cokes and twiddled our thumbs (Meyer Line 16)”, which tells the reader that there was boredom felt by the students during classes. This has the potential to show that the style of education system had ultimately isolated the children it was looking to teach. The poem also makes several references to materials that were being studied in the classroom, “We learned of the industrial revolution, The sectioning of the clock into pie slices (Meyer Line 14,15).” These subjects are usually taught at different intervals in a child’s school career, this implies that the poor treatment of classmates and the constant droning from the education system was not limited to specific ranges of children. Later the poem repeats the phrase “A long Scream (Meyer Line 17)” from earlier in the poem.
It is placed here to remind us that the school children in the poem still have the same dissatisfaction when it comes to the ideas of bullying amongst each other. While the third verse quotes that the harassing was “training”, this fifth verse says that “Slowly we understood: this was to be the world (Meyer Line 21).” This line shows us that without adult intervention and role models that schoolchildren chose to base their lives upon that the children had to learn that the world they lived in was negative, cruel, and
hostile. The sixth and last verse takes from the beginning by stating the words “we were born” but in this quote it goes on to say something more definite than simply “gray”. It tells the reader: “We were born insurance salesmen and secretaries, Housewives and short order cooks, Stock room boys and repairmen (Meyer Lines 22,23,24).” This is in an explanation of the meaning of the narrator’s use of the word “gray.” This points out that individuals were predetermined due to the circumstance they were born and destined for poverty and weakness. The following line, “and it wouldn’t be a bad life, they promised (Meyer Line 25)” seems to be a mockery of a lie told to these children thru their lives. Children, when asked what they want to be, refer to the people and careers that they look up to. In the previous line when asked the question what do they want to be it refers to the people and careers that they look up to. The line before is the adult reaction to the child’s dismay that they were not able to become what they wanted to. At the end of the poem it refers to the children, now grown, obtaining “in self-defense” wigs, lipstick, sequins (Meyer Line 27)”, which is used to set this portion apart from the rest of the poem. This makes the idea seem very confusing and scary because it creates a feeling of being uneasy or trying to be better than average. Though self-defense seems like a strange concept to apply to this situation. The idea can be drawn that individuals are in fear of being average and are seeking to defend themselves against it (Branchini). The narration of the poem seems to be that of the perspective of a male simply because of the way the poet wrote it. This could also lead us to believe that the individuals reaching for wigs, lipstick, and sequins are indeed males and are not living up to the societal standards they were made to live as a child. Such a lifestyle would be beyond normal and accepted throughout society. After reading through The Supremes one cannot help but to feel a sense of sadness or anger at the ideas and themes that the story portrays about the education system. Sadly, the theme of the poem is able to address the education system and how poorly it teaches actual education beyond job preparedness. Modern education systems that still model themselves for teaching children job preparedness only seem to focus on education for blue collar or working class jobs and fail to address those that could achieve far more than what is regimented to them. This poem addresses the flaw in our nation’s education and childhood development and seeks to reveal it to everyone. Works Cited Branchini, Jake and Mollie Biskar. An Analyzation of "The Supremes". 19 March 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISNr3xan_58. 15 April 2016. Meyer, Michael. "The Supremes." Eady, Cornelius. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Boston : Bedford/ St. Martin's , 2014. 578.
In Ron Koertge’s “First Grade”, the author employs indirect characterization and foreshadows the affects of education by describing the speaker’s initial thoughts and beliefs and by writing in the past tense to show how education can limit students’ minds and rob them of their vitality.
...areness of unjustifiable conditions that are imposed on societies youngest and most powerless members. Intermingled with his convictions of the necessity for equality and justice are portraits of children who display a most astounding amount of hope and courage. It is an essential read for all who have plans to enter the field of education. Those of us who aspire to shape the minds of the future need to be aware that all children possess the ability to love and prosper despite whatever environment they have emerged from. It is our duty to provide all children, without regard to race or economic status, with the tools and opportunities they require in order to flourish and lead the satisfying lives that they so greatly desire and deserve.
