Mid-Term Break

A) What are the persona's feelings in the first five stanzas of this poem? Explain how the poet described these feelings through the careful choice of words used.

Ans: The persona was in grief and felt awkward. The poet describes these sad feelings carefully with the choice of words used.
When the poet heard that his brother was knocked down by a car and was dead, he could not rush back immediately from his college and had to wait for his neighbours to come and fetch him home. Thus, he was sad he could not see his dead brother immediately. As the poet entered the house, there were many old men who stood up and shook his hand, hence he felt awkward by their actions. Also, everybody looked solemn, in contrast to the baby's laughing, and cooing.
The persona was also unfeeling towards his brother's death in the first five stanzas. He showed little emotion when he entered the house and did not rushed to see his dead brother as quickly as he could. Furthermore, he referred his dead brother as a 'corpse', which shows that he did not cared about his brother's death as referring to a dead body as a 'corpse' meant that they had no connection with each other.
Therefore, from the first five stanzas of the poem, I can see that the persona was in grief of not getting back early and was awkward when the old men shook his hand and told him that they were 'sorry for the trouble' as he had to rushed back from college. The persona was also unfeeling and did not show concern to his brother's death in the first five stanzas by showing few actions and emotions.


B) How does the use of literary devices describe the mood in this poem?

Ans: The poet made used of literary devices such as alliteration, onomatopoeia and metaphors to bring out the mood in this poem, which is sadness.
Firstly, the poet used alliteration emphasize the mood in this poem. 'He lay in the four foot box as in his cot'. The alliteration used on the letter 'f' helps emphasize how very small the child is, and has sad impact on the reader. The poet speaks of his dead brother as if it has not fully realized he is dead, in the way in which the poet compares the coffins to the child in the cot. The fact the child can see his brother in his cot, creates deep load of sadness, when we know the child is dead.
Next, the poet used onomatopoeia. The poet was counting the bells that knelled 'classes to a close'. The word 'knelling' are usually used for funeral bells, not for class bells. Funerals are sad occasions when a family loses a family member due to death. Hence, knelling shows the grief the family is experiencing when the persona's brother died. Words such as “cooed,” “whispers,” “coughed,” and “knocked” are also used to express emotion within the poem.
Finally, the poet used metaphors to describe the mood of the poem.The phrase “wearing a poppy bruise” helps to create an image because even though we know the dead child is not literally wearing a poppy bruise we can imagine what the bruise would look like. This can also suggest that it is like the World War 1 because at the end of that the first plants to re-grow were the poppies. Also, the title 'Mid-Term Break' suggests a holiday from the school, however, in this poem, the work 'break' also indicates a 'break' in one's life.
Hence, through the three literary devices used in the poem, the poet brings out the sadness in the poem.

School Day Poem

School is like a prison,
a chamber of tortue,
where everyday is work,
and there is no pleasure.

Wake up early everyday,
just to get to school.
One minute late,
and that's the end of you.

Sit up straight and shut your mouth,
when the teacher talks.
If you disobey,
you'll become barbecue pork.

So that's the life in school,
always full of rules,
and never-ending worksheets,
flying straight at you!

Favourite Poem

Birches By Robert Frost

When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy's been swinging them.
But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay 
As ice-storms do.  Often you must have seen them
Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
After a rain.  They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.
Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells
Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust--
Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away
You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.
They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load,
And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed
So low for long, they never right themselves:
You may see their trunks arching in the woods
Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground
Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair
Before them over their heads to dry in the sun.
But I was going to say when Truth broke in
With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm
I should prefer to have some boy bend them
As he went out and in to fetch the cows--
Some boy too far from town to learn baseball,
Whose only play was what he found himself,
Summer or winter, and could play alone.
One by one he subdued his father's trees
By riding them down over and over again
Until he took the stiffness out of them,
And not one but hung limp, not one was left
For him to conquer.  He learned all there was
To learn about not launching out too soon
And so not carrying the tree away
Clear to the ground.  He always kept his poise
To the top branches, climbing carefully
With the same pains you use to fill a cup
Up to the brim, and even above the brim.
Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish,
Kicking his way down through the air to the ground.
So was I once myself a swinger of birches.
And so I dream of going back to be.
It's when I'm weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and one eye is weeping
From a twig's having lashed across it open.
I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return.  Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

Metaphors - I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over... 

