Jalen+Smith

Poetry is emotion put into measure. The emotion must come by nature, but the measure can be acquired by art. -Thomas Hardy

~Sonnet Assignment~ 1. Can Jamie borrow candles tonight please? 2. If Owen ripped his pants people would laugh. 3. Can Kristin hit the ball out of the park? 4. He is able to do the exceeding. 5. Can someone go to the store with me please? 6. You and Cherise can be dismissed right now. 7. Can you please listen to me for once now. 8. Can David get an F in english class? 9. The teacher is going to grade the class. 10. If Kayla does not study she will fail. 11. Can Ms. Jensen stop yelling in class now. 12. Can you tell Cameron to be quiet now. 13. Edward and I went to the store tonight. 14. If Kendall does not read she will be lost.

An Ode To Jesus Someone told me that you are sanctified man. Someone told me that you have supernatural powers that can heal the sick and raise the dead. Someone told me that if I trust in you everything will come to past. From your biblical teachings and what you've done I've believed them. The man who always encouraged us to walk, talk and live by faith. The man who mended my broken heart and stood in front of me when I was afraid. The man who said I am a friend for the friendless, mother for the motherless and father for the fatherless. The man who called me his child. You lifted my heart when my heart was weary. You kept your word when you meant something. You always led me in the right direction when I was going in the wrong. You never encouraged me to judge nor mistreat anyone but you always encouraged me to stay possitive. Who ever you might be I know you are alive and is in me.

//__Expert Author/Chosen Poet: Gwendolyn Brooks __//

John Cabot, out of Wilma, once a Wycliffe, all whitebluerose below his golden hair, wrapped richly in right linen and right wool, almost forgot his Jaguar and Lake Bluff; almost forgot Grandtully (which is The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Scotch); almost forgot the sculpture at the Richard Gray and Distelheim; the kidney pie at Maxim’s, the Grenadine de Boeuf at Maison Henri.
 * 1. Riot**

Because the Negroes were coming down the street.

Because the Poor were sweaty and unpretty (not like Two Dainty Negroes in Winnetka) and they were coming toward him in rough ranks. In seas. In windsweep. They were black and loud. And not detainable. And not discreet.

Gross. Gross. “//Que tu es grossier!//” John Cabot itched instantly beneath the nourished white that told his story of glory to the World. “Don’t let It touch me! the blackness! Lord!” he whispered to any handy angel in the sky. But, in a thrilling announcement, on It drove and breathed on him: and touched him. In that breath the fume of pig foot, chitterling and cheap chili, malign, mocked John. And, in terrific touch, old averted doubt jerked forward decently, cried, “Cabot! John! You are a desperate man, and the desperate die expensively today.”

John Cabot went down in the smoke and fire and broken glass and blood, and he cried “Lord! Forgive these nigguhs that know not what they do.”

__ Riot/Gwendolyn Brooks __

This poem uses an intense and cruel tone and the reader’s understanding of racism and discrimination against through the image of Caucasians acts towards African Americans. This poem describes how Caucasians normally treat African Americans in society. The problem is racism in one segregated city. This poem is broken down into 5 different parts, each explaining how the narrator talks about how this one man, John Cabot feels graciously intimidated by blacks coming down the street. Gwendolyn Brooks shows the reader what’s going on in the poem by painting pictures using descriptive words in the poem showing the reader how the speaker see’s, “They were black and loud, Because the Poor were sweaty and unpretty, Don’t let It touch me, the blackness and In that breath the fume of pig foot, chitterling and cheap chili, malign, mocked John.” These quotes show imagery to the reader. The cruel and intense tone of the narrator is expressed by putting down, “Because the Negroes were coming down the street, They were coming toward him in rough ranks. In seas. In wind sweep! You are a desperate man, and the desperate die expensively today. John Cabot went down in the smoke and fire and broken glass and blood, and he cried “Lord! Forgive these nigguhs that know not what they do.” These quotes from the poem gives a cruel and harsh tone, a tone that shows anger and intimidation towards African Americans. By ending a line off with a powerful sentence leaves the reader feeling disturbed and offend by the poem itself. This reveals a strong image of frustration and wrath towards Racism itself. The author sums up the readers feelings on the subject, by adding (!,.) at the ends of sentences telling the reader to pay close attention to the important bits and pieces of the sentences and the tone of the character that is in the poem. By doing this the author wanted to stress the ideas by adding these forms of punctuations.

Black love, provide the adequate electric for what is lapsed and lenient in us now.
 * 2. Black Love/Gwendolyn Brooks**

Rouse us from blur. Call us.

Call adequately the postponed corner brother. And call our man in the pin-stripe suiting and restore him to his abler logic; to his people.

Call to the shattered sister and repair her in her difficult hour, narrow her fever.

Call to the Elders— our customary grace and further sun loved in the Long-ago, loathed in the Lately; a luxury of languish and of rust.

Appraise, assess our Workers in the Wild, lest they descend to malformation and to undertow.

Black love, define and escort our romantic young, by means and redemption, discipline.

Nourish our children—proud, strong little men upright-easy: quick flexed little stern-warm historywomen.... I see them in Ghana, Kenya, in the city of Dar-es-Salaam, in Kalamazoo, Mound Bayou, in Chicago.

Lovely loving children with long soft eyes.

Black love, prepare us all for interruptions; assaults, unwanted pauses; furnish for leavings and for losses.

Just come out Blackly glowing!

On the ledges—in the lattices—against the failing light of candles that stutter, and in the chop and challenge of our apprehension— be the Alwayswonderful of this world.

