Discussion thread 1

Paul's weaknest is the moment whereby he lose money and all that will make him feel sad, even to the point whereby he goes crazy and mad, ruining every single thing and finally his life. That is why he was unable to live to the age of seventy. The cards were stacked against him by his greed and weaknesses. Everything was ruined, by the hands of the winner. Although he was lucky in winning the race bets, he did not had the ultimate luck of living till the age of seventy. Perhaps that was the result of his weakness.

Discussion thread 2

Tay Soon was haunted by his greed of money when the market stocks suddenly go on a downstride. He certainly did not want to give up when he lost all his gains and was hoping to gain back his money. It was hopeless and yet he endured on, hoping a miracle will happen, having the blazing desire to win back, to take revenge, to bring back the nerves, the time, the brain. Everything was brought down to nothing after all the efforts are wasted because of greed.

Lottery

Ah Boh was simply mad about her lottery. She had translated all the objects that she think could be her 'lucky number' into the numbers she think that will win the lottery. From dreams, to newborns and even accidents. She did not cared much about the bodies of the accident as she is fasinated about the money that she will win but it will not come by easily.

The Rocking Horse Winner

I think it was Oscar Cresswell and Bassett the garderner and partly the mother's fault. If Oscar and Basset have not lent him the few pounds he will never go into horse-racing gambling. Now that he is winning more and more, he sort of gone crazy. The mother who wanted to send him to the seaside decided not to at the end and that was her mistake. If she had stopped him he will not die of his craziness over luck.

1. I think that the author longed to return to the past where days were carefree. He also thought about the funny moments. He felt the warmth of his school life and wished he could go back and experience it once again for it is a wonderful memory. Its the goodness of those days that I think he wanted to remain forever at the carefree days of school life.

2. I am writing a poem of 4 stanzas of couplets below. It was when I am still young and childish. My memories came to me and I composed the poem.

It was those days,
That my precious time flew away.

I flunk all my homework,
And my examination results are junk.

Talking about computer games?
I can name a thousand of their names.

So what about my friends?
They always ask me to go and play LAN.

I like the poet named Jane Taylor (23 September 1783 – 13 April 1824), was an English poet and novelist. Together with her sister, Ann Taylor, they composed the poem Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Although this was Taylor’s most famous piece of work, the poem was almost always uncredited,
"Its opening stanza persists as if it were folklore, the name of its creator almost entirely forgotten.” Quoted from the information on wikipedia. This was the part whereby it captured my attention totally, causing me to read deeper and soon know her more. Such a great masterpiece, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, which was as today used worldwide but she was uncredited and the authorship was generally forgotten.
Jane and Ann’s early work have often been confused of authorship as they were often published together. Ann Taylor's son, Josiah Gilbert, wrote in her biography, "two little poems–'My Mother,' and 'Twinkle, twinkle, little Star,' are perhaps, more frequently quoted than any; the first, a lyric of life, was by Ann, the second, of nature, by Jane; and they illustrate this difference between the sisters."
The sisters were born in an extensive literary family with their mother writing many works of advice and their father an engraver and later a dissenting minister. Such advantages may allow the sisters to be influenced with the art of poetry and to let them have the potential to become famous.
When Jane Taylor died of cancer at an age of 40 years old, her mind is still “teeming with unfulfilled projects.” A quote from wikipedia. She had certainly published many famous works but the authorship forgotten, she was still a renowned English poet and novelist worldwide, or at least in Enlgand. After about two centuries have passed after her composing of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, people from all over the world are still using the poem for kids. Well I can say that 2 centuries of wear and tear could not tear down the twinkling stars high up in the sky!


Below are the 3 poems i have found:

The Violet

Down in a green and shady bed,
A modest violet grew;
Its stalk was bent, it hung its head
As if to hide from view.
And yet it was a lovely flower,
Its colour bright and fair;
It might have graced a rosy bower,
Instead of hiding there.

Yet thus it was content to bloom,
In modest tints arrayed;
And there diffused a sweet perfume
,
Within the silent shade.

Then let me to the valley go
This pretty flower to see;
That I may also learn to grow
In sweet humility.

The Village Green

On the cheerful village green,
Skirted round with houses small,
All the boys and girls are seen,
Playing there with hoop and ball.

Now they frolic hand in hand,
Making many a merry chain;
Then they form a warlike band,
Marching o'er the level plain.

