Poetry in Motion

Hi everyone, post any questions you might have on the poems being covered in class, or any poems you like and want me to cover in class, or just simply any general questions about poetry or literature in general. Don't be shy!

You could even ask questions about your favourite songs, if you want help in deciphering their meanings.

Hi Mr. Tan,
How does learning poetry and literature help us in the future when we grow up?

If you grow up to love literature, you will realise it would probably be the most important subject of all.

Firstly, it teaches you how to write. A big part of life involves penning down your thoughts, opinions and feelings about something. Literature gives you that grounding for learning how to write well. (personally, i believe language and maths to be the two most important subjects that give u grounding for most things in life)

Secondly, literature teaches you how to appreciate, not just the finer things in life, but also to be able to look at things from a myriad of perspectives. A lot of people who grow up without this ability end up being very shallow, narrow-minded and more likely to be prejudiced people.

Next, literature allows you to see the bigger picture - what is our purpose here on this earth? Why are you studying so hard? Many of the themes and subject matter that you will cover in literature deal with human nature (both the good side and the dark side), humanity and everyday issues. You don't get to really think about these things or talk about them in your other subjects. It is PRECISELY that you ask how literature can "benefit" you that makes it beneficial. Not everything in this life has to be of a practical purpose. If you want to live a full life, enjoying what you do, you must be able to sit back and not stress yourself out wondering what the practical value of everything is.

Finally, literature really teaches you to be literate. It gives you skills that allow you to have access to difficult and obscure texts that can potentially offer you entertainment, catharsis (go find out what this means), new perspectives and to understand other cultures or to establish a link between other cultures and yours. Your ability to read a book now is bcause you already possess some of these skills. now is the time to take these skills to the next level so that you are able to read more difficult texts.

Cool Mr.Tan i read liao also want sleep .. thanks for making me tired

wth how can u say that...
must respect others sia u..
huever u are lar...
pls dont like spam and ask questions here??!

lol Giggs =x

once again, i hope you guys start asking questions. don't make me "force" you all to do it. haha.

it's always good to ask questions. really helps you to learn. and I'm sure some of you would have a lot to ask! Deosn't have to be related to the poems we discussed in class.

remember to be at your best tmr! coffee treat on me if all goes well. let you all know more about tmr once it's over. heh.

ohh!!so ppl rmb to stay gd for mr tan's lesson!!
and mr tan will treat us to starbucks!!!
(ok i hope the last part will come true.i am like making it up only )

I hate coffee. Can change?

lol wilfred. got coffee already very good don't complain.

by the way mr tan, the poem "A Martian Sends a Postcard home" the 6th stanza, (the one about rain is when earth is television...) what is the object that the alien is trying to say? I can't figure it out. \(>_<)/

Rain is when the earth is television.
It has the properties of making colours darker.

The persona is talking about rain. Note how the sentence is organised - rain IS....

The persona is describing the effects of rain and how it looks like television static and how it makes everything else look slightly darker. Think about how things look like when you peer out of your window when it is raining heavily. Doesn't it seem like there's some veil clouding your perception of things? That would be similar to television static.

Keep the questions coming!

Hope you guys liked the lesson today. I picked those two poems because I thought you would find them interesting. I thought you were all quite shy to speak up - a bit too well behaved. haha! Teachers always like a good balance between responsiveness and being orderly. But overall it went quite well and I will keep to my word of treating all of you to something! Any ideas? (Post on annoucement thread) Not starbucks - I don't have enough money and starbucks doesn't have enough space for 40.

COFFEE TIME ! LOL the Mr.Whatever SIAO seems happy lol

Who is Mr.Whatever SIAO o.o"

Oh, tat guy =x

Oh I see. so throughout the poem from the 1st to the 8th poem, the persona has already sated what he is saying while in the rest of the stanzas, he did not state specifically but prompts what he is trying to describe?

So , Mr.Tan Whens our coffee ? Not coffee shop please ,

Giggs you treat? =D

ok i treat , no problem .. With MrTan $ .. don have so much money with me .. a coffee will be $3 in starbucks .. 3x40 = ? 120

mai kopi. ai milo

wah giggs ur maths very good hor? -_-"'
anyways maybe wan book SRR then go there like buy cakes or sth?
and wad is caxton?(from the poem)
i thought the answer for that stanza is book or something?...

shit!! sry mr tan forgot hand in compre, lesson too interesting. i'll hand in tmr. XD

I found a cool alliteration song!!!!
These are the lyrics:
Abase the abbess and abbott in the abbey. I’ll be abdicating abdominal abdomen abductions abbedded in abhorrent abhorrences abjuring to abject and able-bodied abnormal abidances abominating abominable abominations with aboriginal aborigines and above-board abrasions. Abridging abraided abridgements by abrupt absent-minded absences of absolution. Absolving and absorbing absorptions, abstaining from abstinence and the abundant absurd abusive abyss. These academic academies accelerating to accept accessible access to accessories, acclaiming accomodating accomplished accomplices accosted on account of accordians accredited with accumulating accurate accuracy and accusing accusatory accusations. Aching acids acknowledge acknowledgements, acquisitions acquiescing to acquit acquittance with acrid actionable actuality and adamant actuaries adhering to addled adherences. Adjacent admissible administrators admonish admonition and adoration, adulterating advents. Adverse advisory advocacies advocating affable aerial aeronautics affecting affirmitive affiliations affixed to affluence and afterthoughts afoot in the agglomerated aggrivated aggression. Aghast with agile agitations and airy ailments akin to alabaster alacrity or albino alchemy in alcohol alcoves of alienated alien aliases and alleged allegories in alliances and allies alleviated.

link for song

i wan coffee! i wan cofffffeeee zor! coffee FTW! esp starbucks coffee. =D
btw mr tan i feel im very wad sia. as a chairman i should be the one who asks more questions, but i am like.. sorry arh. sometimes i srsly could not think of much questions to ask..

1st - 8th stanza, not poem.

the rain and mist are mentioned explcitly. Caxton - google william caxton, he has an important role to play in the development of books.

dun tok about the coffee here. ill chip in 60 bucks, u guys decide what u want k? haha.

Abase the abbess and abbott in the abbey

Lol. Is this an allusion to Mdm Abbey?