__ Black Love/Gwendolyn Brooks __

This poem uses a comforting and quite earnest tone and the reader’s understanding of black culture through the images of several African American individuals and their backgrounds. This poem describes how black love, shared from African Americans are nothing compared to any kind of love. Black love soothes the troubled and confused minds and encourages them to become better people. This poem is broken down into 12 different parts, each explaining how the narrator talk about how precious black love is and how it plays so many important parts in such a chaotic society. Gwendolyn Brooks shows the reader what’s going on in the poem by painting pictures using descriptive words in the poem showing the reader how the speaker see’s, “Call adequately the postponed corner brother”, and the “Call to the shattered sister and repair her in her difficult hour, narrow her fever.” These quotes show imagery to the reader. The earnestness of the narrator is expressed by putting down, “Nourish our children-proud, strong, little men upright-easy, quick, flexed, little stern-warm history women. I see them in Ghana, Kenya, in the city of Dar-es-Salaam, in Kalamazoo, Mound Bayou, in Chicago.” This quotes from the poem gives an earnest tone, a tone that shows peace and generosity towards African Americans. These quotes also show the intelligence for the future. By ending a line off with a powerful sentence leaves the reader feeling inspired and moved by the poem itself. This reveals a strong image of change, relief and love towards African Americans and other people. The author sums up the readers feelings on the subject, by adding (-) in between the sentences telling the reader to pay close attention to the important bits and pieces of the sentences. By doing this the author wanted to stress the ideas by adding these forms of punctuations.


 * 3. A Song In The Front Yard / ** Gwendolyn Brooks

I’ve stayed in the front yard all my life. I want a peek at the back Where it’s rough and untended and hungry weed grows. A girl gets sick of a rose.

I want to go in the back yard now And maybe down the alley, To where the charity children play. I want a good time today.

They do some wonderful things. They have some wonderful fun. My mother sneers, but I say its fine How they don’t have to go in at quarter to nine. My mother, she tells me that Johnnie Mae Will grow up to be a bad woman. That George’ll be taken to Jail soon or late (On account of last winter he sold our back gate).

But I say it’s fine. Honest, I do. And I’d like to be a bad woman, too, And wear the brave stockings of night-black lace And strut down the streets with paint on my face.

__ A Song In The Front Yard**/** ____ Gwendolyn Brooks __

This poem uses a sorrowful and wishful tone and the reader’s understanding of a young black girls desire for something that would not come true. This poem describes how the desire of something now can have a big impact on you later on in life. A mother’s persuasion on children doesn’t really take affect once they encounter the problem. For this young black girl the desire of wanting to go and play with the neighborhood kids take a toll on the mother because of the child’s safety. This poem is broken down into 4 different parts, each explaining how the narrator talks about how yearning for something to happen doesn’t happen because of the opportunities that she doesn’t have. Gwendolyn Brooks shows the reader what’s going on in the poem by painting pictures using descriptive words in the poem showing the reader how the speaker see’s, “ Where it’s rough and untended and hungry weed grows, And wear the brave stockings of night-black lace, And strut down the streets with paint on my face. ” These quotes show imagery to the reader. The wish fullness of the narrator is expressed by putting down, “ I’ve stayed in the front yard all my life, I want a peek at the back,I want to go in the back yard now, And maybe down the alley,I’d like to be a bad woman, too .” These quotes from the poem give a sorrowful tone, a tone that shows sadness and determination for the future. By ending a line off with a powerful sentence leaves the reader feeling perplexed by the poem itself. This reveals a strong image of sorrow and desperateness towards this young girls desire. The author sums up the readers feelings on the subject, by adding (.,) towards the ends of sentences leaving the reader thinking about what and why the girl was thinking the way she thought. By doing this the author wanted to question the poem because the author left such a weird last sentences.


 * My Raised By Poem**

More Luscious Than Jasmine Tea

My Cheri Amour, The queen to my heart, More fragrant than the spring flowers, Sweeter than the honey on a honey cone, Beautiful as the crescent moon light sky,

She is the air that I breathe, She is like heavens air, how gracious is the scent, She is Amorous, She is the women that I will take to heaven, Oh, how I love her because she is more luscious than Jasmine Tea.

This poem uses a romantic and astounding tone and the reader’s understanding of a mans love for a women that he desires to be his future wife. This poem describes how the lust for this women has a deeper feeling for the relationship itself. No ordinary agape love is nothing compared to this loved that the main character is expressing to this women. This love is sincere. This poem is broken down into 2 different parts, each explaining how the narrator feels about this women and how he compares her to all the precious things he can think of. Jalen C Smith shows the reader what’s going on in the poem by painting pictures using descriptive words in the poem showing the reader how the speaker see’s, “More fragrance than the spring flowers, Sweeter than the honey on a honey cone, Beautiful as the crescent moon light sky and most importantly more luscious than Jasmine Tea. ” These quotes show imagery to the reader. The feelings that the narrator expresses to this women is expressed by putting down, “The queen to my heart, She is the air that I breathe, She is amorous and She is the women that I will take to heaven.” These quotes from the poem give a romantic and inspirational tone, a tone that shows true beauty and peace. By ending a line off with a powerful sentence leaves the reader feeling inspired and flattered by the powerful words that are expressed in this poem. This reveals a strong image of grace and beauty and it makes all men want to have a women like the women that is in the poem. The author sums up the readers feelings on the subject, by adding (.,) towards the ends of sentences leaving the reader thinking about how gracious this women must be to this man and how their relationship would turn out to be in the future.