Senior Literary – Page 26 – Literary Arts Blogspace

Where Things Come Back Chapters 1-13

SPOILERS AHEAD.

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley has so far been one of the strangest books I have ever read. Cullen Witter, a boy from small town Lily, Alabama begins telling this story by identifying his cousin’s dead body. Goes home, barely mourns, talks about how dumb his cousin was, and sleeps next to his little brother, Grabriel, who he admires for being able to be himself when Cullen remains awkward and self-deprecating.

His best friend, Lucas Cader is the total opposite. He is charming and popular. Everyone likes him and knows him. The reason Lucas is friends with Cullen is, in his words, “because they just are.” They are a very strange pair, and since Lucas’s older brother died in a car accident, he is very attached to Gabriel as well and kind of resides as another older, more protective brother for him.

There is also Ada Taylor, who is a Black Widow. Both of her boyfriends has died, and in the beginning she’s dating the bully, jock guy who she later leaves. Right after she leaves, he is an accident that leaves him paralyzed. Still, Cullen is “in love” with her. Weird.

So basically, a dude comes to Lily and see’s this woodpecker that is supposed to be extinct, and then the whole town goes crazy. It’s discussed that this is the first exciting thing to happen in the town in ages and it’s a symbol of hope. It almost becomes an obsession for everyone. Then, out of no where, Gabriel disappears. Reports go out, the family is falling apart. Lucas borderline starts losing his mind. A fifteen year old boy just disappears out of thin air. Cullen convinces himself that he’s dead. It’s a whole mess, but I notice that Cullen disassociates a lot. When something big is happening, like a spirit guide making them dig 10-feet under ground because she is convinced that Gabriel is dead and is buried in this certain spot, he begins to imagine the spirit guide performing a ritual that makes his brother appear covered in mud and blood. Or imagines bullies as zombies and him as a slayer or something. He is very… Creative.

Cullen has also went from messing around with a 19 year old who is in the middle of a divorce, and then she breaks up with her because it gets too serious (Dudes). All the while Lucas is in a very committed long-term relationship with this girl named Molly.

Then guess what, Ada Taylor and Cullen get together! Woah. Who saw that coming? okay literally, that was the only part in this book so far that was predictable, and that’s okay because everything else still has me puzzled.

At this point, I’m a little over half way done, but I have no clue what to expect next. It’s all so strange, and it carries this erry nostalgic anxiety to it. I really hope they find out what happened to Gabriel. I also want to know what is up with this woodpecker, is it real? Did that dude just claim to see it for fame? Is Cullen going to die now that he has bee with The Ada Taylor? I don’t know, but the author has me stumped and pumped to see where this goes.

Talking to the Moon – KREAM (크림)

A/N: If you would like, please listen to this song as you read this article. Enjoy!

English Translation:

I know you’re somewhere far away,
The night when the blue star lights me up in the room. lean on the window

Wait for the clouds to wobble in the wind
When the full moon gets an eclipse in my submerged pupil

Talking to the moon
Stay up all night with my eyes open
Talking to the moon
Maybe you’ll see the moon and talk to me

I expect like a fool
Try to call you but can not reach
Please, oh please, my baby

Someday when you listen to my voice in your dreams
Open your lips. Don’t hesitate to answer. You miss me too

Wait for the clouds to wobble in the wind
Heart filled of longing
When the full moon gets an eclipse in my submerged pupil

Talking to the moon
Stay up all night with my eyes open
Talking to the moon
Maybe you’ll see the moon and talk to me

I expect like a fool
Try to call you but can not reach
Please, oh please, my baby

Talking to the moon
Stay up all night with my eyes open
Talking to the moon
Maybe you’ll see the moon and talk to me

I expect like a fool
Try to call you but can not reach
Please, oh please, my baby

KREAM, or Kim Do Hun, is a Korean Indie singer and songwriter that is fairly underground in the K-Indie fan community. According to CelebMix, he debuted in 2014 after going through eight years of training in order to be an ‘idol’ (what Korean groups/singers are called). He went into the entertainment industry wanting to become an idol member. After a while, KREAM decided that he would rather write and perform his own music in order to personally touch the hearts of whoever was willing to listen. With that decision in mind, he set off and debuted as a solo artist under the production label KREAM Records – his own label. KREAM has written some of the most beautiful, emotional music I have ever listened to since the start of his career. Many of his songs varying in feel and topic. However, one song in particular drew me into Do Hun and allowed me to connect with him for those three minutes and twenty-two seconds that he graciously provided us.

