Blog Entry 15: Freestyle

I actually enjoyed this weeks assignments. I went and got my books for this class 2 weeks or so before they started. I had Persepolis within the first couple days. I've never read a book like this before. Illustrated and written like a comic strip. I feel like it really helped me understand the things that went on during the 1980's in Iran. I've read textbooks about the history of Iran, but never comprehended it as well I have reading this book.

Reading through the Week 6 materials about her biography, I saw that she is coming out with a sequel. I honestly am kind of excited to read it. I'm kind of a history buff, so when I find something that is fun and an easy read, I really enjoy it a lot more. These assignments have given me a better understanding a better respect for what the people in Iran have been through.

Entry 14: Quote Response

"We didn't really like to wear the veil, especially since we didn't understand why we had to" (Satrapi pg. 3).

I thought her pictures under this dialogue was interesting. She showed all the different ways women thought about using the veil.

"The doors had been locked from the outside a few minutes before the fire" (Satrapi pg. 14).

I thought this whole page was interesting. It showed how much disrespect the Shah had for the people. Locking people inside a building and killing them all, then beating the people who were wanting to rescue them.

"Mom, I spoke to Ramin, he says his father did the right thing in killing communists"(Satrapi pg. 46).

I can't believe even children knew what was going on. They were believing it was okay for their family members to kill others.

I actually really liked this book. The pictures and the small captions made it a lot easier to understand what really went on during this time. I chose these certain captions because all the words stood out to me. The illustrations allow people to follow along easier when reading something about a horrible tragedy. It makes it easier to comprehend. These frames are important to the novel mainly because it helps us see what people were going through on paper and not just imagining it in our heads.

Entry 13: Quote Response

"And by his use of symbolism, Elliot affords us the pleasure of finding our own entrance to his poem."

I thought this quote was interesting. I always like having to figure things out. Having to think a little hard. When authors use symbolism, its fun to make the connections with what they are trying to say and what they are relating it to.

Entry 11: Quote Response

"Why they should feel verse to be like rain I do not know. It must have been, however, an expression of applause, since in Africa rain is always longed for and welcomed."

I thought this quote was interesting. It always amazes me how people can relate one thing to another. For example, saying rain as an applause. I always wonder what makes people think of certain things and why.

Song Quote-Response

"There was this woman and there was this man

There was this moment they had a chance to hold on to what they had

How could they be so in love and still never see

Now nothin' could be sadder than (Walker)"

The words that leap out as important in this song are; woman, man, moment, chance, love, sadder. The thing that interests me about this song is I think a lot of us find ourselves in this place. We try so hard to make something work, but in the end it just doesn't. After being in love for so long, and just letting it crumble is really sad. A lot of poems that I've read have been about love, and I thought these lyrics were appropriate.

Haiku

In Winter,

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.

In the mountains,

You and I can turn and look

to see

The dropping of the daylight in the West.

Blog Entry 8: Paraphrase Poem

I chose to paraphrase the poem about the months.

Thirty days hath September,

April, June, and November;

All the rest gave thirty-one

Excepting February alone,

To which we twenty-eight assign

Till leap year makes it twenty-nine.

I chose to paraphrase it because I use this poem all the time, it kind of made me laugh when I saw it in the list of poems. This poem gives us an easy was to tell how many days are in each month. When we need to know if a month has thirty days or thirty-one, this is probably the easiest way than digging out a calender.