Native American Piece- The Trail of Tears

"Mile after mile and day after day
Our people are fewer with each rising sun
Disease and starvation they take their terrible toll
And though we suffer still we march on…
On the Trail of Tears "


Childers, Brian "The Trails of Tears".1998. 18 March, 2008 http://users.ap.net/~chenae/natpoem.html




Reflection:

In this poem they were searching for their land because the Americans had came over and chase them away. Now they were trying to return home. The journey was a long journey because they were searching for something they didnt know where it was. This was draining all of the native american's energy because they were hungry and many had sicknesses and many were just plain tired. Since they were carring diesases, many of the people's sickness was getting worst whichwas a major cause of death. The man in the poem his wife had died in his arms because of her sickness. As the journey takes a toll on the man he falls, and dies. His spirit was lifted into the sky and he was on a new journey to a better home.


Diary

Dear Diary,
We have been walking all day. I ahvent had anything to eat or drink. We are just trying to find our way back home. Those Americans ran us out of our hunt. O Goodness, this man just lost wife right in his hands. I think i have some type of disease because i getting weaker by the day. I feel like i cant go any futher. This might be my last time writing in my journal Farewell John Doe

Thomas Paine- The Crisis

Reflection: In this selection Thomas Paine expresses his feelings about the polititcal decisisons that were being made in society. He also says that God can the solution to all the problems that were happening and always . Another thing he proves is unless the people take a stand the government will keep making all the decisions. Paine is bascially want to the country to be a better place to live through the grace of God.

Diary Entry:



Dear Diary,
I really want to change the community before it is ran into the ground. The government isnt making it any better. I think as people we should stand up for what believe. Its like the people in the world is in this be prison and the government is the guards and they keep dangling the keys in our face. If we reach far enough we will be able to reach the keys and set ourselves free. With the power of God and the faith we can make this world a better place. I dont think people understand without faith in God nothing can be accomplished. Its



From,

Thomas Paine

Slave Narrative -Olidah Equiano's account of the Middle Passage

http://www.janaedwards.com/AmericanLit.html

"I believe there are few events in my life which have not happened to many; it is true the incidents of it are numerous, and, did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were great; but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I regard myself as a particular favorite of heaven, and acknowledge the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life."

Reflection:
This is a great piece of literature. In this narrative, Equaino shares the story of life as a slave. I glad that we have some type message from a slave from the past who could tell what life was really like as a slave. Even though he was a slave he was able to ge an education which some masters banned from slaves. This also made him better than the uneducated slaves. Education has great power because you are smarter than the normal slave but many masters really didnt want a smart slave because they might be able to out smart them. This man was so bold he stood up for what he thought was right. Such as when the man tried to give him another name but he didnt agree with it. He was punish until he was able to accept the name the man gave him. That incident reminds me of the movies "Roots" when they tried to give the man the toby and he didnt accept it,he was beaten until he could accept it. This prove that this man was a strong minded man. I like the fact that I was able to read something from a past slave.


Diary

Dear Diary,
I am a slave. My life is ruled by the white man. I don't his has control over me because i have one of the most powerful things, education. With my education I think that I am better than the uneducated slaves. I feel as if I am a strong willed person who stands up for what I believe. The other day they tried to change my name. I told him that wasn't my name, he actually beat until accepted the name that he gave me. I feel that was so disrespectful, he tried to take my pride from me. I think slavery is wrong and it should stop. No one person should be able to control no other person because of the color of their skin. Everyone was created equally by God so everyone should be treated equally.

Jonathan Edwards Poem

Sinners at the hand of a Angry God.

"They deserve to be cast into hell; so that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God's using his power at any moment to destroy them. Yea, on the contrary, justice calls aloud for an infinite punishment of their sins. Divine justice says of the tree that brings forth such grapes of Sodom, "Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?" Luke 13:7."


http://www.piney.com/JonEdwSinHands.html








Reflection:


In the piece of literature it discusses the consequences of bad decisions. I really like this passage because he uses bible verses to refer to. In the passage there are some things that i disagree with such ,"They deserve to be cast into hell". Every bad person shouldn't automatically be cast into hell, some people deserve a second chance. How would you feel if you did one bad thing such steal some jeans from j.c. penny, you shouldn't automatically go to hell because of that. But I do agree with when he said there more people making bad or rational decisions and this can make God angry. Another I think that people disobey God have the right to go to hell.


Diary

Dear Diary,
I love living my life even if that means making racial or bad decisions. Sometimes those bad decisions lead to conquences or punish. I know I am just being human because every human make bad decisions at one point in their life. God wouldnt have put us on this if he knew that we wouldnt make any bad decision. If anyone in the world wouldnt make some type of bad decision we would be considered perfect and the only perfect persons is God and Jesus. Although people that make more than one bad decision or one really bad decison should be cast to hell, and the Devil is welcome to have his or her soul.