In CelebMix’s interview, he stated that the most important part of writing a song is the emotion and conditions of a moment. He says that his personality changed throughout his career; he became calm and poetic. In one of his most popular songs, “Talking to the Moon”, it seems as if Do Hun was writing the lyrics with his soul itself being the pen and ink. He expresses his change in personality through the song itself. Within the first few minutes of the song, there’s a wave of emotion that the audience can’t particularly identify. It feels as if there’s a mixture of peace, sorrow, lonesomeness, and emptiness all within the lyrics of the song and mingled with the emotional power that he sings with.

The lyrics describe his relationship with the ‘moon’ which could symbolize a lover, or an emotion; I personally feel as if it’s a combination of both. Regardless of the symbolism, he personifies this moon and his words hold so much sorrow whilst trying to get a hold of this love of his. The moon won’t respond to him, but every night he continuously stays awake in order to reach his love. It describes the sorrow of not being able to be there for the one you love. He paints a mental and auditory picture of constantly asking the moon to relay his messages to the one he loves and not getting the answer he desperately wants. His voice sounds as if it’s driven him to have this conversation with the moon out of habit, eventually, and he’s pleading in sadness. A lyric that stood out to me was, “Wait for the clouds to wobble in the wind, heart filled of longing, when the full moon gets an eclipse in my submerged pupil.” When a person loves someone, it’s said that their pupils dilate – or get bigger. The lyric expresses that even though he can’t have his love and is sorrowful because of it, his love is still strong. The moon has become his love, serving as a stand-in for his lover, which makes his love feel stronger when he talks to it. He uses repetition as well to portray the constant cycle of going back and forth trying to get to this person. It’s like a routine. It highlights the determination of his heart and mind and the despair that he feels. The repetition makes his goal feel hard to reach. It’s disappointing.

The overall tone of the song feels dream-like and it can send anyone into a trance. It’s filled with hidden symbolism and heaviness withing the words he sings. There’s not many songs that I find that make me feel the way “Talking to the Moon” does. I feel trapped but at peace at the same time. His words feel like a blanket wrapping around the listener and feeling it with sorrow and peace simultaneously. This was truly one of his best songs and he portrays the emotion so well with each performance and recording.

To Kim Do Hun,

Thank you for being a light in my life and others’ – for allowing us to listen to your heart.

Lana Del Rey – Ride Monologue

Here lately I’ve been really inspired by the work of Lana Del Rey. I know, I know, I’m a tad bit late, but I will say that her lyrics and writing have really influenced some of my own writing in the past month or so. I found it only fitting that I review one of her monologues (which happens to be my favorite) as a thank you for the inspiration she has granted me.

Also, I highly suggest that if you’re reading this that you also go listen to her read it because it honestly makes it so much more magical.

My words and thoughts will be in red:)

Ride Monologue- Lana Del Rey

I was in the winter of my life

Usually, when someone says that they are in the winter of their life, that means that they are going through a tough time or a rough patch.
And the men I met along the road were my only summer

Meaning, the men she met were the only ones that made her truly happy.
At night I fell asleep with visions of myself dancing and laughing and crying with them

She wishes to be with them (be happy) all the time.
Three years down the line of being on an endless world tour and my memories of them were the only things that sustained me

These two lines remind me a lot of how I get when I’m in a situation that I don’t like. I tend to imagine situations that make me happy to get myself away from the discomfort. These two lines truly resonated with me.
And my only real happy times

Clarification:)

I was a singer
Not a very popular one
I once had dreams of becoming a beautiful poet

These three lines always seem to make me smile because it really shows how us as artists tend to think that we are less than we are. Most people know who Lana Del Rey is, and I’d say she is fairly popular. Personally, I also believe that her poetry is beautiful. It’s just so interesting to see just how critical we can be to ourselves as artists.
But upon an unfortunate series of events saw those dreams dashed and divided like a million stars in the night sky

I love the metaphorical sense that this gave off.
That I wished on over and over again, sparkling and broken

I also love the use of repetition here that creates emphasis.
But I didn’t really mind because I knew that it takes getting everything you ever wanted and then losing it to know what true freedom is

This is honestly such a good life lesson in general. I really appreciate the fact that she put this in the monologue because she does have a generally younger audience (people ranging from teenagers to young adults.) This could honestly be the right advise at the right time for someone.

