Literature Circle Blog - The Giver

       The essential question I chose from the book, The Giver, by Lois Lowry is, "What happens when someone is released?' My essential question tied in with the novel study because in the book Jonas talked about how old people and sometimes babies got released.  In the story Jonas also asked questions to his parents about what exactly happens when someone is released.  Jonas and I both thought that the people who were released were just set free to the outside part of the wall. Finally towards the end of the book Jonas is able to see a baby, who was the smaller baby in a set of twins, get released. The outcome or answer to the essential question is that when someone is released they are killed by a shot given to them. They then get released, literally, through some sort of garbage chute. I found this out when Jonas asked to see the baby get released and when the baby got injected he passed away. Jonas put two and two together, and determined that his father was a murderer and being released is not what people in the community thought.  Overall, the outcome was sad and reading about it made me anxious.


       The article that we chose that connects to our book is, "North Korea: Life in cultural isolation" by BBC News.  This article relates to The Giver because in the story the people are forced to live in a small civilization away from other communities with no outside knowledge. In the article it states, "Our minders had probably never seen any other kinds of news item or documentary about their country or the rest of the world.They were not allowed to, and they could not, because no-one has access to the internet in North Korea."(Paragraph 18 & 19) This paragraph from the article connects to the book because it shows how North Koreans don't have knowledge on what's going on in the outside world, just like the people in The Giver.  The authors use the same information but use it differently because the author for The Giver uses the idea of isolation to make the civilization seem more intact and the same. The leader of North Korea uses this information to make his civilization oblivious to the outside world so he is the center of attention and he wants to seem more in power. 

       In the book and the article they also focus a lot on controlling the community or people. In the book it states, "There was no way, really, to know in advance. It was a secret selection, made by the leaders of the community, The Committee of Elders, who took the responsibility so seriously that there were never never even any jokes made about the assignments."(Page 15) This paragraph is basically discussing how The Committee of Elders choose the year 12's jobs for them and they determine what they are going to be doing for the rest of their lives. This paragraph from the book connects to the article because in the article the leader of North Korea determines how his citizens are going to live just like the Committee of Elders. The authors use the same information but use it differently because in The Giver Lois Lowry uses the information to evenly distribute the community. The leader of North Korea uses this information by controlling the people to make sure they are all the same, and so they don't know the differences between other jobs around the world. 


       Overall, the article and the book follow the same guidelines in a way.  Although, they do have many differences. The article takes place in the real world, which makes it more serious, but the book doesn't, making it less serious. Both the book and article have the same rules, but use it differently. 










     








 

Poetry Reflection

     This year, in our language art's class, we did a unit on poetry.  At first I was expecting to be reading and writing long complex pieces of poetry with words I didn't even know how to pronounce. However, as time progressed on, I realized that poetry is actually an escape and quite easy to make.  As we read Bronx, and created poems as assignments, I found a love for the poems I created. Somehow I felt connected to them.

     This brings me back to one question, how did poetry affect my life?  The answer is not that simple, I have a love-hate relationship with poetry.  In a way, I have learned to accept it and make it the best it is as I can. Yet, I also couldn't wait for the unit to be over.  Poetry has also made me open my mind more. Poems like Sideyard, have had a huge impact with their vague sentences. Phrases from the that poem such as this one, "Just like they love this timber house and hardly care if anybody knows.", have made me catch on to the fact that not everything is going to be right there for you to see and understand. The character, Tyrone, from Bronx Masquerade has taught me to not judge anyone from what you see on the outside. He showed us that he judged people wrongly, but after listening to their poems appreciated much more about them.  One person he definitely learned to stop judging was Jenelle. The same thing that happened to Tyrone, has happened to me too.  Overall, poetry has effected me in many ways.  It has taught me more about what is not seen, more about emotions, more about rhythm, and more about purposes.

       Poetry can effect anyone, or at least I'd like to think it can.  However, I don't think poetry belongs to everyone. I believe everyone and anyone has a special talent in something having to do with writing, wether it be with writing essays, creating articles, etc. They don't necessarily have to be good at poetry.   I know some of my classmates had trouble creating some of their poems, especially with rhythm and putting meaning and emotions into them.  How do I know? I know because I have talked to people about creating poetry.  Every time I have talked to these people they would talk negatively about it. I assume they aren't really fond of it and don't like it. This leads me to the thought that some things just don't belong to everyone, in this case, it's poetry.

