Category: Assignments

Ricardo Grande

ENG 102

After perceiving Jamilia Lyiscott’s live show, her stance on how she views her own language reminded me how I would communicate with my friends, family and colleagues. This poem struck to me because Jamilia speaks three different “languages” that she communicates with her friends, her peers and her parents demonstrating how each language represents and defines her way of being. One of the lines that stands out to me is when Jamilia states “So I may not always come before you with excellency of speech But do not judge me by my language and assume that I’m too ignorant to teach ’cause I speak three tongues one for each: Home, school and friends I’m a trip-lingual orator”(Lyiscott). Not only is this showing her language but it also informs ones identity.

Jamilia also repeats the word “Articulate” throughout her poem to prove a point of how she is coherent when she utilizes her choice of language. When relating to this, I don’t speak the same way but with a more formal tone to my parents than I would with my friends. When I’m at a professional place I tend to use proper grammar than I’m with my friends who would understand the way I’m speaking. When Jamilia was delivering her speech, the audience were all white people who seem to have their heads shifted not understanding her native language. This portays that being articulate doesn’t necessarily dialect to just one group.

1. Did I clarify my point?
2. Did I utilize the right rhetorical choice?
3. How can I improve my structure?
4. Should I add life experiences?
5. Did I analyze Jamila Lyiscott properly?

Jayson Nunez

ENG 102

Reading Jonathan Mendoza’s poem instantly caught my eye. What struck me even more was the actually video of him reading the poem.The way he delivered his poem was excellent. Jonathan is facing a problem he does not not know if he is white or brown.In his mind Jonathan is constantly at war with himself not knowing if he is white or brown.Jonathan has made 3 important points in his poem.One point is when he says “Brown boy screams hides inside white skin white skin silence”. This is a very powerful point in the poem. He explains how in the inside he is suffering/seeking for help, but all of his emotions inside hide in his white skin. The second important point he mentions is when he says “White boy visits family in Mexico realizes he’s the whitest intruder since conquistadors”. In a way Jonathan does not feel comfortable around his own family. He realizes he is the only white member in his family. The final point and the most important point of the three is when he says “Biracial boy is welcome everywhere,Biracial boy is not welcome everywhere”. He is lost he is confused.His blood is brown but his skin is white which allows him to camouflage anywhere, but that also means he is not welcome in certain places. This is a very powerful poem and thats the reason why i chose to write my essay on Jonathan Mendoza.

Justin Lovetro
Professor J. Polish
English 102
October 2, 2017
Once I read white boy, brown boy by Jonathan Mendoza I started to think about what made him feel the way he was feeling. I also saw that tone was choking up durning some parts of the poem when he was performing it life. He was also using all of hand movements and body movements. I feel like he was trying to explain how he feels in society and how he thinks society sees him. He might also think that there is something wrong with him because he sees how others act and tries to fit in but due to his nationality he might feel lost. He isn’t sure on where he belongs and tries to fit in to society the best ways he knows how. He also feels that people shouldn’t judge or identify him just because of his color. He’s trying to explain to people that he can’t choice what he is and that he is biracial.
He feels that no matter what he does people in society are only going to see him as a biracial person and not as a human. He also feels like he isn’t invited to certain things because of his skin color. He feels like his at war with himself because he doesn’t know where he belongs and people are treating him differently then other people. He wishes that he wasn’t biracial that he was only one nationality. He feels that he’s is being split in half because of the society that he is in is making him feel like he doesn’t belong with them. He feels like he apologizes to often for just being himself. He feels like he’s the discolored sheep of his family. He also wants to feel safe to be able to go wherever he wants to go and not be profiled by a police officer.

 

Farah Jimenez
ENG102
Jennifer Polish
October 2, 2017

After reading the poem “Brown boy, White boy” by Jonathan Mendoza, it made me to remember how I feel during my high school years. I was only 12 years old when I came to this country I didn’t know how to act because I was coming from another culture. I was enrolling in a high school that more than half of the population were Russian. It was really confused for me because one part of me want to talk and to fit in while the other one didn’t. it was really hard for me to be in that position for four years. The part that made me to remember everything that I went through was “biracial boy during colored uprising does not know if he should sit down or speak up”. People who never experience this would never know how hard it to be biracial. I decide to make a painting because it would be easier to illustrate how it is to be biracial. It’s like the poem, no having dots just keep going on and on.