When the people I used to know found out what I had been doing how I had been living, they asked me why, but there’s no use in talking to people who have a home
They have no idea what its like to seek safety in other people
For home to be wherever you lie your head

This is my favorite stanza in this entire monologue because I never thought of home being “wherever you lie your head.” I love what she did with this stanza, and the way she expressed the way she views this certain thing is honestly beautiful.

I was always an unusual girl

I remember reading this line for the first time and saying to myself, “same.”
My mother told me that I had a chameleon soul

I appreciated the fact that she made it even more personal by including her mother.
No moral compass pointing due north
No fixed personality

Love the repetition.
Just an inner indecisiveness that was as wide and as wavering as the ocean
And if I said I didn’t plan for it to turn out this way I’d be lying

This entire stanza is the perfect example of a Gemini. (I just looked it up, and indeed, Lana is a Gemini.)

Because I was born to be the other woman

This line really hit me hard because of how much it holds even though it is just a few words.
Who belonged to no one
Who belonged to everyone
Who had nothing
Who wanted everything

This also had the same affect on me as the line before. Just absolutely beautiful.
With a fire for every experience and an obsession for freedom that terrified me to the point that I couldn’t even talk about it
And pushed me to a nomadic point of madness that both dazzled and dizzied me

I almost feel like this isn’t finished. But, then again she could have intended it to be that way.

Overall, this monologue is very raw and real. I really enjoyed how I could get a clear cut picture of how she is feeling throughout the piece. The song that follows after this is beautiful as well, and gives more clarity on why Lana is how she is. I could really see into her mind in this piece, and I greatly appreciate that because it takes a lot to be vulnerable and put your emotions out for the entire world to see.

If I could write like anyone, I would write like Rachel Calnek-Sugin: a review

Okay, so it’s like title says, I really really want to write like this one poet, Rachel Calnek Sugin. Recently I asked my senior, Katie, what some good poets are she recommended me a set of poems that won a prize. She had actually read one at a coffee house once. I remember taking a liking to the poem, “Ebola in Dallas:, but I didn’t ask what it was.

When I got her poetry recommendation, I went through each one individually and eventually found this poetry collection of sorts. I’m not sure if they all are supposed to go together as a set, but they all three won an award together, so I will be reviewing them together. Here is the link if you would like to read along with me. If you don’t read this review, I would at LEAST read the poems themselves. There is something so magical about them. Link to Collection

The first one is the famous,

Ebola in Dallas

To start off with this one, I just want to mention how vividly I remember the Ebola outbreak. I was in middle school, and being the anxious person I am, I was terrified of it. I was cuddled up in a comforter on my brown living room couch, and I felt paralyzed with fear. My grandparents live in Houston, and just like the poem states a lot, Dallas isn’t too far off. An otherworldly problem suddenly became one extremely close to home.

Besides my own personal connection to the poem itself, I love how the author picks apart the privilege that a lot of Americans possess. It takes a lot of guts to call out your own privilege in a piece of writing.

The repetition of ideas, like the dying baby, brought a lot to the poem, It not only makes the reader sympathize, but also empathize. It becomes a poem that isn’t just about a child dying of Ebola, but it twists it into one that is themselves or their child dying of Ebola.

At Thurgood Marshall

Living in the south, this one makes a lot of sense to me, especially being a white girl of privilege.

To recap the poem, this girl is taking the ACT at a school that isn’t their own, up in Harlem. For those who don’t know, Harlem is usually thought of an extremely unsafe neighborhood, and most even think of it is a majority African-american neighborhood.

