Jelly filled doughnuts
Every day
None for him
None for her
I eat them all
Fat, you say? I go
Eat some more
Really, good jelly filled doughnuts

Jelly in your belly
Eating, but following a map
Looking for the center
Lovely delicious
Yummy gummy
Dough but no nuts
Occasionally offered with some coffee
Not taken for granted, but with
Utmost gratitude
Tummy aches
So many doughnuts

poetry personal questions

How would you define the word poem?
The word poem can be defined as a carefully constructed piece of work with manipulation of language with hidden emotional triggers.

What kinds of words are in poems?
There is heavy use of figurative language to convey meaning. Along with figurative language to convey meaning abstractly; the words in poems creates images that can pull at the reader’s emotions.

What do poems sound like?
Poems may have rhythm for the most part with the carefully chosen words, or can resemble somewhat a more formal prose structure.

How is a poem like a song?
Poems usually flow with their words, much like songs.

How can it be like a story?
With poetry’s heavy usage of figurative language, many images are created in the reader’s head to help imply meaning. This is much like a story with the reader being active in the writing with incorporation of imagination.

Have you ever written a poem?
Yes

Everyday Use Socratic Seminar 11/5/15

Jennifer Slavik
Socratic Seminar date: 11/5/15
1)
fault finding (n)—continual criticism, usually over trivial things. I figured out what the word meant by background knowledge of the two root words, however the dictionary provided me with the word’s use of negative connotation. I see how the author’s contribution of this word incorporates with the character’s persona, adding more dimension to her.
assalamualaikum (n)—a greeting used by Muslims. “And to you be peace together with Allah's mercy.” The dictionary provided me with a basic understanding of this word, because throughout the passage I was lost with the foreign word.
Johnny Carson (n)—an American host, comedian, and actor. The host of The Tonight Show. I wasn’t previously acknowledged with Johnny Carson’s history, after this story, and after looking up his name, I am now familiar with Mr. Carson and his past achievements. This helped me gain more older popular culture references. It also helped me create a vision of what the mom thought was generic in the time period. This brought me closer to the character.

2)
Use of examples of movies—We discussed movies as references to relate to the text. We took apart the movie to find relevance to the meaning of the overall passage. The use of outside examples helps connect universal concepts, and make our peers more comfortable with the subject at hand.
Use of background knowledge of history—We discussed the history of racial tendencies. Shaige and Emile brought up background of Africans culture comparing with African American culture here in U.S. This brought up the differences in perspective of mother and daughter, and how they view their cultures in their own minds. This was clear for us to understand what engendered conflict, and where their conflict is going, bringing upon more in depth discussion
Use of personal experience-- We noted on previous experience which could allow us to relate to the character in discussion, and put ourselves in their footsteps. The concept at hand was the abstract perception of not being happy with what we have. We talked about how we visited other countries and were exposed to this concept by others and ourselves.

3)
My individual performance during the Socratic seminar reflects on my preparation. While reading the selected literature, I bold and write notes on important concepts. Also, I take in notes of the author’s use of literary devices that point to further meaning in the theme and universal concepts. Moreover, my performance is reflected on my activity throughout the seminar. I comment as much as I can in the allotted time for each questions either introducing a resolution to the question asked, or expanding/ correcting my peer’s contribution. I take my time on each selection, allowing my response to be meaningful rather than just words.
The teamwork throughout the inner circle however is competitive. There is no suggestion from my peers for others to contribute. As a circle, we somewhat compete for the time given to speak. Also, the contribution as an outer circle is distracted and hurried to finish ratings.

4)
Thesis:
Throughout the text of Everyday Use, there are universal concepts with mother and daughter issues, and the abstract perception of not being satisfied with what you have.

General terms: main points explained
The mother and daughter, Dee, express tension throughout the story in the mother’s narration. This is relatable to the reader who have been through the parenting conflicts prior. This can input interpretation for the reader to extend the text, and creates dimension in the characters solely alone with the reader’s background experience. Moreover, Dee openly rejects her life at home, craving a culture that isn’t hers. This ties back to the abstract perception of not being satisfied with what we have. There is the constant desire to have and be better, which can contribute to unhappiness.

Paragraph: connections b/w content and our own life.
The story Everyday Use really compliments what humanity experiences “everyday” in “use” with these concepts. There will always be constant mother/ daughter issues, and the sin of being insatiable with our culture. For example, I wish I could be in Spain rather than America, but only because of their architecture and culture. America is greater than great, but I forget to be happy with the wonderful privilege of living in this nation.

Everyday Use by Alice Walker and I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen

Question:

"Everyday Use," and "I Stand Here Ironing," both deal with the general idea of the family. Examine what each story suggests about family values, and write an essay that explains the similarities and differences you find, and relate these findings to your own idea of "family."

Answer:

The concept of family takes on different forms, from the literal genetic relation to the occasional blood oath between companions. In the stories “Everyday Use” and “I Stand Here Ironing,” there is an obvious shared expression of family, but the instances of the concept and emotional connotation are distinct. In both the stories, the families mentioned are under a certain oppression. For example, in “I Stand Here Ironing,” there is a financial burden. The mother is “without money” and “[couldn’t] hold a job.” And throughout “Everyday Use” there is the subtle racial oppression with the author’s including statements like “colored asked [few] questions.” In both cases, families, no matter what type, are alike that they suffer and prosper together. Moreover, there is the common concept of ‘Mother and Daughter’ issues in the stories. “I Stand Here Ironing” conveys that the mother feels she did not do enough for her daughter, consumed by the constant thought of “what should have been” and what she “did not do.” While in “Everyday Use,” it is the daughter who feels the mother did not do enough for her, such as when she did not buy her the “yellow organdy dress” she wanted for “graduation.” Both these thoughts of regret lead to a hindrance between mother and daughter, however in “Everyday Use” there is more severity. Dee is linked to the family by the biological relation, but rejects her culture and even her birth name, preferring to be called “Wangero.” She sees things differently from her mom and little sister. For example, she sees a quilt made for everyday use as a wall decoration instead. This hindrance causes less emotional attachment from a lack of shared perspective, and may even cause the mother to see the little sister more as family than Dee. Contrasting, in “I Stand Here Ironing,” the mother and daughter struggle together in emotional pain from their past but they keep a stronger involvement in the emotional connotation of family.

Although genetics is a good way to keep family members obligated to each other, the actual concept of family should go beyond just literal genes. Family should lean towards more commitment and emotional connection, rather than an obligated love due to similar genetic makeup. So in the stories of “Everyday Use” and “I Stand Here Ironing” although there is the general idea of “family,” it’s really based on how the relationship is held together by emotional commitment and pursuit of support.