Final Blog Assignment

Select at least two literary pieces we read and discussed in the course and explore how the author's theme affects and influences you.

The first piece that i am going to choose is a drama piece: "Andre's Mother"

The theme in this piece is about sorrow. It is about the fact that Andre's mother never got to know her son for the last few years of his life, and that he died without telling her he way gay or sick. The theme involves emotions of sorrow, not knowing, being left out, and extreme pain for the loss of Andre's mother.

The author's theme affects and influences me because i have felt the emotions of sorrow, not knowing, and being left out. Though, I never had to go as far as feeling the extreme pain from the loss of a loved one. During my freshman year of college my mother ended up in the hospital and i never found out until a few days later. I was so hurt and confused and at a loss. I wasn't talking, all i did was cry and just be sad. I can relate to Andre's mother in this way because like her, I didn't want to speak to anyone about it. It was as though keeping everything inside made it a little easier for the time being. I was so angry and so hurt and i felt so left out and that is probably how Andre's mother feels while she is standing there saying goodbye to her dead son.

The second piece of literature that i am going to choose is a poetry piece: "We Real Cool"

The theme in this poem is about a group of boys that want to do nothing other than "chill". They want to leave school, stay out late, play pool, curse, drink, and listen to jazz music even though they knows its not a good path to be on in life. The author even states this at the end of the poem by saying "We Die soon."

The author's theme in this poem influences me because it shows me some of the things that i never want to do with my life. It shows me that I were to ever end up going down the wrong path in life, what would happen. Sometimes, as students, we all get caught up in the bad activities that we partake in as a group on occasion; but if it were to become a daily thing where we could not control our urges or behaviors or if it goes to the point where we are missing school on a regular basis that would be tragic.

Andre's Mother

Andre's Mother Analysis -

By: Terrance McNally

1. What is the genre of this piece of drama? Why do you believe this?

This piece of drama is considered to be a Tragicomedy. I feel this way because it embraces all the pieces of the definition. It focuses on character relationships and shows society in a state of continuous movement. There is a mental flsh back that takes places because it takes you back to a time where gay men were still it hiding and lived in the city together and AIDS was just starting to come about as a really big, killing disease. This piece also embraces a mix of comedy and tragedy side by side. Cal's father and sister find funny things amongst their family, but there is the serious issue of Andre's mother not speaking to them at all and the father that her son died and she never got to see him or know what he was dying of.

2. Identify the spectacle in this piece; this is a tangible item.

The Spectacle in this piece of work is the balloons. They seem to symbolize "letting go" of what was. Letting go of Andre and the anger that Andre's mother had towards him and his partner.

3. Terrance McNally is the author of this piece of drama, and the tile of this piece is "Andre's Mother". Though the tile of the story includes McNally's mother, she is the only character that does not speak. How does this fact affect the meaning, theme, and plot of this piece of drama?

Andre's mother being the only non-speaking character in the piece affects the meaning of

the play because it shows that the mother was not just sad about her loss of her son; she was

mad. Probably furious in the inside, she just chose not to express it outwards. This has affected

the plot of the piece because since she won't say anything Cal is making the story awkwardly

progress without her opinions on anything he is doing or saying. Lastly, this has affected the

theme of the piece because it is centered around her. From the title you would think that the

piece is literally about something that happened directly to the mother, but really its about what

happened to her son, but she was so left out that at the last minute it did kind of become about her

because it was her son ans she nothing about what was going on with him.

This picture made me think of what they would have been, had she had the chance to

truly know what he was going through.

Song #1: Beautiful Surprise - India Arie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrenUxs_kN4

Lyrics:

It's like yesterday
I didn't even know your name
Now today
You're always on my mind
I never could have predicted that I feel this way
You are beautiful surprise
Intoxicated every time I hear your voice
You've got me on a natural high
It's almost like I didn't even have a choice
You are a beautiful surprise

Whatever it is you came to teach me
I am here to learn it cause
I believe that we are written in the stars
I don't know what the future holds
But I'm living in the moment
And I'm thankful for the man that you are, you are, you are
You are everything I ask for in my prayers
So I know my angels brought you to my life
Your energy is healing to my soul
You are a beautiful surprise
You are an inspiration to my life
You are the reason why I smile
You are a beautiful surprise

I believe that this song is poetry because it has some of the elements that we reviewed in class. For example symbolism, alliteration and connotation. Songs that are considered to be poetry are usually full of connotation because everyone gets something different from a song. Usually poetry has a deeper meaning and is complex in syntax.

Song # 2: Wasted - Gucci Mane featuring Plies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5qvBQFgoSc

Lyrics:

Im wasted, you wasted, she wasted, he wasted

Chorus
rock star, lifestyle, might dont make it
living life high everyday clique wasted
sippin on purple stuff, rollin up stankin
wake in the morning, 10 o'clock drinkin
party, party, party, lets all get wasted
shake it for me baby girl do it butt-naked
im so wasted, she so wasted
tell the bartender send me 20 mo cases

verse 1(Gucci)
lookin like whitney
geekin like brittany
gucci no hippie but he stoned like jimmy
x-pill poppers, geeked up crazy
whole click rollin, everyones wasted
purple codiene, sprite pink dont waste it
mix up grandma drink it didnt taste it
now grandma sippin syrup, leanin wasted
walkin round fucked up twisting her fingas
homegurl slipped up, drunk, got wasted
now she backstage and she tryin to get famous
see me, im a drinkie, drinkin, gucci mane shake it
club life, damn right, gucci mane wasted

I believe that this song is not poetry because there is not real point to me. There is no kind of truly deeper meaning that i would really have to sit down and think about in order to comprehend.

Questions:

1) Is Rap/Hip-Hop music poetic expression? Why or Why not?

I believe that Rap/Hip-Hop music is poetic expression. Lots of rap is written by the artist to express emotions of happiness, sadness, struggle and various other emotions.

2) What literary characteristics or poetic terms does this music express?

Beautiful Surprise - India Arie

1. Imagery - someone in love
2. Denotation & Connotation - music is usually to be comprehended differently by each person that listens to it. So there are many parts of a song that are literally and many parts that are hidden.

Wasted - Gucci Mane featuring Plies

1. Alliteration, Assonance & Consonance
2. Symbolism
3. Denotation & Connotation

3) What type of critic are you? Explain why.

Thematic Critic - I understand that words sometimes hide some underlying theme. To me, theme is important in poetry and i like tot pick the artist's brain to see what they really feel. Most artists tie their music to consistent themes related to their lives.