- It shows the poet getting away and coming back.

Simile - ...trailing their leaves on the ground 

Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair   
Before them over their heads to dry in the sun

- It shows the leaves are like girls.

Why I like it:

This poem is about life from boyhood to death and it utilizes the beauty of the natural world 

as a vehicle for a reflection on life. The poet present the characteristics of life and nature  

accurately, as well as man's relationship to the natural world. 
He takes us through the symbols, memories, and thoughts that he had one moment 

while he noticed birch trees. all bent over. And he reflected on his own nostalgia, 

that he swung from trees as a kid, even while admitting that these trees are likely bent by
nature. I find this poem very meaningful and interesting though at some parts it is very difficult 

to understand. 

Gulliver's Travels By Johnathan Swift - In what way is it a satire?

Lilliput

This story is mainly about the fight between Lilliput and Blefuscu. This fight begin a long time ago, people once broke eggs on the big end. However, the present king's grandfather once cut himself breaking the egg in this manner, so the King at the time, the father of the present king's grandfather, issued an edict that all were to break the eggs on the small end. Some of the people resisted, and they found refuge in Blefuscu, therefore the two sides have been at war. The war is unnecessary and needless, just like the war between England and France.

Also, the methods of selecting people for public office in Lilliput are very different from that of any other nation. In order to be chosen, a man must "rope dance" to the best of his abilities; the best rope dancer receives the higher office.While no nation of Europe in Swift's time followed such an absurd practice, they did not choose public officers on skill, but rather on how well the candidate could line the right pockets with money. With this event, Swift is satirizing the conditions of Europe.

Brobdingnag

This story is where Gulliver finds himself in a land of giants. In Lilliput, he used to be the strongest and tallest among the people whereas now, he is the weakest and the shortest among these giants. Also, in Lilliput, he had been treated with respect; now, in the land of giants, he is treated as a curiosity, forced to perform shows for public amusement, until the royalty of this nation learn of his presence.

When he first encounters a giant native, he was so scared and ran to hide. This story is about the many attacks on humanity that Swift's satire will perform.

Laputa

In Laputa, Gulliver finds clumsy, awkward, and unhandy people, nor so slow and perplexed in their conception of other subjects; however, they are highly skilled in mathematics. This story shows that people who wants to show off their talents but in the end make a fool of themselves.

Houyhnhnms

In Houyhnhnms, there are two types of 'species'. The Houyhnhnms are creatures that look like horses but have the ability to reason. There are also the Yahoos, which are animals with perfect human figures, except for the fact that they are dirty and do not wear clothes. From the Yahoos, Swift shows that the flaws of humanity are overwhelming, and will result in a total degradation of the human.

Animal Farm - Glencoe

Chapter 1-4

Character	Characteristics/ Actions/ Purpose
Old Major	Gets the revolution started, inspires hope for real change
Mr Jones	Wants to get his farm back by all means after being kicked out by the animals.
Napoleon	Leader of the revolution, together with Snowball. Used violence to control the farm and started to act like humans
Snowball	Leader of the revolution, together with Napoleon. Believes that animals should be treated equally
Squealer	Sort of the 'messenger' for Napoleon, convinces the animals the life is better than before
Boxer	Hardworking and too obedient
Clover	Questions Napoleon's way of ruling the farm
Mollie	Lazy and prefers humans to animals
Benjamin	Thinks that life is the same with or without the revolution

Personal Response:

1. What is your reaction to the animals’ revolution?

I feel that the animals are right to have a revolution and I am happy for them when the revolution is successful as I feel that animals also have the right to be treated well.

