Marilyn Chin's "Turtle Soup" Exercises

from Portable Legacies (page419)

Explorations of the Text

1. Notice the author's choice of word for "cauldron" in line 4. What images or connections does this word evoke? Why might the author have chosen "cauldron" rather than "pot"?

Often instantly related to witches and their brew, "cauldron" is chosen probably because the persona thought a 'Turtle Soup' is something of the sort, a superstitious brew. A turtle's shell could be used in Chinese medicine for strength, health and longevity of life. Since this poem is speaking on the cultural differences of Chinese Americans and the Chinese cultured (the mother), we can analyse the built of the "cauldron", especially a Chinese one. A "cauldron" is usually made of heavy metal or material, of a steady and stable built. This could be related to the emotions of the persona's mother, who broke into tears, "sobbing...inconsolable", at their 'discussion' of their culture in China and in America. 

2. Chin refers to "the Wei", "the Yellow," and "the Yangtze." Why does she reference these rivers in China? Why not include the Nile, the Amazon or the Mississippi?

"the Wei", "the Yellow," and "the Yangtze." are the great rivers of China where civilization started (their source of water and food). These rivers shows her roots and her feeling towards it. Although the persona is now in "Pasadena", America, yet her roots are still Chinese. Other rivers like the Nile, the Amazon or the Mississippi would not have relevance to the message she's trying to show which is the sacrifice of an immigrant. 

3. What is the tone of this poem?

This poem hints tones of regret and poignancy where the persona probably feels regretful having to forget the rich cultures of China to adapt and be accepted in the free state of America. China has one of the longest histories and richest cultures while America is a relatively newer and younger nation. 

Ideas for Writing

1. "Sometimes you're the life, sometimes the sacrifice." Write about this quote within the context of an immigrant family. What might a family gain or lose by moving to a new land?

This quote could be referring to a few things. Firstly, culture. As an ancient civilization, the Chinese have lots of traditions and cultures passed down. Some that stayed intact, some that morphed with time, to not to be forgotten by the younger generations. A community lives because of culture. Culture is what makes people alive, and unique. So, with regards to above, the quote is showing how culture is what makes the Chinese people Chinese. In the Turtle Soup, the persona, as a migrant, is made alive because of her Chinese culture, yet being an immigrant in America, she couldn’t possibly keep all the cultures. For example, a turtle is a near extinct and exotic animal. To use it as food or medicine couldn’t possibly be well accepted among the Americans. Making a dish out of a reptile would only be in their nightmares. Also, the “liver” isn’t a common and well accepted food outside of Asia. The Chinese eats lots of things because of their long history and culture but for the Americans, the only “liver” they take would be Foie gras.

Next, the quote could be referring to her mother, who was “sobbing” at their probable discussion of dropping the Chinese cultures. Her mother was the one who gave her “life”, bringing her up and caring for her, yet, now the family has moved to America, the persona probably reprimanded her mother to drop the Chinese cultures and habits. The line “(who knows what else is in that cauldron).” shows the persona’s skepticism and cynicism towards her mother’s old fashioned ways. Her mother’s effort of “Twelve hours” being “hunched” boiling the soup wasn’t appreciated. Not only that, the mother was criticized for being ancient cultured suggested in the lines of stanza two where the persona used references of the great rivers of China and how the turtle might have lived for “four thousand years”, witnessed and lived through the “Bronze age” to the “High Tang”. The persona’s exaggeration also shows how much she disapproves of her mother’s old way of thinking and cultures.

"Sometimes you're the life, sometimes the sacrifice." The quote is mostly exploring how immigrants always have to leave their cultures no matter how interesting or rich it is. The immigrants have to blend in, in the ways of their speaking, walking and living to be accepted in a foreign country. With the distinctive differences in physical features, immigrants shouldn’t and couldn’t afford to attract any more attention to themselves in fear of racial conflicts and issues, especially in their early years of change.

