Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books. Silverstein confirmed he never studied the poetry of others therefore, developed his own quirky style: laid-back and conversational, occasionally employing profanity and slang.
Let me show you 3 poems by him:
Sick
'I cannot go to school today, '
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more-that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut-my eyes are blue-
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke-
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is-what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is...Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play! '
Smart
My dad gave me one dollar bill
'Cause I'm his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
'Cause two is mroe than one!
And then i took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes-i guess he don't know
that three is mroe than two!
Just them, along came old blind Bates
And just 'cause he can't see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!
And i took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed-feed store,
and the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!
And then i went and showed my dad,
and he go red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head-
Too proud of me to speak!
Forgotten Language
Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly
in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions
of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying
flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .
How did it go?
How did it go?
I think Silverstein wrote the first 2 poems for children as it was related to them. It was about how they think, how they act. The first poem was about a child pretending to be sick and when he/she heard that it was Saturday, he/she immediately went out to play. The second poem is about the way children thinks. They thought that as long as the numbers are larger, the value is higher. This shows that he knew a lot about children or he is very close to them.
The last poem is most probably about his life when he was young. He spoke the languag of flowers and understood what caterpillars said. He may be lonely when he was young and always spent his time with nature till he spoke their language. He joined the crying of each falling dying snow flakes. This shows that he is very close to nature.
I feel that his poems are all related to his life be it young or old. I find it easy to comprehend too. I would recommend his poems to those who are weak in English.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Because you are my friend,
my life is enriched in a myriad of ways.
Like a cool breeze on a sweltering day,
like a ray of sunshine parting glowering clouds,
you lift me up.
In good times, we soar,
like weightless balloons
over neon rainbows.
In bad times, you are soothing balm
for my pummeled soul.
I learn so much from you;
you help me see old things in new ways.
I wonder if you are aware
of the bright seeds you are sowing in me.
I'm a better person for knowing you,
so that everyone I interact with
is touched by your good effect on me.
You relax me, refresh me, renew me.
Your bounteous heart envelops me
in joy and love and peace.
May your life be filled
with dazzling blessings,
just as I am blessed
by being your friend
By Joanna Fuchs
Hyperbole:
Quotes: -
There are no hyperbole in this poem.
Personification:
Quote: Your bounteous heart envelops me in joy and love and peace
The post uses this as she thinks her friend as a generous heart. Her friend's heart overwhelms her joy, love and peace.
Metaphor:
Quote: In bad times, you are a soothing balm for my pummeled soul.
When the author is feeling down, her friends makes her feel better.
Simile
Quote:Like a cool breeze on a sweltering day, like a ray of sunshine parting glowering clouds, you lift me up.
The author's friend is represented by a cool breeze and a ray of sunshine which both lifts him up.
Quote 2:In good times, we soar, like weightless balloons over neon rainbows.
When both of them are happy, they are like weightless balloons. They are light which also means they are very happy.
Symbolism:
Quote:-
Saturday, June 27, 2009
My favourite part was when Pinto died. When Pinto died, it made Hari go to Bombay. He made the decision because he wanted to escape. If he had not escaped, he would not have known Mr Panwallah and Jagu who were his biggest benefactor.
Mr Panwallah spent his free times with Hari, accompanying him. He even agreed to teach Hari the watchmending skills which not many know. Mr Panwallah is also kind and caring. He lent Hari money when he wanted to send a postcard back home, Thul. He also told Hari many facts of life which helped him. It helped him to adapt to the changes.
Jagu was also kind and caring. He agreed to let Hari work in his restaurant and earn a stable income of one rupee a day. This amount was a lot to Hair already. When Hari was sick, he brought Hari back home when there was hardly any space left. This shows how kind Jagu is as he let many people stay in his house and leaving little space for his family.
This is why Pinto's death is my favourite part.
Mr Panwallah spent his free times with Hari, accompanying him. He even agreed to teach Hari the watchmending skills which not many know. Mr Panwallah is also kind and caring. He lent Hari money when he wanted to send a postcard back home, Thul. He also told Hari many facts of life which helped him. It helped him to adapt to the changes.