2. Do you sympathize with the animal’s complaints and goals? Why or why not?

Yes, I do. I think that the animals are unfairly treated and should be treated better. I also think that a revolution is a good way to free themselves.

Analysing Literature:

1. Describe how the Rebellion takes place? How does the animals’ behavior during the Rebellion suggest both human and animal characteristics?

The animals attacked the humans and chased them out of the farm. The animals were upset and furious that they were not fed and chased the humans out of the farm.

2. How do the pigs gain the rights to the cow's milk? Why do the other animals allow this to occur? What does this event suggest about the power hierarchy on the farm?

The whole management and organisation of the farm depends on the pigs and the pigs need it for their brains. The other animals did not want Jones to be back and Squealer said that if the pigs die, there would be no animal to lead the farm. This even suggests that the pigs were the head of the farm.

3. How does the original version of Animalism become the slogan "Four legs good, two legs bad"? In your opinion, do the animals want rules with simple language? What kind of language do the pigs use?

Animalism meant that anything with four legs is bad while anything with two legs is good. Yes, they do. The pigs used very complex sentences that the animals did not understand.

4.What technique does Orwell use to cast doubt on the likelihood of a successful revolution?

He uses the idea of many characters who doubt the success of the revolution.

5. Characterize Snowball as a leader. Do you think his reaction to the stable-boy’s death is the appropriate reaction to have during a revolution? 

Yes, I do. During a revolution, many will die. Thus, everyone must be willing to sacrifice their lives.

Chapter 5-7

The Words	What they really mean
On the contrary, it was he who had advocated it in the beginning and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from Napoleon’s papers	Snowball stole Napoleon's ideas.
This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations cut by half	The work is compulsory.
Clover warned him sometimes to be careful not to overstrain himself, but Boxer would never listen to her.	Boxer is stubborn.
"It isn't ture!" repeated Mollie, but she could not look Clover in the face.	Mollie is lying.
There would be no need for any of the animals to come in contact with the human being, which would be clearly be most undesirable.	Napoleon would be doing all the trading.
The pigs would get up an hour later	The pigs find themselves superior

1.  What was your reaction to Snowball’s expulsion from Animal Farm?

I feel that Snowball should not be expelled from Animal Farm. Instead, Napoleon should be expelled. He was much lazier than Snowball and only uses force to drive Snowball away. I feel that Snowball should foresee this problem and make preparations for it.

Analyzing Literature

1. What happens to Snowball during the meeting about the windmill? What events in Soviet history does this scene suggest?

Snowball was being attacked by Napoleon's dogs. This scene suggests Stalin expelling Trotsky.

2. Identify three ways that Napoleon tries to solidify his leadership position on the farm. How

does the process of decision-making on the farm change under Napoleon’s leadership?

1) He expelled Snowball.

2) He used his dogs to force the animals to listen to him.

3) He killed every animal who oppose his rule.

All decision were made by Napoleon.

3. Why do the executions take place? What message do these events send to the animals

about their role in a future society?

Napoleon wanted to kill animal who leagued themselves with Snowball. It tells the animals that they should follow Napoleon's orders without disobey or else they would be killed.

4. How does Orwell compare Animal Farm under Napoleon’s leadership, to its exploited state

under Farmer Jones’s rule? What attitude about totalitarian government do you think Orwell conveys?

Orwell tells the readers that the animals suffered even more under Napoleon's leadership than under Farmer Jones's rule. Orwell tells us that totalitarian governments will only make life even more miserable.

5. Do you think it’s fair that those who are more educated or more skilled—like the pigs in

Animal Farm—have more influence in decision making? Consider how decisions are

made in your community, state, or in the nation.

No, I do not. Decisions in my nation is fair. Everyone can vote for what we want.

Chapter 8-10

Life for the pigs:

1. Sleep on beds

2. Do not work

3. Enjoy life

4. Given privileges

5. More rations

Life for Other Animals:

1. Mistreated

2. Less rations

3. Worked long hours

4. No privileges

5. No say

6. Sleep on hay

Personal Response 

1. What is your reaction to the novel’s ending? For example, do you find it uplifting,

depressing, cynical? Explain.