Members:

Lim Jia Hui

Agnes Lee

Khairil

Atikah

Aida Juliana

Amiri Baraka's "Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note" Exercise

Explorations of the Text
from Portable Legacies (page405)

1. What is the mood of the speaker in the opening lines? What images suggest his feelings?

The opening lines suggests melancholy and depression of the persona. "Lately," shows how the persona reflect on his days, and how he became "accustomed", suggesting how life became mundane and boring to him and how "The ground opens up and envelopes me", suggests how he's thinking of death, "The ground", in relations to a grave.

2. What is the significance of the daughter's gesture of peeking into "her own clasped hands"?
His daughter's gesture, "on her knees" and peeking into "her own clasped hands" depicts a form for prayer. Her gesture probably shines some hope on her father as prayers are often related to wants, thanksgiving, or praise and worship. We normally have our night prayers with a appreciative heart and full of thanksgiving. The daughter's gesture might cause the father to re-ponder on the meaning of life, the cause of his depression and the reason of his suicidal thoughts.

3. What does this title mean? How does it explain the closing line?
A preface comes before the story starts (if in the case of a novel), yet a "Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note" shows that probably, there is something that caused him to postpone again and again (the "Twenty Volumes), and keeping back the act of suicide. The closing line, "Her own clasped hands." shows a very pure image where a young girl (presumably), kneeling to prayer, hands "clasped", in conversation with God. Such image often caused people to reevaluate themselves, their connection with God.

4. Why does Baraka have three short lines, separated as stanzas? How do they convey the message of         the poem?
The first two short lines shows the persona's feeling towards life-meaningless and pathetic. His lines "Things have come to that." suggests how he had become so bored with living, how nothing gives him joy anymore. "Nobody sings anymore" suggests how people had become so clockwork, busy in their lives, "sings" is often related to happiness, or emotions. Yet, the last short line, "Her own clasped hands." after all the negativity he felt alone, the presence of his daughter, in such a pure form, probably ignite the fire of hope and belief that there's still something worth waiting and living for in this world.

5. Why does Baraka begin stanzas with "Lately," "And now," and "And then"? What do these transition       words accomplish?

6. How does the speaker feel about his daughter? What does she represent to him?

The daughter symbolizes hope and the reason he is still alive. Her faith in God might have him to reconsider his suicidal thoughts as taking ones life (even own) is against the commandments of God in many religion (I believe). His obligation towards her as a father, to raise her up, is probably another factor, although less beautiful (to live on for an obligation), he needs to provide her with the basic needs of human living. His love towards her as a father is also a considerable reason.

Countee Cullen's "Incident" Exercises

from Portable Legacies (page143)

Explorations of the Test:

1. What is the nature of the interaction between the two boys?

A two way interaction, starting with the speaker's smile, friendly and happy from the lines "Heart-filled, head filled with glee" but met with the antagonistic Baltimorean who "Keep looking straight at me" and "...poked out/His tongue and called me, "Nigger"". The Baltimorean who was "no whit bigger" than the speaker used the term "nigger" which brought forth a negative connotation of probably skin-color differences.

2. Why does the speaker remember nothing more than the incident, even though he stayed in Baltimore from "May until December"?

The speaker, young and innocent, depicted by "...I was eight and very small" must had been scarred deeply by the act of prejudice put forth by the Baltimorean. The lack of emotion and neatness of the poem, showed the speaker's detachment towards the poem and probably the incident-as if he didn't really want to go in-depth and speak on it but he had to get it out. "...the whole of Baltimore" and "...all that I remember" shows how that incident was all that he remembered throughout the trip/his travels in Baltimore. The speaker's pain and shock overshadows the other memories of his summer till fall in Baltimore and probably increased his awareness of his skin-color or social standing in the society, and would have taint his experience with other Baltimoreans. "

Ideas for Writing

1. What do its form and rhyme add to this poem?

The poet, Countee Cullen used the neatness of the poem's structure to bring out his feeling of detachment. The rigidness of the poem suggests how he probably wish to distance himself from the incident. The three four-lined stanzas and abab rhyme scheme gives a strict feeling to the reader and by conforming himself to poetry writing rules, he probably intend to show how serious the issue of racism is.