With the use of irony and a free rhyme scheme, Collins’ poem vocalizes his opinion on how lying to children about significant facts can only serve to make them ignorant. The way he communicates this to us is by ironically emphasizing events by understating them. He shows how important an event is by mocking the teacher’s portrayal of the event. One example of how he does this is how the teacher tells his students that the ice age was just the “chilly age, a period of a million years when everyone had to wear sweaters.”(3-4). Collins does this several times with other important events in history, such as the Spanish Inquisition, where “[It] was nothing more than an outbreak of questions.”(7-8). The teacher’s interpretation of events, when compared to the actual events themselves creates a sense of unease, as the lies stray far away from what actually happened, and brings up the question of whether or not these lies should be told. Collins uses events that involve death and destruction to accentuate how big the contrast between the teacher’s explanation and reality is. After the class ends, the children leave the classroom to “torment the weak and the smart” (15-16), while the teacher is oblivious to it all. Note that Collins puts “and the smart” (16) on a separate line from “torment the weak” (15). The children in the class aren’t smart because they did not learn about the true events in history. This distinction emphasized the ignorance of the children. This contrasts with Wilbur’s poem, as the lie told there served to soothe a child’s fear, rather than breed ignorance. The rhyme scheme is different as well. Collins’ free rhyme scheme is used to create a sense of unease, whereas Wilbur’s rhyme scheme creates a child-like feeling to his poem. Unlike the parents in “A Barred Owl”, the teacher is portrayed as an ignorant man, unaware of what happens around
Before reading this poem there are many things that have to be taken into consideration such as Young’s background, education, ideology and phraseology. Kevin Young starts off the poem
...parents were much more successful in the working world encouraged him to complete many daily activities such as choir and piano lessons. His parents engaged him in conversations that promoted reasoning and negotiation and they showed interest in his daily life. Harold’s mother joked around with the children, simply asking them questions about television, but never engaged them in conversations that drew them out. She wasn’t aware of Harold’s education habits and was oblivious to his dropping grades because of his missing assignments. Instead of telling one of the children to seek help for a bullying problem she told them to simply beat up the child that was bothering them until they stopped. Alex’s parents on the other hand were very involved in his schooling and in turn he scored very well in his classes. Like Lareau suspected, growing up
Adolph Myers, a kind and gentle man "[ is] meant by nature to be a teacher of youth"(215), however, the towns' people can not understand that the male school teacher - a not so common phenomenon at the time--spoke soothingly with his hands and voice only to "carry a dream into the young minds" (215) of his students. The young school teacher was wrongfully accused of doing "unspeakable things" to his students, and as a result was beaten and run out of town without being given a chance to explain the his love for the children was pure, and that he had done nothing wrong. Therefore, as young Adolph Myers, whose only crime is of being a good and caring person runs out of Pennsylvania, old Wing Biddlebaum, the lonely and confused victim of a close-minded society walks into Winesburg Ohio.
