Haiku (575) about spring

Colorful spring comes,

Sunshine finally wakens 

Those sleeping flowers. 

O Captain My Captain

O Captain! My Captain!

Related Poem Content Details

BY WALT WHITMAN

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, a

The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, a

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, b

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; b

                         But O heart! heart! heart! C

                            O the bleeding drops of red, c

                               Where on the deck my Captain lies, d

                                  Fallen cold and dead. c

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; a

Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills, a

For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding, b

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; b

                         Here Captain! dear father! C

                            This arm beneath your head! D

                               It is some dream that on the deck, c

                                 You’ve fallen cold and dead. D

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, a

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, a

The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, b

From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; b

                         Exult O shores, and ring O bells! C

                            But I with mournful tread, d

                               Walk the deck my Captain lies, c

                                  Fallen cold and dead. D

                 First of all I chose this poem because I have read this and memorized a small part of it when I was in middle school. After Ms. Guarino's class about how a poem works with rhyme schemes, I was curious about poems I've read before knowing all these details about poetry. Therefore, I went back looking for this poem wanting to know if what I've read before could also apply to this technique. It was a little bit confusing to tell the rhyme schemes, because there is always one sentence in each stanza that does not have the same ending letter. After reading it out, it sounded similar to the previous word, so I'm even more confused. Overall, I really like this poem not just because I felt more familiar with it, but it is a little bit challenging for me to tell the rhyme schemes and also how it sounded powerful. 

               The author Whiteman was a nurse during the war and this captain he said in the poetry is Lincoln. He wrote this poem to mourn and memorize Abraham Lincoln as his hero that passed away. This poetry is related to history and is very touching at some point I think. Not like how we see our leaders and president these days on screen. What Whiteman have seen as a person working in war, he saw Lincoln going to work everyday, so what he felt towards Lincold was not only admiration. He respects him and hoped everything including his country and leader could heal after the war. 

           Basically, this poem is describing what the country have been through the hardness and now as the victory have arrived, their father—leader—Which is Lincoln had passed away because of assassination. This poem was also written with rhyme schemes as I labeled myself beside each ending of the sentences. 

        

Life is...

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

-Mother Teresa

Why did you choose it? 

I chose it because all of the sentences' starting word is exactly the same which caught my attention while searching for poems. 

What did you like about it?

I like how it looks simple, but at the same time tells a lot throughout every sentences. It encourages people to cherish their life and don't be afraid of challenges. Overall I think it tells people to view life positively. 

What is it about?

This poem is about life just like its topic "Life Is". 

Reflection on Love or Bread

Marinda Hsu

2016.04.25

Ms. Guarino

English ll

                                                          Reflection on Creative Project

            Famous movies and books often releases a new version or an additional version of story besides the main plot of the original movie or book. This idea came up to my mind after reading Pobby and Dingan, also after watching the movie Opal Dream. Therefore, me and my partner Chantelle decided to film a short movie before Annie and Rex moved to Lightening Ridge. This story about imaginary friends and the Williamsoms’ experience being misunderstood in Lightening Ridge actually gives a deeper idea and lesson to the audience. How everyone have their own strong belief and dream that no one else could see physically nor believe into. I was thinking how Annie must love Rex a lot to support his idea of living in a rural, coarse place like Lightening Ridge for opals. Another scene that made me came up with this idea of filming a story about Annie’s previous life before the plot in Lightening Ridge happened, was the scene where Annie was looking at her photos back in England with her almost-married ex boyfriend Peter Sidebottom, also was nervous to be found out when someone came in while she was looking at them.

                 We decided to film Annie’s previous life into four parts, this came out great where we filmed everything on time and with the script. First of all, memorizing the script was not as difficult as we thought; But out of our original concerns, filming the movie without laughing was a difficult part. It was suprisngly difficult to act real and control my facial expressions while filming. Because of this, the video might not came out as realistic. Another biggest mistake we made while filming this movie was to show the contraction between Peter and Rex. We have the idea on changing the outfits on both male character to show their differences on social level and personality. We also gave our movie this topic: Love or Bread, to tell how Annie was struggling between one rich man and another man with more love. It came out in results that the audiences felt like Annie was more in love with the rich man, Peter; which was the opposite idea we wanted to show in the movie. I will consider this as the biggest part that I would want to rectify among all other errors in this project. 

              First of all, we showed more scenes where Peter and Annie were in love comparing to Rex. Both Peter and Rex were gentle and kind to Annie, so this might confuse more for the audience on the reasons of Annie choosing Rex as her husband. To correct this mistake and to make our plot better fits out tops-- Love or Bread, I should make sure that our script fits more to the topic. For example other than outfits, I should show how Peter could afford and provide Annie a better life and future, I should show how Peter buys expensive gifts to show his love rather than actions. On the other hand for Rex, I should film more about how Rex has no money but a great passion towards opal and greater love towards Annie without any material ingratiating like Peter. 

              Overall, as my first time filming a movie as an important project, I’ve learned a lot. I learned a little bit more about filming and understood what my weaknesses were. I did a pretty great job for coming up with this creative idea to film Love or Bread, but did not act real enough nor made my main argument and idea about the story obvious enough throughout the movie to prove it to the audiences. To make my next possible filming project successful, I would plan everything into more details to make sure everything is logical.  

