Equality by Maya Angelou.

 

Question: 1 What's your understanding of the poem Equality?

Answer : 

             Equality poem by Maya Angelou. She speaks about justice, freedom and universal struggle. She represented her past life, and she gave the idea of reality with injustice. Women should speak out for their rights, their self freedom and their justice. She mentioned that people have lived a painful history, we know the shameful past, she considered her past things and her past traumatized her. She openly criticized others who heard her crying and saw her tears, she wanted to confess or admit all this to others. And then she says that after suffering so much no I will be free. She teaches other woman to be bold and fearless. 

I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings by Maya Angelou

 

Question: What's the significance of the title, I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings? Is it an appropriate title? 

Answer: 

              I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings poem by Maya Angelou. It is a young and early years poem, a coming-of-age story and describes racism and trauma. This title is significant for a lack of freedom, universal struggle and liberty. This poem represents the idea of Black Americans and White Americans. Black Americans are longing and struggling for freedom, and white Americans are symbolized by satisfaction and contentment. Free birds are white Americans and caged birds are black Americans. Free birds have no restrictions in society and Caged birds have so many restrictions, they can not fly freely, their wings are clipped and their feet are tied. The caged birds sing with fear and sing for freedom. This title is appropriate with  the poem. 

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

 

Question: 1 What is your understanding of the poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou?

Answer : 

             Still I Rise poem by Marguerite Ann Johnson April 4, 1928 - May 28, 2014. She was an American memoirist, poet and civil rights activist. Still I Rise is Angelou's third-volume poetry. It was published during one of the most productive periods in Angelou's career. She was famous for autobiographical writer. 

            " I thought my voice killed him, I killed that man because I told his name. And then I thought I would never speaks again, because my voice would kill anyone." 

                                             - Maya Angelou

Still I Rise poem describes Maya Angelou's life. In this poem, she mentioned many facts and realities that all the ladies suppress and slave of them. But everyone should speak out, every woman should speak out. Angelou says that you want to write history with your bitter and twisted words, you want to trod me in the dirt but still she will rise like dust. She says that her sassiness or boldness upset you, just like moons and like suns ripple with the tides, just like hopes increase high, I will also go higher. Angelou introduced her past persistently. She says that you want to do anything with me like, you want to see her broken, you want to shoot her with your words, you want to cut her with your eyes, you want to kill her with your hatefulness whatever you want you do but though she still rise like air, she laughs like she got gold mines. She would bring the gifts her ancestors gave her and hope of the slave. She was considered the every people who suffered the problem of racism, gender discrimination and equity. 

Question: 2 Identify key literary devices used in the poem and provide examples, including original lines of the poem. 

Answer: Repetition, simile and rhetorical questions are used in the poem. For example, 

Simile: But still, like dust, I'll rise. 

               I walk like I've got oil wells pumping in my living room. 

             Just like moons and like suns, with the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high still I'll rise. 

           Shoulders falling down like teardrops.

           I laugh like I've got gold mines digging in my own backyard.

           But still, like air, I'll rise. 

          I dance like I've got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs. 

Repetition: In the poem, the 'You' word is often used. 

Rhetorical questions: Does my sassiness upset you? 

Why are you beset with gloom?

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Weekend by my soulful cries? 

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Does my sexiness upset you?

At the meeting of my thighs?

There are literary devices used in the poem Still I Rise. 

Question : 3 Mention the name of a Hindi or Gujarati song that has similarities in the poem Still I Rise. 

Answer : 

Aashayein from the Iqbal movie. 

Ek Zindgi from Angrezi Medium movie. 

O Ri Chiraiya from Satyamev Jayate movie. 

In my point of view, these are some songs that can be compared with this poem. 

Thank you!

        

             

The Heathen by Jack London.

 

Question : 1 What is your understanding of the story The Heathen? Write this answer in your own words.

Answer : 

The Heathen is story written by Jack London. In the story two people, from different cultural and racial background. The narrator, a pearl buyer name Charley, is a cabin pasanger of schooner, the petite Jeanne was name of ship. The boat is in the direct path of a hurricane and destroyed in the hurricane. Charley survived by the hatch cover of the boat. There were 85 people in the boat and capacity of the boat was only 70 tun. Ship was already overloaded. There were different culture people such as, German, Jewish, American, etc. There were one Kanaka named Otoo, he has saved Charley's life by pulling him from the water. 

 Charley and Otoo they are the only survived from the petite Jeanne. Otoo advice to Charley become a  captain of schooner. They part in Papeete and Otoo goes home to Bora Bora, but he returns because his wife has died. He accompanied Charley for the next seventeen years. Who not believed in Jesus and Jewish, people called they are heathen or pagan. People often don't think they are good. But in the story, Otoo who was black guy, he saved Charley's life. 

I Want to Know Why by Sherwood Anderson.

          I Want to Know Why 

Question: 1 Explore the protagonist's journey from innocence to disillusionment in "I Want to Know Why." How does this perception of the world change throughout the story? 

Answer : 

Introduction:

                         I Want to Know Why is written by Sherwood  Anderson in his collection of 1921. This story is poignant the coming-of-age story. In the story one unnamed boy nearing his 16th birthday. The story delves into themes of isolation and loneliness, disillusionment, individual desire and societal expectations. 

  The protagonist of 'I Want to Know Why' is an unnamed boy nearing his 16th birthday. The boy lives in Beckersvile, a small Kentucky town. He was fascinated with horse and horse racing. One day occurs when the boy and three of his friends sneak away and hitch a freight train to Saratoga, New York, to watch a horse race. There were two types of horses, one Sunstreak, a stallion and a second, gelding Middlestride. Both horses were from near Beckersvile. Jerry Tilford  Sunstreak's trainer. The narrator was impressed by Tilford, he became ideal for the boy, and the boy wanted to become a Jockey. One day the boy watches Tilford to someone, and Tilford kisses or prostitute, the boy was disgusted, angry and confused. After that, the boy felt disillusioned. 

 The people are always seen from their own perspective and thus become disillusioned. Even in the story, the boy is still young, he is not mature enough to understand these things, so he feels that anything his trainer does is wrong. Similarly, inadequate understanding changes the world throughout the story. 

Question: 2 Read the original story and prepare a visual storyline. 

Question : 3 What is your understanding of the concept of individual desire and societal expectations? 

 

Answer : 

                 As per my manner, society will always expect others to do what they like. We all are human beings, and human also have their individual desire. Until a human can understand everything, they cannot blame others. Everyone has different desires. We should not judge anyone. You have only one life so do whatever you want and don't think what people will say. 

Question: 4 Reflect in your own words about the transition of your journey from childhood to adulthood. 

Answer : 

                Living in adolescence is very difficult. Parents want to become successful soon, maintain their dignity, and become an ideal daughter, moving forward in every activities. At the same time, there are responsibilities of home as well as study. No one can understand you. We cannot tells others our pain. No matter how much good we do, some do better than us. Have good relations with all. Learning let everything go. To be a good human being, to be honest, to be loyal. There should be one person with whom we can talk about everything. It's too complicated, though every new day has to begin with a smile.