Jagu was also kind and caring. He agreed to let Hari work in his restaurant and earn a stable income of one rupee a day. This amount was a lot to Hair already. When Hari was sick, he brought Hari back home when there was hardly any space left. This shows how kind Jagu is as he let many people stay in his house and leaving little space for his family.
This is why Pinto's death is my favourite part.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Who is your favourite character in Village By The Sea?
My favourite character in Village By The Sea is Mr Panwallah. I feel that he is the benefactor who made the most impact on Hari's life in Bombay. Let me give you a few examples.
On the day of the monsoon, Mr Panwallah asked Jagu to give Hari an evening off, and brought him to the Worli Seaface on a bus. He insisted on buying Hari a green coconut and a paper cone filled with puffed rice and made him feel like a child. As Hari watched the approach of the monsoon, Hari felt lighter and happier than he could remember feeling for a long time. Mr Panwallah provided companionship and was like a family to Hari.
During the month of May, the weather was very hot and Hari went out of the shop to sit on the pavement. Mr Panwallah came to Hari and asked," What's the matter, Hari? Not ill, are you?" He showed concern and kindness. He also kept Hari company by talking to him.
On one hot afternoon when there was no customers, Hari stood and watched the traffic. Mr Panwallah called and asked whether he wants to learn watchmending skills. He told Hari," Tell you what- I'll take you on as an apprentice- in the afternoons, when you don't have to work in the kitchen." He offered Hari a second job, allowing him to earn more money. Watchmending is not a profession many know, thus it is a good oppurtunity for Hari. In this way, Hari will be prepared for the change in Thul.
During the monsoon, Mr Panwallah said, "You have to be willing to learn- and to change- and to grow." He also said," Things change all the time, boy- nothing remains the same.". With these facts of life, it helped Hari. It taught him to adapt and to change.
Without all this help from Mr Panwallah, I don't think Hari's future will be as good as it is now. This is why Mr Panwallah is my favourite character in Village By The Sea.
On the day of the monsoon, Mr Panwallah asked Jagu to give Hari an evening off, and brought him to the Worli Seaface on a bus. He insisted on buying Hari a green coconut and a paper cone filled with puffed rice and made him feel like a child. As Hari watched the approach of the monsoon, Hari felt lighter and happier than he could remember feeling for a long time. Mr Panwallah provided companionship and was like a family to Hari.
During the month of May, the weather was very hot and Hari went out of the shop to sit on the pavement. Mr Panwallah came to Hari and asked," What's the matter, Hari? Not ill, are you?" He showed concern and kindness. He also kept Hari company by talking to him.
On one hot afternoon when there was no customers, Hari stood and watched the traffic. Mr Panwallah called and asked whether he wants to learn watchmending skills. He told Hari," Tell you what- I'll take you on as an apprentice- in the afternoons, when you don't have to work in the kitchen." He offered Hari a second job, allowing him to earn more money. Watchmending is not a profession many know, thus it is a good oppurtunity for Hari. In this way, Hari will be prepared for the change in Thul.
During the monsoon, Mr Panwallah said, "You have to be willing to learn- and to change- and to grow." He also said," Things change all the time, boy- nothing remains the same.". With these facts of life, it helped Hari. It taught him to adapt and to change.
Without all this help from Mr Panwallah, I don't think Hari's future will be as good as it is now. This is why Mr Panwallah is my favourite character in Village By The Sea.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Confessions of a Dreamer
I will be blogging about Confessions Of A Dreamer.
Many of you may not know that I am someone who dreams a lot. Well, now you do. I love to dream. Especially when I am bored. I tend to dream about my future. Like being a soccer star, a famous guitarist or an architect.
I know some people laugh at people who dream a lot. (I have never been laughed at, because no one knows except my best friends). They would laugh at these people and say," Haha. What a loser." I have heard that in my primary school many times before. However, many of them do not know that dreaming is not something funny. It is something that motivates one and it helps one to set his/her goal. It is also a form of planning. If you are one of those who laughs at dreamers, I think you ought to think over again. At the end of the day, a dreamer would always win someone who doesn't dream.