2. What is the power of language? What are the effects of the use of the term nigger?

More often than not, language or words, hurt others. It could give comfort, but it is time that heals; and sometimes; it doesn't heal completely, leaving a scar. The term nigger generally gives a negative meaning although it might have evolved over time. Back in the days of slavery if America, the term nigger often refers to a black person, or those who are dark-skinned. Also, it a reference for slaves. 

The poet used the term nigger and his reaction after, "That's all that I remember" shows how a word can give such a huge impact on a person. It was instantly highlighted to the speaker of his social standing and skin-color and how much society likes/view of them.

Response Poem

Task:'...your own poem in response to pr inspired by Naomi Shibhab Nye's "All Things Not Considered"'

This poem, was difficult to write. Partly because I've never experience war, partly, the emotional strain it had on me. I tend to forget quickly things that I dislike-so that I can have a new start everyday. The intensive background research I had on NSN's "All Things Not Considered" the past weekend shook me and I was more than ready to forget it. As I settle down to muse on what I was gonna write, images or "footage" (if I can call it that way) of war movies I've seen adds on to the imaginations of my own. All these negativity, I didn't want to feel it, or else, I'll have to postpone my work again.

This is what I managed to squeeze out:


Untitled

We were living our lives,
Till an engine drone on over us.

A high-pitched wail,
Followed by a loud Ka-BOOM!

The ground shook, and
Suddenly it's raining stones.

Mommy looked worried,
And gathered us around.

Ka-BOOM! It's nearer.
"Run to that shelter!"

Another wail sounded and
Azad stopped to watch.

Everything around me flew
Then I saw Azad's shirt in red.

Something was in my throat,
Couldn't scream for mommy.

When the hot fog cleared,
Far ahead, mommy's dress.

Azad and mommy lay,
On the floor, as if sleeping.

I run to her but,
I couldn't stand.

Then I saw a man in black,
With an odd looking stick.

His funny looking face scares me,
Papa's Death have come to me.



First person perspective, of a child. I intended the structure to be choppy and messy-like what's running through my head, the chaos of war. Others are open for interpretation, if any...

Naomi Shihab Nye's "All Things Not Considered" - First Exploratory Draft and Notes

In Naomi Shihab Nye's poem, "All Things Not Considered", the poet uses vivid images of the death of children in a war started by religion dispute. By using images, imagery, repetition and diction, the poet makes a statement on the brutality of war, a war of religious cause and the death of innocent children and youths.

The poem starts with uses of negation "cannot stitch the breath/back into this boy.", unlike a bad cut, once life is out, we "cannot" do anything to fix it. The verb "stitch" hints desperation and movements or attempts to bring "this boy" back to life. These images continued to the end of the first stanza where the last two lines shows how cruel the war had been to the people there and the heartache of a parent having to bury their child.

Questions put forth in italics, "In what language/is this holy?" and "If this is holy,/could we have some new religions please?". The poet seems to be recording her own thoughts in the midst of depicting reality. Fury and lost of faith in humanity and religion, the poet lashes out her thoughts, where in the world would these killings of innocent, especially the young ones, for a cause of religion be "holy" and that "if" these are considered "holy", she would like a change of belief.

She uses real names to add to the reality and the serious, somber tone of the poem: the death of Asel Asleh and Mohammad al-Durra.

In stanza two, her view shifts to people "from a distance" and what they say, like to "take our children" escape the was and live a life of a refuge, which is normally easier said then done. As outsiders, the poet says "we can say "whatever we want", showing the simplicity of just throwing words at people without actually experiencing the horrors of war subjectively.

In the third stanza, her choice of double negatives "No one was right./Everyone was wrong." does not bring in positive and the lines have similar meanings. "the flawed narrator wins." showing how she is certain of her feelings and claims, a war caused by religion, a sacrifice nobody would agree.

Like many other wars that happened, the same mortal mistake, causing hurt to people, those with power or "holy" are allowed to use guns but some used "stones". The contrasting imagery of "guns" and "stones" show how the one with "guns" started the war for their own benefits while the people stuck in the situation, using "stones" and "turnip roots or olive pits" are, in desperation, defending, protecting themselves, probably wishing they were far, far away from the scene.