       Life experiences can effect poets in many ways.  Take Edgar Allen Poe as an example, growing up he had a rough life.  He even had to set a couch on fire to stay warm.  Look at his poetry, and you'll notice it has sadness, madness, and hatred incorporated in them.  Those are all negative thoughts, but what is there to expect from a man who grew up with a bad past.  In class, when we had open mike fridays and some of my classmates performed there would always be a couple of students who's poems were deep and dark.  They must've got their inspiration from their hidden past. In a way, I think poetry helps people express themselves. Their expressions could be having to deal with past experiences, thoughts, ideas, etc.  When they write it down, a poem is born. Someone with a happy life might not right something dismal. Same goes for a person who has a horrible life, they might not write something happy and cheerful.  Overall, life and experiences a poet goes through affects their poetry is many differs ways, especially word choice and plots.

       A poem's structure and form contributes to it immensely.  Take my letter poem for example.  My poem, in a way, was limited.  It's structure didn't allow the poem to be set up how an average poem would be, which is in stanzas.  It's rhyming was also different and instead of having just phrases, there was full sentences.  Not only that but the shape of the poem inspires and shows what it is going to be about. My poem was a letter E, for my name, meaning the poem was going to be about me. Another poem, Zorro, from Bronx Masquerade was shaped as a Z. Since it was shaped this way it symbolized what the poem was going to be about.  The poem Zorro also had sentences, and didn't follow the same procedures as a normal poem would.  A poem's structure and form, is what identifies it in a way.

       Poems are also impacted by the use of literary devices.  Certain words and phrases can affect a poem greatly based on the 'intensity of it'.  Phrases especially play a big part because they can help develop the poem more, but they can also confuse it more. Words are incorporated to make the poems stronger and to show more emotion.  In a poem, rhyme can affect it by adding humor to it, or making it easier to understand.  Alliterations can influence the poem on the topic, and the word choice it's going to use. Repetition also can add humor, and can affect the poem by giving something more value.  Lastly, figurative language can affect a poem by making it more complex and giving it more emotions, ideas, and thoughts.

     Overall, I have learned that poetry isn't all that bad.  I have to say, when I was told we were going to be doing this unit soon I would've never expected to actually like it. Poetry has taught and showed me things that books or articles won't show you. I appreciate that.



Poems Created in this Unit:

* Nonfiction Poem

* Bio-Poem of a Literary Character

* Where I'm From Poem

* Spine Poem

* Found Poem 

* Nonsense Poem

* Picture Poem

* Those Who Don't

* If Poem

* Letter Poem

* Dream Poem
     

Nonsense Poem

"Beyond the Night in Disolay"

By: Evelyn Mazariego

"Is the Hilly Billy Hick Really the One to Blame?"

"Is the Hilly Billy Hick Really the One to Blame?"
By: Evelyn M

It was an ordinary day going

home after a long day’s work
then sitting down on the couch
to watch Netflix on the flat screen
and noticing there was a new show
added that ended up
blowing our minds and

made us brim with anger.

From the 10 hours of film

we learned to loathe you
after having an innocent
man stay in jail for 18
years who didn’t even
commit the rape

We were all frustrated

at the fact that you people
had the nerve to arrest him
after 16 alibi witnesses and
evidence was there to
prove his innocence.

Suspicion seeped through
our bodies when we
heard he was put behind the
unwashed cold metal bars
again for a murder that
could’ve been framed by you

A rusty old vial contained

his blood that was tampered
with was found after the bright
yellow police tape on his
property was placed,

does not give the judge doubt?

SLAM! The sound of the

gavel hitting the wood
was a sign of injustice.
Those who don’t know,
like you just keeping going
and going and won’t stop.

We knew we had something

to do so we grabbed our signs
that yelled for the President
to free the man put behind
the bars unjustly.

Inspired by the Article:  "Making a Murderer: The story of raging injustice against hillbilly that's taking Netflix by storm"

Bio Poem

Tucker Pierce 

Vigilant, suspicious, brave, and cautious.

A character in D. J. MacHale's story.

Lover of his best friend, adventures, and football.

Who notices the Pemberwick virus was a lie, notices Feit is really sly, and notices there is something weird happening in the sky.

Who feels wary of leaving the island, skeptical of the Ruby, and nervous about getting caught.

Who learns many things from his friend Quinn, and that Tori is very thick skinned.

Who used to think his parents always told him everything, but now knows they have a lot to hide.


Major character in Sylo.

A book that amuses, excites, and thrills.

A book that made people die.