Entry 1_Nguyễn Thị Nụ

Belows are my items for the first Critical thinking entry. Hope that they are interesting to you. Please read and give me some comments! 

Item 1: Poem ‘Still I rise’ by Maya Angelou

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history   

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt   

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?   

’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells   

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,   

With the certainty of tides,   

Just like hopes springing high,   

Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?   

Bowed head and lowered eyes?   

Shoulders falling down like teardrops,   

Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?   

Don't you take it awful hard

’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines   

Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,   

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds   

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame

I rise

Up from a past that’s rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,   

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,   

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.   

I rise

I rise   

I rise.

Source: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175742

       1.     Rhetorical devices:

a.     Rhyme Scheme

-         Lies – rise (line 2-4)

-         Gloom – room (line 6-8)

-         Tides – rise (line 10-12)

-         Eyes – cries (line 14-16)

-         Hard – yard (line 18-20)

-         Eyes – rise (line 22-24)

-         Wide – rise (line 33-34)

-         Fear – clear (line 35-37)

-         Gave – slave (line 39-40)

b.     Simile:

-         But still, like dust, I'll rise. (line 4)

-         'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells

Pumping in my living room (line 7-8)

-         Just like moons and like suns (line 9)

-         Just like hopes springing high (line 11)

-         Shoulders falling down like teardrops

Weakened by my soulful cries. (line 15-16)

-         'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin' in my own back yard (line 19)

-         But still, like air, I'll rise. (line 24)

-         That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs? (line 28-29)

c.      Rhetorical questions:

-         Does my sassiness upset you? (line 5)

-         Why are you beset with gloom? (line 6)

-         Did you want to see me broken? (line 13)

-         Bowed head and lowered eyes? (line 14)

-         Does my haughtiness offend you? (line 17)

-         Don't you take it awful hard? (line 18)

-         Does my sexiness upset you? (line 25)

-         Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs? (line 26-27-28)

d.     Metaphor:

-         Black ocean (line 33): refers to the black people.

-         oil wells (line 7)

-         gold mines (line 19)

-         diamonds (line 27)

Oil well, gold mines and diamonds are all precious so the  author used these metaphors to impress the value of the black people.

e.      Repetition:

-         You may… (stanzas 1 and 6)

-         Just like… (stanzas 3)

-         But still, like…, I’ll rise (stanzas 1 and 6)

-         I’ll rise (stanzas 1, 3 and 6)

-         I rise (stanzas 8)

        2.     Message:

Even though many people treat black people, especially black women, with prejudice and racial discrimination, they still can be proud of their history, their skin color and their values.

Broader, the poem also show the idea that: Humans are very strong, we have a lot things inside that we can  pride of, and  no one or anything can prevent us from becoming confident and independent.

Item 2: Cartoon

Source: http://neuroskeptic.blogspot.com/2011/05/secondhand-smoke-goes-to-your-head.html

       1.     Rhetorical devices:

a.     Metaphor:

-         The man is an active smoker.

-         The woman is a second-hand smoker (passive smoker)

b.     Symbol:

-         The smoke from the smoker shape into a gun. The gun here refers to the death.

c.      Irony:

-         The man is reading a book about second-hand smoker, which means that he know about bad effects of smoking to others; however, he still makes the woman become a second-hand smoker.

     2.     Message:

Whenever you smoke, you are killing others.

Item 3: A story

Scattered Paper

Once upon a time, a man spread gossip and rumours that his neighbour was a thief. As a result, the police arrested the neighbour and took him to the police station for questioning. After being held in custody for a few days, the young man was found to be innocent, and was released. He decided, however, to sue his accuser for spreading false rumours.

When the case came to court, the man said to the judge: “They were just stories. It was just for fun and my neighbour did not really suffer any harm”.The judge, before announcing his verdict, said to the man:“Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper.Then cut the paper into many small pieces and, on your way home, throw the pieces away on the road. I then want you back here in court tomorrow to hear my verdict.”

Next day in court, the judge said to the man:“Before I give my verdict, I want you to leave the court and go and pick up all the pieces of paper you threw  away yesterday.” Astonished, the accused complained:“I can’t do that. The wind has scattered the pieces all over the place. I’ll never find them!”.

“Precisely,” replied the judge.“Your mean, spiteful rumours have spread and damaged the good reputation of your neighbour in ways that one may never be able to fix. If you cannot speak well of someone, rather don’t say anything at all!” With that, the judge passed a heavy sentence on the man.

Source: http://inspiringshortstories.org/if-you-cannot-speak-well-of-someone-rather-dont-say-anything-at-all/

       1.     Rhetorical devices:

    Metaphor:

The scratted pieces of the paper are what we’ve said. When we say anything, we can’t take it back.

       2.     Message:

Let’s consider your words before saying anything so that they won’t hurt others or hurt yourself.

Thank you for reading my entry! Please feel free to express your ideas. ^^