Edward Taylor Poem

Huswifery

http://www.puritansermons.com/poetry/taylor14.htm

Reflection:

In this poem the author, Taylor describes how he wants God to make him complete. He basically saying how his wants God's guidance to guide him through life. To tell how God made him complete he using different types of literature such as metaphors and imagery. The imagery in the poem has a purpose, the spinning wheel is the start of the process, knitting is how the word is connecting with him, the flyer's is the feeling or emotions that he feels of the process, and a spool is his hope, faith and the guidance that the holy spirit gave him. By him using imagery or these types of pictures its easier for the reader to connect with the poem and the author.





Diary:



God,

In need you now, in my time of need. I want you to make me over, complete me Lord. I want you see me a spinning wheel and your the one spinning it. The knitting part should be easy because i have direct words from you, the Holy Bible. Lord, please cloth me with the garments that you provide me for my completion.

In all these things I ask,
Lord please complete me.

Bradstreet Poem- By Night when Others Soundly Slept

"By night when others soundly slept
And hath at once both ease and Rest,
My waking eyes were open kept
And so to lie I found it best. "


http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/209.html



Reflection:

In this poem she is basically expressing her feelings for God and what God does to her. It sinteresting how she says when everyone is sleep she makes this connection with god. To express her feelings to God she uses rhyme. This poems makes me think about when Im up late a night and lots of things are running through I look to God for answers, help and guidence. When you make connections, such as the one i made, you are able to connect with the author on a higher level.


Diary

Dear Diary,

At night we I lay in bed my mind starts to wonder, but most of the time my mind is focus on God. Its like I am able to make a deeper connection with God. As I wonder and think about God it brings me closer to him. I feel as if he is really alive and is a earthly friend. Even though I know he is just my heavenly friend. Sometimes I think about when he died on the cross for our sins, I have nothing to repay with. Also I think about what life was like when Jesus was alive, and if i was sick would he be able to heal me or is evolution is even real. Another thing that stays on my mind is was the move "Passion of Christ", did all that stuff really occur. From, Anne Bradstreet

Bradstreet Poem

To My Dear and Loving Husband

"My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray. "

http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bradstreet/bradhyp.htm


Reflection:

In this poem she is expressing her feeling for her husband. She just doesn't come out and say i love but she uses things to express how she feels. In this poem, I its great how she expresses her love for her husband. She is passionate for her husband which is her tone. In the line "My love is such that rivers cannot quench" she compares her love to rivers. By her saying this she uses personification, her love is thristy. She also uses inversion, paradox, imagery, and rhyming couplets. In this poem, i think she was feeling happy or even exited because of the wording and the tone of the poem.


Diary


Dear Diary

I love my husband with all my heart and soul. Without him i think that i wouldn't be able to function correctly. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful and loving husband. He is able to uplift my soul with his presence. He feels me up with joy and happiness. He is like air, I cant live without him. He is food when I'm starving, he is water to my flower, he is minutes to my phone.
Love,
Anne Bradstreet

William Bradford

http://spider.georgetowncollege.edu/english/coke/bradford.htm

Read from Of Plymouth Plantation.


Political Cartoon: Immigration

















Reflection:


In "Of Plymouth Plantation", it discussed the difficulties and accomplishments that the people had and how God helped them while trying to reach Cape Cod. While on the trip there was a young man who thought he was best and nobody was better than him except God. But the thing he fail to realize that he wasn't better than everyone. So God had too break him down and teach him lessons about how everyone are equal in their own ways. Finally they reached Cape cod through the will of almighty God. Even though they had to go jump over many hurdles, cross swim through many seas and fights many fires to reach Cape God. After reaching Cape Cod they had to figure out how to supply for themselves. That's when the fight began. These Indians were determined to defeat the enemies. I think fighting is not always the best solution but sometimes you have do things that you dont like. After the fight the men were scared, they didnt know if there was going to be a round two or a sneak attack.

Diary

Dear Diary,

God, if you are out there we really need you. I don't what we are to do. I am so tried of this man boosting about how he is better than us. What this man doesn't know is that God created us all equally. The man that thinks he is better than us just caught some type of disease. This should prove to him that he isn't better than us. God is probably punishing him for thinking that he was better than us. We have finally reached Cape Cod. The new place is so strange. We really where we are going to sleep, what we are going eat and drink. We have just spotted a river, which means water and maybe fish. We have to build some type of house or camp so we can sleep. We are learning many things on this new land. We have seen some some new people. These people are wearing feathers on their head, that's weird. They dont seem very friendly, they are looking at us as of we did something wrong. This must be their land we have just settled on. I think we have just started a war between these people. The fight is on. We just help defend these weird looking people against some more weird looking people. We just defeated our opponents.