When the poem is read aloud, the explicit rhyme and rhythm of the lines becomes extremely obvious. In fact, the bouncy rhythm is so uplifting, it occasionally makes the audiences feel like it is too predictable and straight-forward. An example would be “bright with chrysolite”, the word “chrysolite” feels like it is forcefully implemented for the sake of the rhyme. This is somewhat similar to a children’s tale. Most children’s tale as we know it, conveys messages straightforwardly and are easily understood by children, it also has an amiable tone and a merry mood that engages the children 's attention. Similarly, the rhyme and rhythm of this poem is very obvious and explicit, creating a delightful, casual mood that appeals to a young audience. Even though the legend dealt with deep insights about parenting that are intricate and puzzling, the father delivered it in such a gratifying, simple manner that made even the most dark and dreadful matters: like the description of precarious beasts and vicious monsters to sound like a blissful adventure of friendly animals. The sole purpose of this contradiction between the tone and message is to make this seemingly strong and serious topic more tolerable and captivating to the son of the father. Unsensible, impulsive youth is very similar to restless children, a long insipid lecture about deep insights is very difficult for them to buy into. In the same time, a harsh, threatening warning will only make them obey unwillingly, and creating a doubtful relationship will make them uncomfortable to communicate or appeal to their parents. Clearly, the percipient father recognized the ineffectiveness of these unsuitable parenting methods. Instead, he conveyed the message in a uncomplicated, friendly way that made his son to accept his teachings more comfortably. A
She explains how her son was just pushed through school. “Our youngest, a world-class charmer, did litter to develop his intellectual talent but always got by” (559). He got through school by being a good kid, he was quiet and didn’t get in trouble. This was how he made it to his senior year until Mrs. Stifter’s English class. Her son sat in the back of the room talking to his friends; and when Mary told her to just move him “believing the embarrassment would get him to settle down” (559) Mrs. Stifter just told her “I don’t move seniors I flunk them” (559). This opened Mary’s eyes that her son would have to actually apply himself to pass. He wouldn’t be handed a passing grade. After the meeting with her son teacher, she told her son if you don’t try you will fail, making him actually apply himself. This made Mary understand that Failure is a form of positive teaching tool. Only because her son had to work for it and, now he actually came out of high school with a form of
The book, No Country for Old Men, switches from first person to third person perspective; the first person perspective coming only from Sheriff Bell. It is with these first person accounts that the reader understands why Bell is saddened by the new world around him. He tells of a story he read in the newspaper about teachers answering a survey of what the biggest problems were with teaching in schools; the biggest problems these teachers could name were: “talking in class and running in hallways. Chewing gum. Copying homework.” The story in the paper then states that forty years later the survey was given to teachers and the biggest problems were: “Rape, arson, murder. Drugs. Suicide.” Bell is horrified by this story in the paper and is in disbelief when people tell him he is just “getting old” w...
This story makes the reader wonder, why must parents do this to their children, what kinds of motifs do they have for essentially ruining their child’s life. I believe
The poem also focuses on what life was like in the sixties. It tells of black freedom marches in the South how they effected one family. It told of how our peace officers reacted to marches with clubs, hoses, guns, and jail. They were fierce and wild and a black child would be no match for them. The mother refused to let her child march in the wild streets of Birmingham and sent her to the safest place that no harm would become of her daughter.
In the beginning of the poem Cullen uses the literary device of imagery to help his readers understand the vast difference between the classes in society. Cullen describes the children
In a typical family, there are parents that expected to hear things when their teenager is rebelling against them: slamming the door, shouting at each other, and protests on what they could do or what they should not do. Their little baby is growing up, testing their wings of adulthood; they are not the small child that wanted their mommy to read a book to them or to kiss their hurts away and most probably, they are thinking that anything that their parents told them are certainly could not be right. The poem talks about a conflict between the author and her son when he was in his adolescence. In the first stanza, a misunderstanding about a math problem turns into a family argument that shows the classic rift between the generation of the parent and the teenager. Despite the misunderstandings between the parent and child, there is a loving bond between them. The imagery, contrasting tones, connotative diction, and symbolism in the poem reflect these two sides of the relationship.
The children couldn’t accept what they thought was so horrible. There was a lot of ignorance and carelessness portrayed throughout this short story. The theme of ungratefulness was revealed in this story; The author depicted how disrespecting someone can inturn feed you with information you may wish you never knew and how someone can do one wrong thing and it immediately erases all the good things a person did throughout their
...d in the narration. This is ultimately left to the sub-text, of what is left unsaid. It is quite clear where the author stands on the issues the short story raises, and through the naïveté in the children's perspective presented in the narrator's recollections, an intense and vivid resemblance to reality in this very retrospection, and the narrative sequencing that remorselessly directs the story towards the concluding tragedy - a powerful and scathing, if not sober, social critique on the nature of tradition, adhering to correct social behaviour and resistance to change is shaped and conveyed.