So the tone of this poem is morphed into an uncomfortableness, not because she feels unsafe, but she feels out of place. It isn’t hard to pick up that she is obviously well-off while others are not. I love how they paint this with the dialogue. She is asked where she goes to school, and it recounts how she is ashamed to say that she goes to a school where there are smart boards in every class and that has a college attendance rate of 100%. The other kids in the class have to ask for a calculator, assumed to be because they cannot afford one.

I even think its interesting how she is aware of her own unconscious bias within the poem. Again, I think its commendable to point out ones own flaws, and want to change them.

When My Go Out I Eat Breakfast For Dinner and Pee With the Door Open

This.

I just am utterly speechless every time I read this. This is by far my favorite in the collection. For one, the title. It doesn’t obviously have to do with the contents of the poem, but it makes me think of my own teenage life, which is a theme throughout the poem.

Again, the author points out her own flaws and hypocrisy, which is adds so much depth.

I also enjoy how she recounts her life and separate memories that wouldn’t seem like they have much to do with another, but she makes them all flow into each other. Its truly just flawless.

To wrap it up as a poem without spoiling too many specifics, the ending is done so well because of how she wraps everything back, and even makes the ending line a new punch. It made me think back to the poem, and brought a completely new element.

All in all, this collection is stunning, and I might just frame it for my dorm room.

American Pie

A long long time ago
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they’d be happy for a while

But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn’t take one more step

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
Something touched me deep inside
The day the music died

In the February of 1959, three rock and roll legends (Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens) died in a plane crash. Twelve years later, Don McLean would respond to the heart-breaking and monumental day in history with his song American Pie and refer to it as “the day the music died.” McLean has been interviewed countless times about the song and it’s meaning, but he never wanted to give one. It wasn’t until April of 2015 that he finally gave a purpose. “Basically in American Pie things are heading in the wrong direction. … It [life] is becoming less idyllic. I don’t know whether you consider that wrong or right but it is a morality song in a sense.”

Now, for ten years we’ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But, that’s not how it used to be

When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me

Oh and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned

And while Lennon read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singin’

McLean referenced to many more legends in the song, “The jester” is thought to be Bob Dylan. “the king” and “queen” assumed to be Peter Seger and Joan Baez. They were all big names in the folk music industry in the early 60s. The other “King” is Elvis Presley. He was drafted during this time, and while he was at war, Dylan “stole his crown” when he started changing genres a little. (The courtroom line is about the Kennedy assassination and Lee Harvey Oswald being killed, and therefore, never convicted.) James Dean is a given, as is John Lennon and the Beatles becoming political. I feel he is trying to say that before the accident, rock and roll was booming, but after, everyone lost their sound, even the biggest and greatest. “The moss grows fat on the rolling stone.” says to me that there wasn’t much to sing along to anymore. “We sang dirges in the dark” is referencing the death of John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, which all happened in the 60s.

Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast

It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance

‘Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
We started singin’

Charles Manson killed a bunch of people in the summer of 68′ because he thought the Beatles song “Helter Skelter” was angels telling him to kill people. A group called The Bryds got really popular, then busted for illegal substances and sent to rehab. The “players” are protesters, and the song begins to discuss the movement against the government and Vietnam. The Beatles changed the standard of music around this time, and it became something to listen to, instead of dance. “Do you recall what was revealed?” The generation failed. The government was beyond fixing. McLean wasn’t a fan of the 60s.

Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die

Okay so American Pie is an almost 9 minute song. There are 3 other verses that I don’t have the word count to go over, but McLean goes on to talk about Woodstock, the moon landing, and then the second Woodstock that ended with Hell’s Angels beating and killing people while under the influence. That ended the 60s, and McLean seems to think of it as all a waste. He then talks about the death of Janis Joplin, the Kent State murders, and the Death of God in our nation.

This song is a history lesson, and that is why I appreciate it so much. It’s so very dark, and you couldn’t tell much if you just listened unconsciously. It doesn’t have much of a sad tune, which I really enjoy. I really appreciate McLean for vocalizing how he felt and teaching people so much with just a single song. Honestly the whole song is left to interpretation, he never gave an actual meaning, but based on what I know and other opinions, this is what I think.

http://www.whrc-wi.org/americanpie.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pie_(song)

Little King John: The Flood, a Review

Little King John: The Flood, is a 12 episode YouTube series created by Ratboy Genius. The show is tied in with two other series by the creator- Ratboy Genius Dreams Minecraft and Starship Genius.

