Midterm English Poetry

Midterm Assignment of English Poetry Class

1.      Choose one poem that you think is personally interesting. Provide not less than three reasons and elaborate your reasons.

·         I choose ‘The Street by Octavio Paz’.

The Street

by Octavio Paz

Here is a long and silent street.
I walk in blackness and I stumble and fall
and rise, and I walk blind, my feet
stepping on silent stones and dry leaves.
Someone behind me also stepping on stones, leaves:
if I slow down, he slows:
if I run, he runs. I turn: nobody.

Everything dark and doorless.
Only my steps aware of me,
I turning and turning among these corners
which lead forever to the street

Where nobody waits for, nobody follows me,
where I pursue a man who stumbles
and rises and says when he sees me: nobody

·         I choose and I’m interested in this poetry because in this poetry makes me imagine strongly. What else in the first line “Here is a long and silent street”, I imagine that I am in the long and silent street, I am alone, and the street is dark (in the second line “I walk in the blackness”). So, it makes me more and more and more imagine. This statement is reinforced by only my steps aware of me. Thus, it means that I walked at the street only by myself.

·         Second reason, why I’m interested in the poetry. It because this poetry makes me think more and read it again, again, and again to make me understand what does it mean? Firstly, I guess that the poetry tells about the man’s shadow. But, when I read again and I find “I walk in blackness” (in the second line), and then I think it is impossible if in the blackness there was a shadow. Except, if there was a moon light, but it doesn’t explained in the poetry.

·         Then, just from looking its title. It makes me curious. “The Street”. What’s happen in the street? Why it must be in the street? Then, I read the poetry. When in the sixth and seventh lines, I got afraid feeling. I didn’t know why I was afraid, as I came on the scene to feel and dissolve into the poetry. “if I slow down, he slows:” “if I run, he runs. I turn: nobody.” Who is he? Who’s running? Whereas ‘I’ walk in the blackness street just by myself.

2.      Find an English song lyric from an American or British musician or artist.

a.       What kinds of imagery are used in the song?

b.      What is your interpretation of the song through the imagery? Provide your explanation by showing the phrases and sentences as the context of the imageries.

c.       Score your interpretation with the range from 1 as the lowest to 5 as the highest (with 0.5 for decimal value). Provide your reasons on your score.

They Don't Know About Us

People say we shouldn’t be together
We're too young to know about forever
But I say they don’t know what they're talk-talk-talkin’ about (talk-talk-talkin’ about)

'Cause this love is only getting stronger
So I don’t wanna wait any longer
I just wanna tell the world that you're mine, girl
Oh

They don’t know about the things we do
They don’t know about the "I love you"’s
But I bet you if they only knew (they don't know)
They would just be jealous of us,
They don’t know about the up all nights
They don’t know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right
Baby they don’t know about, they don’t know about us

One touch and I was a believer
Every kiss it gets a little sweeter
It’s getting better
Keeps getting better all the time, girl

They don’t know about the things we do
They don’t know about the "I love you"’s
But I bet you if they only knew (they don't know)
They would just be jealous of us,
They don’t know about the up all nights
They don’t know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right
Baby they don’t know about, they don’t know about us

They don’t know how special you are
They don’t know what you’ve done to my heart
They can say anything they want
'Cause they don’t know us

They don’t know what we do best
It's between me and you, our little secret
But I wanna tell 'em
I wanna tell the world that you're mine, girl

They don’t know about the things we do
They don’t know about the "I love you"’s (I love you)
But I bet you if they only knew (if they only knew)
They would just be jealous of us (they would just be jealous of us),
They don’t know about the up all nights
They don’t know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right (feels so right)
Baby they don’t know about, they don’t know about us

They don’t know about the things we do
They don’t know about the "I love you"’s
But I bet you if they only knew
They would just be jealous of us,
They don’t know about the up all nights
They don’t know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right
Baby they don’t know about, they don’t know about us

a.      - They don’t know about us = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   People say we shouldn’t be together = auditory imagery , sense of hearing
- We're too young to know about forever = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   But I say they don’t know what they're talk-talk-talkin’ about (talk-talk-talkin’ about) = auditory imagery , sense of hearing

-   So I don’t wanna wait any longer = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   I just wanna tell the world that you're mine, girl = auditory imagery , sense of hearing