I feel that the ending of the novel to be depressing. The animals are even worse of when they begin and are being forced to work by the pigs, who are having a good life.

Analyzing Literature

1. What dealings does Napoleon have with Frederick and Pilkington? How does the battle over

the windmill affect the animals? What events from Soviet history is Orwell highlighting?

Napoleon traded with Frederick and Pilkington. The animals are now under Napoleon. Orwell is highlighting the event when Stalin took over the Republic.

2. What happens to Boxer and how do the other animals learn of his fate? How do they come to a final conclusion about these events?

Boxer was slaughtered but the animals learn that he received every treatment possible and died peacefully. They were always convinced by Squealer that everything was well.

3. What changes are made to the Fifth and Sixth Commandments? How is the entire list of

Commandments ultimately refashioned? What point is Orwell making about the role of

communication in Soviet society?

They were changed from 'No animal shall kill another animal' to 'No animal shall kill another animal without cause' and 'No animal shall drink alcohol' to 'No animal shall drink alcohol to excess'. The entire list of Commandments was finally refashioned to 'All animals are equally, but some are more equal than others'. The soviet leaders made the rules to suit what they do.

4.In Chapter 10 the pigs begin to walk on two legs. In your opinion is this evolution a sign

of progress? Explain.

I think that this evolution is a sign of progress. It shows that the pigs (animals) are beginning to learn human ways.

5.Some critics believe that, at the end of the book, Orwell suggests that the pigs and

human political leaders are interchangeable. Do you think most government rulers are

interchangeable? How might power change those who have it? Explain.

No, I do not think so. We should only change government rulers who are not doing their job properly and correctly. If not, the power would be in the wrong hands and the society might be in danger.

Personal Response

Animal Farm contains many extremely effective scenes. Some are humorous or witty, others are

bitterly ironic or pessimistic. Which scene did you find most memorable and effective? Why?

I find the scene when Boxer was taken to away to be slaughtered is the most memorable and effective. This scene summarises what will happen to animals under Napoleon when they are old and useless. Boxer worked the hardest for the farm and when he grew old and useless, the cold-hearted Napoleon sent him to the knackers in turn for money. This shows how ruthless and uncaring Napoleon is.

Gulliver's Travels by Johnathan Swift

1) Lilliput - Little people

Gulliver encountered a storm on his voyage. He managed to reach the shore and slept through the night. When he woke up, his legs and arms were fastened to the ground. He looks down and sees a six-inch-tall human carrying a bow and arrow. At least forty more little people climb onto his body. He is surprised and shouts loudly, frightening the little people away. Gulliver struggles to get loose and finally succeeds in breaking the strings binding his left arm. However, the little people shot arrows at him and he decided that the safest thing to do is to lie still until nightfall. At that point of time, a little man talked to him in a strange language that he does not understand.

Gulliver then indicated that he was hungry and the little people bring him baskets of meat. He devours it all and then shows that he is thirsty, so they bring him two large barrels of wine. He made signs for more, but the little people had none to give him. Gulliver was then put to sleep and was brought to the city gates by the strongest nine hundred little people.

Once the little people chain Gulliver to the building, he is finally allowed to stand up and view the entire countryside. After a few days, an inventory was made of the things he had in his pocket. The king and his subjects searched all his pockets except one, which was his inner pocket that contained his spectacle and some other items.

The king and Gulliver made an agreement that Gulliver had to follow the conditions laid out by the king in order to gain his freedom. Gulliver agrees and his chains are removed from him. Soon, after a few weeks, Gulliver is asked to help defend Lilliput against its enemies. Gulliver does not feel that it is appropriate to intervene, but he nonetheless offers his services to the emperor.