The series follows king John, who’s kingdom has been obliterated by a great flood. He is alone on his yacht, until stumbling upon a sole survivor on a small patch of land. King John takes in the survivor, known as “Sneezy.” Together, the two rebuild his kingdom on a new land, making new friends along the way.

ANIMATION

The animation of the series is, admittedly, not that great. However, the animation does not take away anything from this series. I fully believe one can enjoy all the episodes without caring that this was made in Minecraft. At times, King John stretches considerably far lengths. It is unnatural, and yet it is somehow intense. It adds to the scene, rather than being unnatural to the point it takes away.

(1/5)

VOICE ACTING

Something that’s interesting about Little King John, The Flood, is that there are no human voice actors. The voices are all robotic. While each voice is different and unique to each character, there are times this doesn’t work well. For example, In a song where King John and Sneezy confront each other via song, their voices have trouble blending, and don’t harmonize well. In other instances, a voice may be hard to understand and require subtitles. I don’t hold this against the creator though, as I know these types of things take lots of time, and budget may be an issue.

(1/5)

MUSIC

This specific series has a small intro to each episode. The short clip of music is incredibly catchy, and can vary in intensity depending on the mood of the episode. I can genuinely say no other series has made me cry based on a 10 second clip of music having more brass sounds than the episode before. There aren’t a ton of songs in the actual show, but the ones that are fit well in context. In one episode, King John has a nightmare of his past regrets. The eeriness of the song gives off a fast paced, scary tone. In another episode, they introduce a character via song.

While Little King John, The Flood is not a musical, it’s musical aspects help add interesting effects to the series as a whole.

(3/5)

STORY

Upon first viewing, the watcher may judge this series. one may think it wouldn’t have the potential to have a good, complex story line. However, it still has all the elements needed for a good story. characters, plot, conflict, etc…

While King John had the right amount of motives and character development, there are just a couple of issues. I do feel as though the series was ended rather abruptly, and some things left unanswered. Some characters are left without much development or solving the issue at hand. my biggest concern came around the last few episodes, in which Sneezy reveals he is not who King John thought him to be, and the Caterpillar Minister left us with a puzzling question about King John’s true abilities.

(4/5)

Overall, I would give Little King John: The Flood a 3 out of 5. I grew quite attached to all the characters, and the series has become near and dear to my heart. I would recommend giving it a watch!

Have you seen Little King John: The Flood? If so, let me know what you think!

Jesus Of Suburbia

Jesus of Suburbia is a song I have listened to repetitively since about the seventh grade. I can sing every word, I know it forwards and backwards, but the symbolism in every line never seizes to amaze me.

The first line dives right into the heart of the story, “I’m the son of rage and love, the Jesus of suburbia.” I always loved this beginning. It’s a hook line that wraps you into the song. it progresses to talk about he is”the bible of none of the above on a steady diet of soda pop and Ritalin.” This line delves into the personality of the character from which he is writing.

In the music video, the main character is a punk, which fits perfectly to what the lyrics explain who he is. The character is supposed to show the face of teenage culture at the time. It was released in 2005, a time where pop and punk where the for runners of fame. This character is convinced he is fine, and that everyone else just doesn’t understand him. I picked this up from the lines, “and there is nothing wrong with me, this is how I’m supposed to be, in a land of make believe that don’t believe in me.”

This song is nearly ten minutes long, and is basically a collection of different songs that fit just right together. After the first “song,” if I may, the tune slows down to a more serious tone. some of my favorite lyrics are in this verse.

It begins with the line, “at the center of the earth in the parking lot of the 7-11 where I was taught, the motto was just a lie.” I love this line so much. it is saying that the main characters whole world is small town America. The center of the earth to him is this gas station where everyone goes to hang out. The song moves on to say, “it says home is where your heart is, but what a shame, because everyone’s heart doesn’t beat the same.” This line does really give meaning to the character’s emotion, but if I am honest, I just really adore that line and wanted to include it.