·       How can the format you’ve chosen for your assignment best be used to demonstrate a deep analysis of the poem?

The format I chosen for the poem Jamila Lyiscott “3 Ways to Speak English” would be deep analysis essay on the topic of language and how it could affect a person mentally if by how they speak in public.

·       What is unique about the format you’ve chosen that will allow you to learn more about the poem than what is expressed on the surface? 

The format I chose for this poem Is unique to me because I want to discuss why people are judged for the way they speak and the history behind language and the diversity of the language in different regions.

·       What questions or concerns or excitements do you have about creating a project in this format?

What’s the minimum number of pages for an analysis essay.

·       What question do you have about the poem itself?

 Was the poem referring to people who are non-natives.

·       What piece of it do you want to analyze? why?

The piece I want to analyze is “3 Ways to Speak English” I understand what Jamila means growing with a family whose way of speaking is much different from your own and being able to speak different forms of a language in different scenario.

·       What rhetorical choices did the artist make that struck you?

Jamila used the word “articulate” multiples times throughout the poem.

·       what was the impact of these rhetorical choices?

I believe Jamila used “articulate” to show that language speaking a different version of a language is natural and, isn’t some of a skill or practice.

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                   

David Fernandez

Professor J. Polish

English 102

October 2, 2017

 

After reading the spoken word poem “3 Ways to Speak English” by Jamila Lyiscott,  I started thinking if there even is a correct way  to talk at all, I feel like the poem is trying to let the readers know that it does not matter how you decide to talk because it doesn’t represent your intelligence. At the start of the performance Jamila mentions a time when a woman calls her articulate “Today a baffled lady observed the shell where my soul dwells And announced that I’m “articulate”(Lyiscott). The reason why this stands out a lot is because at that time Jamila was probably using “proper” words and following the rules for “correct English” when she was speaking. However instead of sticking with that one way of speaking Jamila decides to branch out and show that there are other ways  that you can communicate, and no one way is greater than the other. The use of the word articulate is brought up multiple times in this poem to emphasis that nobody has to go by the standards of society to prove that they are good enough.

Lyiscott teaches us that there are many reasons why some people including herself sometimes choose to use their own English when talking  instead of using the Eurocentric ideals of speaking “But you can’t expect me to speak your history wholly while mines is broken These words are spoken By someone who is simply fed up with the Eurocentric ideals of this season”(Lyiscott). “Broken English” can also be used as reminder to explain why the people who use it are in the situation they are experiencing “I speak broken English so the profusing gashes can remind us That our current state is not a mystery I’m so tired of the negative images that are driving my people mad”(Lyiscott). As stated earlier speaking a certain way does not make you better than anyone and Jamila tells us that she feels that way “Let there be no confusion Let there be no hesitation This is not a promotion of ignorance this is a linguistic celebration”(Lyiscott). In this spoken word piece Jamila Lyiscott shows us no matter how you decide to communicate  with others you are not less intelligent for doing so.

The format that I chose is personal essay and I chose this because from all the format, I feel most comfortable with this format and also I think it will go great with “Brown boy, white boy,” by Jonathan Mendoza. Whats unique about this format for me is, I can talk about different things in each paragraph and really give the reader a good understanding of the poem. Questions I have about this format is how should the essay outline be and how long should it be. I don’t really have a question to ask since the class discussion gave me a great understanding of the poem and if I do face a question I will inform you. I want to analyze the important part of the poem like the key main things that he talks about. A rhetorical choice that Jonathan did that struck me was when he did the imitation of pulling the rope with his left hand and right hand. That part just made really understand his pain and struggle.l

I smell a skunk like smoke making its way through my vents. How hypnotizing they all think.I see the amount of lighters which found themselves by the foot of my door way.They crawl towards me but I feel no sort of temptation . As I try to do homework,  I notice narcotics were making up the oxygen in the air, without me physically putting my lips on the substance, I inhale it to survive. Sometimes it feels unrealistic , I’m living the dream of a nightmare, but only sometimes.