This are some quotes/sayings I got from the internet:
To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. ~Anatole France
Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. ~Gloria Steinem
Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men. ~Goethe
Every great dreams begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. ~Harriet Tubman.
That is all I have for you. Please comment if you agree/disagree with me. Thank you! :D
Many of you may not know that I am someone who dreams a lot. Well, now you do. I love to dream. Especially when I am bored. I tend to dream about my future. Like being a soccer star, a famous guitarist or an architect.
I know some people laugh at people who dream a lot. (I have never been laughed at, because no one knows except my best friends). They would laugh at these people and say," Haha. What a loser." I have heard that in my primary school many times before. However, many of them do not know that dreaming is not something funny. It is something that motivates one and it helps one to set his/her goal. It is also a form of planning. If you are one of those who laughs at dreamers, I think you ought to think over again. At the end of the day, a dreamer would always win someone who doesn't dream.
This are some quotes/sayings I got from the internet:
To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. ~Anatole France
Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. ~Gloria Steinem
Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men. ~Goethe
Every great dreams begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. ~Harriet Tubman.
That is all I have for you. Please comment if you agree/disagree with me. Thank you! :D
Friday, June 12, 2009
My best friend.
This is my own blog prompt. I just have this urge to post about this.
My best friend. He is someone who changed my life. He is the one who is always by my side. He is the one who shares his joys with me. He is the one who gives me a shoulder to lean on when I am feeling down. We celebrate together and we also cry together. This is my best friend.
I met him when we were Primary 1. Yup. We were small children. We hardly talked and when we were Primary 3, we went to different classes. However, when we were Primary 5 we went to the same class again! We were sitting beside each other.
Every examination, we would compare our results and encourage each other. We spent most of our times together. That was how we become best of friends. We played soccer together, did our homeworks together. That was why our results were always the same. Life seemed perfect then.
When we were 12, we continued playing together and studying together. However, due to PSLE my mother stopped me from studying together. She wants me to study alone. But I cant study myself, I need someone beside me to accompany me. During the prelims, I did badly. Comparing my results, I realised that I had deproved tremondously. I was sad, very sad. My goal was to get into Victoria Secondary, but with that kind of results I could not get in.
I felt like dying. I felt like giving up. I felt as though the whole world just fell. I wanted to stop education and run away. I thought it was impossible to get into Victoria. I was afraid. My best friend came forward. He talked to me for a long time. He encouraged and motivated me. Tears filled my eyes but I held it back. I told him I was scared. Scared that I could not get into Victoria.
He changed my life. He changed my mindset and made me work harder. I had only a short period of time to study for my PSLE. I put studied hard everyday. He sacrificed his own time to teach me. Whenever, I do not understand anything, he would explain it to me patiently. When I got back my PSLE result slip, I was shocked. The greatest shock of my life. I improved by leaps and bounds. I even beat my best friend. I looked at him and he just smiled back.
He told me a sentence and it will be etched in my mind forever. He said," A true Stephenian puts others before himself and is never self-centred."
He got the Star Pupil award. During his speech he said," A true Stephenian puts others before himself and is never self-centred. He puts himself in the shoes of others before making decisions, and gives others a shoulder to cry on when times are bad. He is compassionate, trustworthy and respected by many others."
He meant what he said. Even my brother respects him. He is a real role-model. No matter how many 'thank you' I say, it will never be able to pay for what he has done for me.
My best friend. He is someone who changed my life. He is the one who is always by my side. He is the one who shares his joys with me. He is the one who gives me a shoulder to lean on when I am feeling down. We celebrate together and we also cry together. This is my best friend.
I met him when we were Primary 1. Yup. We were small children. We hardly talked and when we were Primary 3, we went to different classes. However, when we were Primary 5 we went to the same class again! We were sitting beside each other.
Every examination, we would compare our results and encourage each other. We spent most of our times together. That was how we become best of friends. We played soccer together, did our homeworks together. That was why our results were always the same. Life seemed perfect then.
When we were 12, we continued playing together and studying together. However, due to PSLE my mother stopped me from studying together. She wants me to study alone. But I cant study myself, I need someone beside me to accompany me. During the prelims, I did badly. Comparing my results, I realised that I had deproved tremondously. I was sad, very sad. My goal was to get into Victoria Secondary, but with that kind of results I could not get in.