Gulliver spies on the empire of Blefuscu and devises a plan. He asks for cables and bars of iron, out of which he makes hooks with cables attached. He then wades and swims the channel to Blefuscu and catches their ships at port. The people are so frightened that they leap out of their ships and swim to shore. Gulliver attaches a hook to each ship and ties them together. The Blefuscu soldiers fire arrows at him, but he keeps working, protecting his eyes by putting on the spectacles he keeps in his coat pocket. He tries to pull the ships away, but they are anchored too tightly, so he cuts them away with his pocketknife and pulls the ships back to Lilliput.

When Gulliver returns to Lilliput, he was treated as a hero and was rewarded as a Nardac. On one night, Gulliver was woken up to help to extinguish the fire in the queen's room. As he forgotten to bring his jacket, he urinates on the room and puts out the fire in three minutes.

A few days later, an eminent person of the court secretly informed Gulliver that some men were plotting against Gulliver. Fearing for his life, Gulliver made his way to Blefuscu. There, he found a boat of his size and with the emperor of Blefuscu's help, he was on his way back home in a month's time.

2) Brobdingnag - Giants

Gulliver set sails on a ship and arrives at an unknown land mass. There are no inhabitants about, and the landscape is barren and rocky. Gulliver is walking back to the boat when he sees that it has already left without him. He tries to chase after it, but then he sees that a giant is following the boat. Gulliver runs away, and when he stops, he is on a steep hill from which he can see the countryside. He is shocked to see that the grass is about twenty feet high.

He walks further and reaches the harvest, which was forty feet.One of the servants comes close to Gulliver with both his foot and his scythe, so Gulliver screams as loudly as he can. The giant finally notices him, and picks him up between his fingers to get a closer look. 

The farmer takes Gulliver back to his wife, who is frightened of him. The servant brings in dinner, and they all sit down to eat, Gulliver sitting on the table not far from the farmer’s plate. They give him tiny bits of their food, and he pulls out his knife and fork to eat, which delights the giants.

After dinner, the farmer’s wife lets Gulliver nap in her own bed. When he wakes up he finds two rats attacking him, and he defends himself with his “hanger,” or sword. Glumdalclitch, the farmer's daughter, places a doll's cradle inside a drawer to keep Gulliver safe from the rats. She becomes Gulliver’s caretaker and guardian, sewing clothes for him and teaching him the giants’ language.

The farmer begins to talk about Gulliver in town, and a friend of the farmer’s comes to see him. He advises the farmer to take Gulliver into the market to display him. The farmer agrees and Gulliver was soon in the marketplace performing 'tricks'. Thinking that Gulliver can make him a great fortune, the farmer takes him and Glumdalclitch on a trip to the largest cities.

The strain of traveling and performing “tricks” takes its toll on Gulliver, and he begins to grow very thin. The farmer notices Gulliver’s condition and resolves to make as much money as possible before Gulliver dies. Meanwhile, an order comes from the court, commanding the farmer to bring Gulliver to the queen for her entertainment.

The queen is delighted with Gulliver’s behavior and buys him from the farmer for 1,000 gold pieces. Gulliver requests that Glumdalclitch be allowed to live in the palace as well. Gulliver enjoyed his time at the palace at first. However, the queen’s dwarf is not happy with Gulliver, since he is used to being the smallest person in the palace and a source of diversion for the royal court. He drops Gulliver into a bowl of cream, but Gulliver is able to swim to safety and the dwarf is punished. At another point, the dwarf sticks Gulliver into a marrowbone, where he is forced to remain until someone pulls him out. Gulliver also encountered some life-threatening incidents. Luckily, he was saved each time.

Gulliver is carried around the city in a special traveling-box, and people always crowd around to see him. He asks to see the largest temple in the country and is not overwhelmed by its size, since at a height of 3,000 feet it is proportionally smaller than the largest steeple in England.

One day, however, after spending two years in Brobdingnag, Gulliver went to the shore and while he was sleeping, an eagle took his special traveling-box and dropped it into the sea. Luckily for him, his fellow countrymen spotted him and rescued him.