“I read the graffiti in the bathroom stall like the holy scripture of the shopping mall.” this just shows more of how stuck in this little place he is. This life, in other words, has become a religion. And, symbolically, he is the Jesus of suburbia.

He is a run of the mill punk. This is showing how some people in this time (and honestly now) truly felt at this young point. There is a line that really shows the attitude of the character, and it is repeated several times in a row, “I don’t care if you don’t- I don’t care if you don’t care”

Eventually, the character becomes fed up with the people he is surrounded by:

“Everyone’s so full of it
Born and raised by hypocrites
Hearts recycled but never saved
From the cradle to the grave
We are the kids of war and peace
From Anaheim to the Middle East
We are the stories and disciples of
The Jesus of suburbia.”

These are amazing, to the point ways to show the attitude of teenagers at this point in time, especially punks in a suburban area. The song ends as the character is leaving his home. He is done with all the people in his little town, and he wants to be free.

This was a really popular song at one point, and basically became an anthem for all the kids who felt this way. Though the character is a stereotype, the symbolism and poetic verses make this song beautiful

Annelies’s Song

Today, I will be doing a review on the song “The People in the Attic” by Ice Nine Kills. I might be a bit partial to this song because when I was younger, I looked up to Anne Frank. She was my role model, and I used to aspire to have the same impact on the world that she did. You know, minus the Holocaust and dying in a concentration camp. I hope that never happens. As a small preface, the song is based off of Anne Frank’s diary and what could have been her experience when she was in the attic. For anyone who may be unfamiliar with Anne Frank, she was a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl who was forced to go into hiding with her family to avoid being captured by the Nazis during World War II. The Frank family had gone into hiding in 1942, and after two years of living in the annex, police officers stormed the small shop they were hiding in and arrested a total of ten people (two of them were helpers) on August 4, 1944. Anne was sent to the notorious concentration camp Auschwitz originally, then to Bergen-Belsen where she passed away of typhus at the age of fifteen. She is known for the diary she kept during her time in hiding.

The song focuses mostly on the literary aspect of Anne Frank’s experience, and the effort that the band went through to create the song is incredible to me. Some lines of the song are direct quotes of Frank’s diary, showing that there was at least some method of thought for the song. For example, they pull the quote “It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality” from her diary. I don’t know if it was intentional, but that quote (or line, however you’d like to take it) was written less than a month before Anne Frank and her family were arrested from the attic – close to the end of her life, basically. Yet the band chose to use that as the opening line for the song. I just find it ironic to use that particular quote.

The lead singer and writer of the song, Spencer Charnas, tries his best to portray the fear, frustration, and hopelessness that would have been a general experience in the annex. The lines “They’re getting closer and closer to me/Stripping my dignity with every brick as it’s broken/Stealing hope from my whole family” shows how belittling it must have been to have to give up everything just because of what religion they practiced. Her father had to sell his business; her whole family had to give up their lives and pack it all into a series of cramped rooms that had to be shared with six other strangers. I just love the dedication Charnas put into the storyline of the song because Anne Frank deserved nothing less than that, and if not, more. I know that Anne Frank might seem to be a bit overrated to some people, but please give the song a listen and take a tour of the Annex!

Brown Skin Girl Review

This moment is very bittersweet for me. My first blog as a senior, and last first blog as an MSA student. Agh! For my first post, I would like to review a verse a few verses of Brown Skin Girl by Beyoncé Knowles featuring Blue Ivy, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, and Saint Jhn. The first two I am reviewing says:

Tonight I might fall in love, dependin’ on how you hold me

I’m glad that I’m calmin’ down, can’t let no one come control me

Keep dancin’ and call it love, she fightin’ but fallin’ slowly

If ever you are in doubt, remember what mama told me

This verse sounds like something that should be in an inspirational book for teenage girls. The lines, “can’t let no one come control me”, “she fightin’ but fallin’ slowly”, and “remember what mama told me” gives me those vibes.