Progress on Creative project

   During this weekend, Chantelle and I have worked on our project. First of all, we rehearsed our script and I was struggling a little bit to trying not to laugh while speaking as the character Annie. We did not memorized our script exactly but could know what to say just through a few peeks on the script. Therefore, this would help our acting easier latter on without having difficulties to get familiar with the script. After getting familiar without the script and short discussions on how the film should be edited using iMovie. We cut down pieces that weren't natural nor good, and put all the successfully filmed videos together. We also added background musics into the film to try make it more romantic, emotional. We chose two different songs and edited them into our videos. These are our recent progress on the project. The first few parts are done filming and editing, now we are only left with the filming on the next few scenes. 

Pobby and Dingan Project Proposal

Marinda Hsu

    After brainstorming, I decided to film a short video about the events that were not being showed in the movie Opal Dream. My teammate is Chantelle, and she had took the role playing both Annie (the mother)'s ex boyfriend Sidebottom and her husband Rex. Me, I took the character of Annie. We decided to film this video into three separate parts to show the story of Annie before she came to Lightening Ridge. First, we'll film the part where Annie and John Sidebottom were having really lovely times together back in England. We wanted to show how Sidebottom was a typical rich gentleman from small details. For example, his great piano skills showing that he've been learning it since young, how he's dressed mostly with a blazer and how he gave gifts to Annie. Second part, we'll show how Annie started to know Rex and felt something different from him while Sidebottom had left England. We wanted to show how Rex was a totally different kind of person comparing to John Sidebottom; how he was more poor but passionate, full of dreams and enthusiasm. Annie was attracted by his unique dream and open mind. For the last part, we wanted to show how Annie had decided to leave John Sidebottom's rich family and go to Lightening Ridge to marry Rex, also to support his belief. 

     We will be filming these three major changes. Equipments we will be using are easy and just what we have—iPad and iMovie. Chantelle will be doing make up like a man; also, her clothes will be changed while filming Sidebottom to Rex, to show their differences. 

      I have chose to film a video for the creative project for a few reasons. First of all, I wanted to try filming since I had not did any projects like this in the past year. It would be really interesting at the same time to think about what stories might have happened on Annie before she came to Lightening Ridge. As the story said, Annie was looking at photos from England in the middle of the night after arguing with Rex. This could tell that she was missing her old times, maybe even regretting for a moment that she had came to a rural and neglect town. This part had grabbed my attention while thinking what to film that people haven't saw from the movie that could be creative and new. 

    In conclusion, Chantelle and I will be filming stories about Annie's life before going to Lightening Ridge and marrying Rex. The video will be approximately about 15 minutes with three characters—Annie, John Sidebottom and Rex. 

      

Opal is hope

Marinda Hsu

2016.04.07

      The quote "The secret of an opal's color lies not in its substance but in its absences" tell how even though opals are expensive (substance) but what really makes them so special is because how they're precious, difficult to find and do not appear easily (absences). This quote metaphors the meaning and lesson according to the novel Pobby and Dingan. Obviously for Rex Williamson, he was definitely attracted by the mysterious and uncertainty qualities from the opal. Also, the quote says that the absences are the colorful parts; the unseen parts are often just as important and charming. This is a hugely related to Kellyanne's view towards her imaginary friends—Pobby and Dingan. They are beautiful and brave as Kellyanne had described, even no one could see their attendance. For Ashmol, opal is what he and his father have been seeking for. It symbolized a dream to the family, not only for Rex himself nor Ashmol.

      Annie agreed to live in a place like Lighterning Ridge most likely because she loves, believes and supports Rex. Opal might be an important promise Rex had made to provide Annie and his family a good life. Yet he had not found any. Opals have been in a situation of "absence" for a pretty long time as the family lives in the town, looking upon opals just like everyone did in the town. Apparently in the story the opal was for a moment important to Ashmol because it was considered as Dingan's belly button. But deeply, finding an opal might be a way to warm up and resolve the intense situation between the Williamsoms. Annie could finally believe again into Rex's strong belief into opal. Back to the story, the opal had made the funeral for Pobby and Dingan possible, which made the whole town came together as one, moreover, made Kellyanne felt that her dreams are real. Many events have happened because of opal: Annie and Rex arguing about how real opals are comparing to Pobby and Dingan, and also offering a funeral with an opal without telling their father. For this part, it tells a small different between adults and children. Kellyanne told Ashmol that she's sure that her dad will sell it, but this is Rex's dream of becoming a billionaire and opals are what he've been waiting for with all his hard works. But for Kellyanne, it is just her best friend's belly button. Then for Ashmol, it was just a key to help Kellyanne and also a small dream of his, since he've been following his dad to the mine looking for opals. Just like how opal contains many colors, everyone in the family viewed opal differently according to their purpose. But over all, opal symbolizes hope to the family, no matter how they view its value. 

     The opals are rare and difficult to discover, just like how everyone, including the Williamsoms; how we all have invisible, unseen dreams that others won't believe untill they see it physically. The absences of the opal made its existence more important and precious to whoever that found it or simply to itself, how it is special and mysteriously beautiful.