Now ascends the worsted ball,
High it rises in the air,
Or against the cottage wall,
Up and down it bounces there.

Then the hoop, with even pace,
Runs before the merry throngs;
Joy is seen in every face,
Joy is heard in cheerful songs.

Rich array, and mansions proud,
Gilded toys, and costly fare,
Would not make the little crowd
Half so happy as they are.

Then, contented with my state,
Where true pleasure may be seen,
Let me envy not the great,
On a cheerful village green.

The Disappointment

In tears to her mother poor Harriet came,
Let us listen to hear what she says:
"O see, dear mamma, it is pouring with rain,
We cannot go out in the chaise.

"All the week I have long'd for this holiday so,
And fancied the minutes were hours;
And now that I'm dress'd and all ready to go,
Do look at those terrible showers! “

"I'm sorry, my dear, " her kind mother replied,
The rain disappoints us to-day;
But sorrow still more that you fret for a ride,
In such an extravagant way.

"These slight disappointments are sent to prepare
For what may hereafter befall;
For seasons of real disappointment and care,
Which commonly happen to all.

"For just like to-day with its holiday lost,
Is life and its comforts at best:
Our pleasures are blighted, our purposes cross'd,
To teach us it is not our rest.

"And when those distresses and crosses appear,
With which you may shortly be tried,
You'll wonder that ever you wasted a tear
On merely the loss of a ride.

"But though the world's pleasures are fleeting and vain,
Religion is lasting and true;
Real pleasure and peace in her paths you may gain,
Nor will disappointment ensue.”


Bibliography:
http://www.poemhunter.com/jane-taylor/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Taylor

Why do I like the poem?

I like the poem because I can see that the writer fit in a lot of descriptions about the objects and they all comes together to become a very descriptive and interesting poem to read. The author also uses some repetition of words to make the words capture the attention of readers. He even used some non-English words which also capture my attention as it is fresh and only some poems have non-English words. I think this poem is well-written and is also very descriptive.

The Bear-men of Qolqepunku
(or: the magical ice of Peru)

(Foreshadow)

High up in the Andes of Peru
The Ukukus wander on

Glacier, frost and snow

Dressed in furry clocks and masks
They trek to find the mountains ice

Of sacred healing powers

The Bear-men, they are called:
In the old language of the Quechua;

Guardians of the ice

They cut the ice in solid blocks
Carried on backs, down mountain paths,

To family, friends, and livestock

Ah! Sixteen-thousand feet high, comes
A pilgrimage Qoyllur Rit i' ?

Year, after year, after year.

The Bear-men-, silently watch
Their glacier, slowly disappear

As if in thin air!...

They've now decide to leave the ice
The magical ice of Peru, in place

As warming temperatures rise?

This is helping the Ice Cap
Evaporate, in the 21st Century-

Perhaps this is a whisper?

"Is this the world's end?"



This poem is by Mr, Dennis Siluk

"Guardians of the ice" (Personification)
In this case guardians were personified and the author used it to make it look important.

"Their glacier, slowly disappear
As if in thin air!... " (Hyperbole)
The author use hyperbole to make the phrase above look strong.

Who is your favourite/least favourite character in Village by the Sea? State your reasons.

In this case, I think that Hari is the main character and I liked him best. What are my reasons? It is simple. He works hard and even left his hometown and went to Bombay whereby he was totally new and unfit in his new environment. Even all the difficulties and setbacks he experienced through his progress of adapting to the new environment, he showed no sign of complain and he continued to do his best and did well in his job. As the story goes by towards the ending, Hari did make some money and he was able to support in the medical fees of his ill mother. Everything was back to normal in the end, his mother well away from the illness and his father who has turned over a new leaf. All's well that ends well !

Comment please.

Which part of Village by the Sea do you like best?

In my opinion, i guess that the part whereby the book informs us that Hari has reached Bombay and he was sort of left alone, or you can say it in an unpleasant way, isolated. That part of the book captured my attention the most and I regard it as the climax of the story. You may be asking, "Don't you think that the part whereby Hari's father turn over a new leaf is a more suitable climax?" Well I think that its not because Hari was left alone and he did not have a roof over his head at all at first! That is the part which kept my interest to continue reading what that village boy would do. This is only a short part of the whole book Vilaage by the Sea, but it is a so called "Attention Seeker".

Comment please.