Performance poetry summarization

Tony Steinberg: Brave Seventh-Grade Viking Warrior

     "Tony Steinberg: Brave Seventh-Grade Viking Warrior" by Taylor Mali describes several of this seventh-grade history class' assignments then all the kids come to class one day and "not one single boy in [the] class had hair." All the kids come to class, knowing their friend who had cancer was there, their actions of laughter, solidarity, and uniform lack of hair is enough to almost make a grown man cry. "It's a beautiful sight" to see all those kids standing in a circle "outside the synagogue" to commemorate their many projects and to burn their miniature viking ship. The main idea of this poem is that no matter who one may be, and what one believes in, bad things can always happen. "You must all work together. Like warriors" is an amazing example of a simile as is compares how the kids need to learn how to work together with the spirit and will of a warrior otherwise they will fall. The best of this poem is how serious the children are when they finally have to face the fact that they will see their friend with cancer and then when they are at the synagogue to see their friend for the final time. One of the key facts to life is that one must keep walking the path of life, no matter what they may trip on, or have to deal with through the years.

Tomatoes

     Shane Koyczan's poem "Tomatoes" compared the memory of the first girl he kissed to tomatoes and that he wanted to live with her near the black with her to make their love last forever. He uses several memories to describe how much he loved this girl. These memories ranged from his "grade 4 ... gym teacher [that] gave me the nick name half-ton" to his experiences when he wrote a note to a girl saying how much he loved her and that "the teacher ... intercepted and read [the note] to the class." That's when Shane realised that it is just a memory, but everyone needs to have memories to remember who they truly are. Realistically, the world's inhabitants conform to each other to fit in but this poem teaches people that they shouldn't "risk losing the detail" of the memories they have, "just [to] make the story fit" and should be savouring the great memories that are had since they are unique and could never be recreated. One of my favourite parts of the poem is the extended metaphor between love and gravity. Gravity is a perfect comparison since Shane himself knew that a black hole "would be the perfect place to love someone" but later on this is contrasted by a quote by Einstein, "Gravity won't be held responsible for people falling in love." Though the most intriguing part of the poem is how relatable it is in every person's life. Memories are to be savoured, not simply lived, and people should learn to accept who they are no matter the thoughts of others.

Paper People

     "Paper people" by Harry Baker contrasted the enjoyment in the world to its corruption and inner problems using a paper world. As a world, people were just paper people living below "paper politicians with their paper-thin policies," and people that lived with a "population [of] people's problems".This poem also described the greed in society in a translucent view, showing the opinions of many different people. One of the points of view was His "aunt [who put] on plays for prisoners" just for the fact that anyone could have been forgiven and to realise some "people ... go out of their way to make your life better" without searching for a reward but personal gratitude. Now in a world that can seem as thin as paper this may not seem like a big deal but it has happened, just think of time of when someone went out of their way and know that "in the end it all comes down to people." Harry also used an incredibly interesting form of alliteration and parallel structure. At the beginning of the poem he added a word to the start of a sentence and then added another in front of that same line on the next line to form a really interesting image in the reader's minds. A piece of magnificent nature is how I described this piece of writing since it really captured how different people can be and that one should accept everyone for who they are but allow them to change. Though the coolest parts of this poem were the interesting comparisons between different actions performed in reality to how much they would affect an illusive "paper world".

Matthew Mackay

Fishing for homework

       As I shuffled into the classroom, I knew that Mr. Van Camp would never believe me. I looked at my scuffed shoes and mumbled, " My homework is not done, Sir. I do have a good excuse though."

       " This is not the first time your homework has not been completed. Perhaps," Mr. Van Camp suggested, "it's time to speak with your parents."

       "Please, you have no idea what will happen to me if you phone my home," I moaned. It looked as if he was going to fall for my story.

      "Well, let's hear your excuse. It better be good."
     
      "Yesterday, at 6 o'clock p.m. I was out fishing with my father just before the sunlight withered into darkness. I awaited the response of the bobber to splash into the water," I whisper, "patiently."

      Mr. Van Camp inquires, "Why were you fishing instead of doing your homework?"

     "I was doing my homework while my time passed upon my canoe."

     "So, what happened to your homework then?" mentions Mr. Van Camp.

     I whisper, "I had felt a swift tug on the rod and I began to pull and the canoe began it's slow descent into the blue water."

     "You know that it's the middle of Winter right?"
   
     "Well, I enjoy the danger," I remark, "of the chilled waters and the taste of their fish that inhabit the darkness below the film of ice. As the canoe tipped and only the wooden peak protruded from the water, I scrambled to stay above the water and to find my homework."

     "A fish for dinner, and a piece of paper for myself is all we need otherwise I am the danger," whispered Mr. Van Camp.