The imagery of "people... studying history,/going to school" to the people in the lines before, those who have "picked up turnip roots or olive pits" shows a situation where children and youths are in a peaceful situation, learning history(probably with scorn) while the other shows people in the chaos of war, desperately using anything in defense of their attacker., writing "history".

The last stanza depicts calm, peaceful and beautiful images, probably what the poet wishes for, calm and peace.

Naomi Shihab Nye's "All Things Not Considered" - Thesis and Mini Outline

The brutality of war to the innocence of children in war.

Outline/Notes:
Part 1: contrasting imagery: pictures of innocence and happiness to pictures of gory death due to war.
Death of youth/children depicted: "Asel Asleh" (17yr old), "Mohammad al-Durra", and "an Arab father burying his 4 month girl": real life incidents supported with names.

Part 2: talks about what people "from a distance" say, to live life as a refugee with their children. Easier said than done.

Part 3: (people[kids] at war, [kids] at school?)-global view, war torn countries-defending(making history?); peaceful countries, :going to school"(studying history?)

Part 4: images of beauty, peace, calmness...hope (of the narrator?)


Thesis: Images, imagery, repetition, diction, the poet portrays the brutality of war caused by religious disputes and contrasts it to the innocence of children on war.
-war isn't suppose to cause so much death, religion is love, peace...

Poem divided into 4 (parts?) using asterisks.

Take note of the lines in italics inserted between the stanzas: are they interjections of the narrator?
Why are they there? What purpose do they serve?



Repetition: "holy"
Tone changes from death/doom/dread to perspectives from a "distance" to global view(?) to peaceful/hope of the narrator

Women in Poetry

Woman, a pleasing but short lived flower,

Too soft for business and too weak for power.

A wife in bondage, or neglected maid;

Despised if ugly; of she's fair, betrayed. 

(II. 1-4) An Essay on Women, Mary Leapor.

Women through the ages oppressed and suppressed, under the dominance of men; equally capable, although not in might but, in intelligence, kept yoked to marriages and family duties. The emergence of women in the field of writing was like a breath of fresh air, from Aphra Behn to Mary Wollstonecraft to present writers. We are used to having men writing about our curves; how our hair fall past the roundness of our shoulders, how sensuous these images are. Now, our bodies are the subject of our own tales; the arch of our back to the ups and downs of our lives.

The more conservative the society is, the more difficult it is for the women there to write, yet the produce is more hauntingly beautiful. Here is an article on "Why Afghan Women Risk Death to Write Poetry", by Eliza Griswold.

In the article "Why Afghan Women Risk Death to Write Poetry", Griswold wrote on the struggles of Afghan women or poets against their families and society, to be heard. The members of Mirman Baheer Association, a women's literary society in Kabul, reach out to young poets via radio then be connected through secret meetings or discrete phone calls. The poets will then speak their mind or poems and it will be transcribed by the members of Mirman Baheer.

Zarmina, pen-named Rahila, was a poet-martyr. However, to the members of Mirman Baheer, she was only the most-recent. "There are hundreds like her" said Ogai Amail, the member of the society who did the interview with Griswold.

Zarmina set herself on fire in protest to her brothers after they found her writing poetry and brutally attacked her. To Zarmina, her writing love poems was her comfort to her broken engagement.

To the women in Afghan, Pashtun poetry has long been a form of rebellion, contradicting the notion of them being submissive or defeated. Landai, meaning a 'short, poisonous snake' in Pashto, refers to the two-lined folk poems that can be just as deadly. Deriving their powers from ominous layers of stress and tension of the poet's inner and outer world, landais explores rage, conflict, irony, sarcasm, loss and desire.

"A poem is a sword" said Saheera Sharif, founder of Mirman Baheer, not a poet but a Parliament member from the province of Khost. Renowned Pashtun poet and former parliamentarian, Safia Siddiq said "In Afghanistan, poetry is the women's movement from the inside."