3) Laputa - The Flying Island

Gulliver's ship was attacked by pirates and was sent out to sea in a small boat with only four days’ worth of food. He managed to find an island. He then sees a landmass dropping down from the sky and notices that it is crawling with people. He is baffled by this floating island and shouts up to its inhabitants. They lower the island and send down a chain by which he is drawn up.

Gulliver is conveyed to the king, who sits behind a table loaded with mathematical instruments. They tried to speak to each other, but it becomes clear that he and the king cannot speak any of the same languages, so Gulliver is taken to an apartment and served dinner.

A teacher is sent to instruct Gulliver in the language of the island, and he is able to learn several sentences. He discovers that the name of the island is Laputa, which in their language means “floating island.”

The island is exactly circular and consists of 10,000 acres of land. At the center there is a cave for astronomers, containing all their instruments and a lodestone six yards long. It moves the island with its magnetic force, since it has two charges that can be reversed by means of an attached control. When the king wants to punish a particular region of the country, he can keep the island above it, depriving the lands below of sun and rain.The rebellious inhabitants had stored provisions of food in advance. They planned to force the island to come so low that it would be trapped forever and to kill the king and his officials in order to take over the government. Instead, the king ordered the island to stop descending and gave in to the town’s demands. The king is not allowed to leave the floating island, nor is his family.

4) Houyhnhnms - Magical Horses

The restless Gulliver started on another voyage, as the captain of a ship called the Adventure. Many of his sailors die of illness, so he recruits more along the way. His crew members mutiny under the influence of these new sailors and become pirates. Gulliver is left on an unknown shore, after being confined to his cabin for several days. In the distance, he sees animals with long hair, goatlike beards, and sharp claws, which they use to climb trees.

Gulliver met two horses that appear to be so intelligent that Gulliver concludes that they are magicians who have transformed themselves into horses. He addresses them directly and asks to be taken to a house or village. The horses use the words “Yahoo” and “Houyhnhnm,” which Gulliver tries to pronounce.

Gulliver endeavors to learn the horses’ language, and they are impressed by his intellect and curiosity. After three months, he can answer most of their questions and tries to explain that he comes from across the sea.

Over the course of two years, Gulliver develops such a love for the Houyhnhnms that he no longer desires to return to humankind. His master describes all the flaws of the Yahoos, principally detailing their greed and selfishness. He admits that Gulliver’s humans have different systems of learning, law, government, and art but says that their natures are not different from those of the Yahoos.

A room is made for Gulliver, and he furnishes it well. He also makes new clothes for himself and settles into life with the Houyhnhnms quite easily. He begins to think of his friends and family back home as Yahoos. However, he is called by his master and told that others have taken offense at his being kept in the house as a Houyhnhnm. The master has no choice but to ask Gulliver to leave. Gulliver is very upset to hear that he is to be banished. He builds a canoe with the help of a fellow-servant and departs sadly.

Thus, that is the end of the adventure of Gullliver.

Alice in Wonderland

After I've watched the movie 'Alice in Wonderland', I feel that it is much like the book, when Alice, now 19 years old, goes back in to the Wonderland and saw that it is being ruled by an evil queen, the Red Queen.

I feel that the good points of this movie are: The Red Queen and the movie being 'real'. Personally, I feel that the Red Queen is the most interesting character to watch in this film. Though she does heinous things, I think that the audience can feel compassion because they know deep down she’s acting out of the hurt and rejection she’s felt most of her life.

Also, the movie is a pleasure to look at, both in terms of visuals and the characters of the Underworld. I think that the actors and the cast have done a very good job as almost every little action could be seen. It is as if you have entered the Underworld yourself.


However, I think that the character of the Mad Hatter should be improved, and that the movie, at some point of time, is illogical.

Overall, I think that the film has quite a good plot and I would rate it 7 of 10. I feel that if you want to have a taste of 'reality' in movie shows, than this is the one to go and watch!