Brown skin girl, ya skin just like pearls

Your back against the world

I never trade you for anybody else, say

Brown skin girl, ya skin just like pearls

The best think inna di world

I never trade you for anybody else, say

This verse gives me a young mother talking to her five or seven-year-old daughter, boosting her confidence. I think these lines are the most impactful because of the context. Also, although I do believe it could account for EVERY black female on this Earth, it just feels more-so targeted towards the younger (ages four to about ten) little girls. I am a firm believer in starting early, in regards to telling a child just how perfect they are. Comparing melanin skin to pearls is brilliant. I think it is most important to say, “your back against the world”. I would even go as far as to say your back against the world because the world can and will turn its’ back on you.

Here is the next part:

–

Have you looked in the mirror lately?

Wish you could trade eyes with me

There’s complexities in complexion

But your skin, it glow like diamonds

Dig me like the earth, you be giving birth

Took everything in life, baby, know your worth

I love everything about you, from your nappy curls

To every single curve, your body natural

Same skin that was broken be the same skin takin’ over

Most thinks out of focus, view

But when you’re in the room, they notice you

‘Cause you’re beautiful

I feel like these lines are targeted more towards the adult of the female AA race. I think this just based off of her saying “you be giving birth”. I also think it has an undertone about post-partum depression because she says, “know your worth”. I enjoyed that she referenced the stereotypes and somewhat facts of the naps and curves. I do also believe that she sort of referenced herself when she said “same skin takin’ over” because she is Queen Bey, you know? I am glad she said that being noticed is because of the beauty and not for obvious other reasons.

The last line I would like to review is:

“YOUR SKIN IS NOT ONLY DARK; IT SHINES AND IT TELLS YOUR STORY.”

This is the most important line for EVERY BLACK PERSON. I think it makes a statement since it is at the end.

Overall, the message of the song is amazing. I do thoroughly enjoy that it has an African tone in the words. The song is great. I strongly recommend it.

The Rose That Grew From Concrete – A Poetry Collection

Many people knew the late Tupac Shakur as a legend – one of the original kings of rap. He inspired many people of his time of glory and fame to express themselves through rap and speak their truths with words. His words touched the hearts of artists and non-artists and people like The Hate U Give‘s author, Angie Thomas. He was the Tupac. Though he was musically poetic, there are those who aren’t familiar with his literary works and if they are, they only know about The Rose That Grew From Concrete, the poem; however, The Rose That Grew From Concrete is not just a poem. It is an autobiographical poetry collection filled with descriptors and analogical words that en-captured Tupac Shakur as the man that he was – the man he wanted the world to see.

One tactic that is seen throughout his poetry is embedded in the language used throughout the collection. In fact, it isn’t hard to find. It’s in plain sight, hiding no secrets from the reader. It was a way of being raw and showing the audience that he had nothing to hide from them. This was his heart on paper – in words. Tupac used what we call today “texting slang”. Of course, that would not be the first thing I’d say about his writing scheme while talking to another about the work at hand. However, a lot of the language is shorthand. He used letters and numbers like ‘u’ and ‘2’ for ‘you’ and ‘to’. It was very simplistic. Although, I do believe he purposely wrote in that way to emphasize the underlying message and the power behind it. His words showed that even if you don’t speak in big words and fancy phrases doesn’t mean you don’t have power in your words. You just have to listen and pay attention regardless of speech or education or your background.

Another genius tactic that Tupac utilized was the length of his poetry. Most of his poems are under a minute long and a lot of the time he wrote in one brief stanza. In doing so, he gives the reader a longer opportunity to let the words sink in. An example of such from the collection is his poem What of Fame?. The poem is three lines long and he uses little capitalization. The words are brief and short. However, after even the first read, the reader gets an “ahh” moment. The words are short and simple but the many meanings that it carries gives the words baggage, making them heavy on the tongue, heart, and mind. The shortness of the poems overall could also be interpreted as the shortness life holds. Nearly all of Tupac’s poems addressed the baggage of life and what it was like to live in his shoes. He spoke the pain of life. In doing so, he added to the pain of life by providing the shortness of it in his words and stanzas. Brief, but heavy.

Tupac wanted to touch the hearts of many in this poetry collection. He was raw and allowed himself to spill his guts to those who dared to read. It is safe to say that any reader of this collection should be grateful to have read art. There is no recreation to his work – it stands alone. It stands tall and though short, they carry more heaviness and baggage than most people could imagine their lives having. That was the life of Tupac Shakur.