Response to "Photography" by Nikki Giovanni

Sydney Ellison 804

Response to “Photography” by Nikki Giovanni

Metaphors and imagery have always been extremely common literary devices in poetry. Even as a child, they were the only two components of poetry I was familiar with. “Photography”, by Nikki Giovanni, definitely has it's fair share of metaphors and imagery. The poem includes a massive amount of the two literary devices that help deliver the message of even though you might be surrounded by good things, bad things could be just around the corner, and you should never forget that, in a thought-provoking way. The poem uses the metaphors and imagery to help create a cautionary tone and mood that helps heighten the importance of the message within the poem.

Metaphors are used continuously throughout the poem, always setting a cautionary tone and mood which helps show the importance of focus in the poem. Each metaphor includes a description of a somewhat calming scenario; the description having a slight chill to it. The chill sends off a subtle warning, or cautionary mood and tone. “It's easy sitting in the sun/ to forget the cold exists, “ (Giovanni 8-9) is a perfect example of a rather calm scenario that represents something more than just the weather. The whole temperature aspect is rather tranquilizing, yet after the mention of “the cold”, the vibe has totally switched. “The sun” represents the good things in life, and “the cold” represents the bad things in life. By applying that subtle chill to the metaphor, it creates the cautionary tone and mood which shows the reader that forgetting about “the cold” when enjoying “the sun” is something you should never do.
The use of imagery in the poem is to showcase the same thing as the metaphors do; a cautionary tone and mood that helps the reader understand the importance of the message being put forth. All the imagery in “Photography” is very beautifully written and enjoyable to read, yet gives off a slight chill. That chill, as a said before, sets the mood. “Watching the red sun bleed into the ocean, one thinks of the beauty fire brings,” (Giovanni 23-25) is a very powerful line and due to the words “bleed” and “fire” and how they are placed in the sentence. A certain vibe is given off from this sentence, a cautionary mood and tone. Personally I think the line itself is a warning of what happens when you're caught up in all the good things in your life; you keep thinking of the good, forgetting the bad. “The red sun” represents good things in your life, and “fire” represents even better things yet to come. This line helps remind the reader that better things aren't always coming your way, and sometimes bad things might be, and you have to be prepared for that.

“Photography”, by Nikki Giovanni, made me feel and think a bunch of feelings and thoughts all at once. I feel like the poem challenged my mind, and made me relate the poem to my life. I can connect my school life and school in general to this poem in a sense that things are always changing and getting harder, and you have to be prepared. The cautionary mood helped me understand that connection as well as why forgetting “the cold” is something you shouldn't do. Who knew metaphors and imagery could be so powerful?

Works Cited

Giovanni, Nikki. “Photography”. Poetry Packet. Print.

Creative Writing - Found Poem - Wonder by R.J Palacio

My name is August.
Auggie.

I'm not an ordinary ten-year old kid.

"We can't just pretend he's going to wake up tomorrow and this isn't going to be his reality."

I won't describe what I look like.

I'm sorry.
It'll be fine.

Frustrated.
Scared.
Sad.

"I'm not freaked out"
I lie.

"Pretending you don't exist."
It's so strange.

None of them looked like me.
Not one unicorn.

Sarcasm.

I don't know.

It's not easy.

I'll try my best.

I am pretty much totally and completely petrified.

Wow
Welcome to my life.

The Fault in Our Stars - How Do the Main Characters Develop Mentally Throughout the Book?

 In all books, the main characters always change as the story progresses. It's just a basic of books; change. And The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is no different. The Fault in Our Stars describes Hazel's life as she battles cancer and falls head over heels for Augustus Waters. Both Hazel and Augustus change immensely throughout the book, their beliefs and personalities switching up a bit.

In the beginning of the book, Hazel is very neutral to the fact that she is dying and doesn't really care about anything other than hurting people if she were to die. She is a distant person who doesn't want to fall in love or even have a strong relationship with anyone. She deals with her cancer by seeing it for what it is and she doesn't sugar coat anything in her life; “Any attempts to feign normal social interactions were just depressing because it was glaringly obvious that everyone I spoke to for the rest of my life would feel awkward and self-conscious around me” (Green 47). That quote shows that she understands that people feel uncomfortable around her and that she just has to deal with it. She is a very strong person and is dealing with everything in her life in a way most teenagers wouldn't. Things start to change when she meets Augustus. The second that she looks at him she feels something she's never felt before. And when she talks to him for the first time, she already knows she will fall in love with him. But she doesn't want to. She doesn't want to hurt him. In the middle of the book, she is more happy and up for forming a friendship, yet still is neutral to her cancer and doesn't want to fall in love. Towards the end of the book she is a total different person. She has let herself fall for Augustus therefore letting all her protective walls down. She is a romantic who doesn't care about building relationships with people. She feels that if she dies, and she hopes she won't, that she should have had lived her life to the fullest. The contrast between Hazel in the beginning of the book and the end is momentous.

Augustus on the other hand has a very different personality than Hazel's, and doesn't change as much throughout the book. In the beginning of the book Augustus has a very open and direct personality, which he keeps throughout the book. He says everything that comes through his mind, and is a very sweet person. He is very respectful and intellectual. He isn't afraid of falling in love or dying or anything. He is just living his life to the fullest. When he meets Hazel is falls for her instantly and does whatever it takes for her to know how much he loves her. In the middle of the book, when Hazel and Augustus are friends, Augustus's personality is the same as the beginning of the book. Nothing has changed. The end of the book, is when everything changes. Augustus gets cancer again. He becomes incredibly sick and weak. He tries to put up a front for Hazel and his family and says that he'll get through it, even though it obvious things are getting worse day by day. He starts becoming weak physically and emotionally. He gets mood swings and his self esteem lessens. He still has his wit and open, direct personality, yet he is struggling, and he doesn't want anyone to know it.

So to wrap it up, characters are always changing through the books. Sometimes the changes are negative and sometimes the changes are positive. The Fault In Our Stars does a great job of incorporating both the negative and positive changes.