All these distractions but I still remain calm and humble, I just gotta fight society and earn my doctorate degree; I cautiously whisper to myself. I don’t have a row of zeros in my bank account but I sure do have confidence.This government owned listing is what I call home but not for long, it’s just a temporary situation i’m facing that’s infinitely creating its own obstacles. Day by day I mannover myself around the challenges, gaining knowledge and gripping onto my strength, so I won’t weaken.I just have to win ,it’s the battle of humanity.We must let go of the life that we have planned,  to accept the one that is pending for us. I can’t direct the wind to move south or west or put time on a freeze but I can adjust my sails to reach my destination. I’m living two lives. One minority , one that I just am known as a number, a zipcode with the background of  southside queens  and a public assistance account number, not even being known for being a citizen but the side of town I resign in. I went from Ebt to Phd .

My professor knows me differently they have no idea, the forces I fight every morning to just be present in class.  A smile can hide so much sorrow and regret. In the game of life being less diverse is simply the result of less options. I’m glad I could always switch it up. My flow is out of this world .I’m brilliant, street smart and book smart isn’t that something.I don’t consider myself a poor deprived ghetto who made great. I consider myself an inspirational individual who from an early age knew I

was in charge of myself, and needed to change the way my race is looked upon in society. I wanna see less teenage pregnancies and more vowels being exchanged , will that happen within my race? Less children not knowing if there sperm donor will support them or tend for them.

In the event that I didn’t form my existence at that point despite everything i’d be in the ghetto where individuals like me should remain and never move from. You need to dream out of the bad dream. I was delivered on june for a reason.My purpose for existing is not just to survive, but rather to flourish; and to do it with some energy, some empathy, some diversion, and some style. Keep your face dependably toward the daylight and shadows will fall behind you. I looked the other way as they floated continuously around me .In some messed up situations my inner peace controls my brain. It guides me sometimes I attempt to respond back ,my lips vibrate and nothing comes out. I can’t even stoop down to someone else’s level I remain on my own. Ignorance can’t change my purpose in life .

In my point of view achievement isn’t measured by cash or power or social status. Achievement is measured by your teach and inward peace. Too many influences on the young minds are taking control.Online networking is changing the way we convey and the way we are seen, both emphatically and adversely. Each time you post a photograph, or refresh your status, you are adding to your own advanced impression and individual brand. I cannot contribute to anything less of a scholar. Don’t diss the caterpillar and aspect to be around when it blooms into a butterfly . Don’t underestimate me from my texture.

 

How can the format you’ve chosen for your assignment best be used to demonstrate a deep analysis of the poem?

The format that I chose is a painting. By making a painting I would be able to demonstrate  a visual picture of Jonathan Mendoza’s head and everybody who struggle as I did understanding the poem would have a clear picture of what is going on with him.

What is unique about the format you’ve chosen that will allow you to learn more about the poem than what is expressed on the surface?

The painting allow me to be creative and also it allows me to combine different aspects of the poem.

What questions or concerns or excitements do you have about creating a project in this format?

I am a lit bit excited by creating the painting. Also expressing my understanding and ideas of the poem this way is really fun specially because this is the first time doing this for an English class.

What question do you have about the poem itself?

why do the poem doesn’t have punctuation?

what piece of it do you want to analyze?why?

I want to analyze  “White boy, black boy” by Jonathan Mendoza. I feel kinda reflected with him because Me as a Dominican girl come to this country when I was 12 years old. I went to a high school where only 2%  were Spanish. I feel I was one person during school hours and another when I got home.

What rhetorical choices did the artist make that struck you?

The lack of punctuation and also his face gesture every time he refers to one of the boys.

what was the impact of these rhetorical choices?

The lack of punctuation has a big impact on me because it was really difficult for me to understand the poem when I was reading it.