I felt like dying. I felt like giving up. I felt as though the whole world just fell. I wanted to stop education and run away. I thought it was impossible to get into Victoria. I was afraid. My best friend came forward. He talked to me for a long time. He encouraged and motivated me. Tears filled my eyes but I held it back. I told him I was scared. Scared that I could not get into Victoria.
He changed my life. He changed my mindset and made me work harder. I had only a short period of time to study for my PSLE. I put studied hard everyday. He sacrificed his own time to teach me. Whenever, I do not understand anything, he would explain it to me patiently. When I got back my PSLE result slip, I was shocked. The greatest shock of my life. I improved by leaps and bounds. I even beat my best friend. I looked at him and he just smiled back.
He told me a sentence and it will be etched in my mind forever. He said," A true Stephenian puts others before himself and is never self-centred."
He got the Star Pupil award. During his speech he said," A true Stephenian puts others before himself and is never self-centred. He puts himself in the shoes of others before making decisions, and gives others a shoulder to cry on when times are bad. He is compassionate, trustworthy and respected by many others."
He meant what he said. Even my brother respects him. He is a real role-model. No matter how many 'thank you' I say, it will never be able to pay for what he has done for me.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
I rather be the city rat then the country rat.
Hello there!
The June holidays are finally here and I'm going to blog about 'I rather be the city rat than the country rat.' I don't really agree. I rather be a country rat myself. Before I elaborate, I would like to list out the advantages and disadvantages of both city and country rats first.
Advantages:
City rat: They have technology to help them in their daily life. They have computer, washing machine, television. They can use the computer to access to internet and chat with friends online through MSN. They have the washing machine to help them wash their clothes. They use the stove to make cooking easier. They have a PSP to enjoy playing the games. They can also watch the television. All this makes their life easier.
Country rat: They are able to enjoy nature as they are surrounded by greenery. They have more space to play. Some of the games are catching and hide-and-seek. They don't have to buy food as they can farm them.
Disadvantages:
City rat: All the things that I have mentioned above are runned by electricity. By using too much electricity, it will cause global warming. In fact, it is already happening. The only way to prevent global warming is to go green and be environmentally friendly. All the technologies like television, computer and PSP causes children to suffer from myopia if they spent a lot of time on it.
Country rat: Their life is not so relaxing like the city rat. They have to perform their duties with their hands. They don't have technology to help them with their daily work. This makes their life difficult.
From all these advantages and disadvantages, I don't agree with the statement. I rather be a country rat as I love nature. I like to be surrounded by greenery and I like to have lots of place to do whatever I want to do.
Please do comment! Thank you! Bye bye.
The June holidays are finally here and I'm going to blog about 'I rather be the city rat than the country rat.' I don't really agree. I rather be a country rat myself. Before I elaborate, I would like to list out the advantages and disadvantages of both city and country rats first.
Advantages:
City rat: They have technology to help them in their daily life. They have computer, washing machine, television. They can use the computer to access to internet and chat with friends online through MSN. They have the washing machine to help them wash their clothes. They use the stove to make cooking easier. They have a PSP to enjoy playing the games. They can also watch the television. All this makes their life easier.
Country rat: They are able to enjoy nature as they are surrounded by greenery. They have more space to play. Some of the games are catching and hide-and-seek. They don't have to buy food as they can farm them.
Disadvantages:
City rat: All the things that I have mentioned above are runned by electricity. By using too much electricity, it will cause global warming. In fact, it is already happening. The only way to prevent global warming is to go green and be environmentally friendly. All the technologies like television, computer and PSP causes children to suffer from myopia if they spent a lot of time on it.
Country rat: Their life is not so relaxing like the city rat. They have to perform their duties with their hands. They don't have technology to help them with their daily work. This makes their life difficult.
From all these advantages and disadvantages, I don't agree with the statement. I rather be a country rat as I love nature. I like to be surrounded by greenery and I like to have lots of place to do whatever I want to do.
Please do comment! Thank you! Bye bye.
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