-   They don’t know about the things we do = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   They don’t know about the "I love you"’s = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   They don’t know about the up all nights = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   They don’t know I've waited all my life = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   Baby they don’t know about, they don’t know about us = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   Every kiss it gets a little sweeter = gustatory imagery , sense of taste

-   They don’t know how special you are = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   They don’t know what you’ve done to my heart = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   They can say anything they want = auditory imagery , sense of hearing

-   'Cause they don’t know us = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   They don’t know what we do best = visual imagery, sense of sight

-   But I wanna tell 'em = auditory imagery , sense of hearing

b.      - People say we shouldn’t be together

Maybe people say if we shouldn’t be together because we are different, for example from the economic of our family (level in society, education) or we are different from the old, the man is younger than the woman for example. Because it usually be a controversy in the environment society. So that, from the parents up to the environment society disagrees with our relation.

- We're too young to know about forever

Perhaps these words just reasons of the people who disagree with ‘our’ relationship in order to they (the people) still look as a good person, so they don’t reveal their disapproval to us. Then, possibly that they have a good purpose, this relationship is enough for example, because they want to both of ‘us’ are happy because our old is different. If the girl is older than the man, so the man gets so pity, but the woman too. It because the woman is more matures than the man.

-   But I say they don’t know what they're talk-talk-talkin’ about (talk-talk-talkin’ about)

It is true. ‘I’ say that they don’t know about their talking about. Possibly they (people) just see from the outside of the relationship. So, what they look, they give comment directly. They judge without understanding ‘my’ reasons. Thus, they just look from the outside, and then they judge and comment everything they want about ‘our’ relation without they look or observe and understand from the inside.

-   So I don’t wanna wait any longer

Perhaps, it’s because ‘I’ want to live with you and run this life together. Just both of us. Then, you can give power to me if ‘I’ get discouragement. ‘I’ don’t want to wait your love anytime.

-   I just wanna tell the world that you're mine, girl

‘I’ am very glad and ‘I’ want to tell and show that you’re just my mine, and ‘I’m yours. ‘I’ want to tell and show all of the people in this world.

-   They don’t know about the things we do

People who disagree with ‘our’ relation and tell that ‘we’ are in a bad relation don’t know about all of the activities ‘we’ do.

-   They don’t know about the "I love you"’s

Then, they don’t know that ‘I’ love you very much. So, ‘I’ can’t over this relation, although they disagree with ‘our’ relation, and ask ‘us’ to over this relation. Thus, ‘I’ really don’t care about all of them.

-   They don’t know about the up all nights

Next, they don’t know about all of ‘our’ happiness.

-   They don’t know I've waited all my life

They don’t know if ‘I’ wait you in all of my life. It’s just because ‘I’ love you very much.

-   Baby they don’t know about, they don’t know about us = visual imagery, sense of sight

So, ‘I’ said that dear, they don’t know about all of us. ‘I’ mean that ‘please, don’t care about them’.

-   Every kiss it gets a little sweeter

Perhaps, it means that every touch and everything from you, it is so sweet and it is a big happiness for ‘me’.

-   They don’t know how special you are

They don’t know if you are so special for ‘me’.

-   They don’t know what you’ve done to my heart

They don’t know if you have touched my heart. Possibly, you touched by your kindness.

-   'Cause they don’t know us

Maybe, it means that they tell and comment if ‘we’ are in a bad relation and we aren’t exact to together because they don’t know about us.

-   They can say anything they want

They can say or comment anything they want about ‘our’ relation because they don’t know about all of ‘us’.

-   They don’t know what we do best

Perhaps, actually they don’t know if ‘we’ are together, ‘we’ will do the best for kindness.

-   But I wanna tell 'em

Maybe it means that, of course ‘I’ know what their saying and comment about ‘our’ relation, but ‘I’ don’t about all of them, so ‘I’ just say ‘em to response their saying, after that forget them.

c.      My interpretation score is 3 because I think that actually I truly understand about the song because the song story is same with my life now, so I truly know about the song feeling and it is my reason why I choose the song. But for about imagery, I was still confused because in the story there are ‘hear’ and ‘know’. Here, ‘hear’ and ‘know’, it’s part of imagery or not? I was still confused about that.

That’s all about my midterm assignment. I’m so sorry about my mistakes.

Thank you sir ^.^