Rap or Poetry?

   When we think of poetry, we typically think of poets such as Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, or Ernest Hemingway. These are classical poets that we are exposed to in grade school and are well renown throughout the world. They are applauded by critics for their use of language, poetic devices, and are accredited for being the pioneers for the basis of poetry. Few people realize that they are not the only classic poets out there. Many times musical artists are poets also, but the difference is their art is said to a beat. These artists or lyricists are familiar to the people and more easily understood then say the works of Shakespeare which is written in Old English. A prime example of this would be the rapper known as Tupac Shukur. The rapper addressed issues within the community and made people aware of these situations. He his famous for his use of assonance and alliteration in his songs. His raps told stories. Artists such as him are famous for conveying urban issues by a use of a small anecdote.
      I feel as if as students we should not only be exposed to the classic poets, but also the more modern ones. Few people can relate to the diction and situations depicted within poems in history. Today, a lot has changed and a lot more issues have arose. Students should be exposed to both (of course, the less vulgar forms of lyrics for today's music).

Body Language

     Body language is something that few people discuss, but everyone pays attention to. The way people carry themselves helps distinguish who they are as a person. This is one of our first impressions when meeting a person. You can come off as welcoming or "stand off-ish." It also can depict certain traits of your personailty such as, confidence, self-conscienceness, or shyness. The use of body language as a form of communication is just as strong as using your words. It is your own personal form of silent communication. We see examples of this in everyday life. We even base our "next moves" off the body language of someone else. If a girl gives a guy, "the eye" you know she likes him. If she doesn't pay attention to what youe saying, she's not interested. We use body language sublimenly all the time. It is our way of expressing our emotions without physically saying them. It even provides emphasis to certain emotions or situations. Not every word, needs to be said.

Breaking Dawn.

   Tomorrow is the last movie to be released to the Twilight Series. The movie is called Breaking Dawn Pt. 2. In 2008, the first movie of the Twilight Saga was released. Millions of teenagers camped outside of movie theaters across the nation in excitement. The twilight craze swept the country. At first, I paid little attention to the book and movie. I felt as if the whole concept was rather stupid. Vampires? Werewolves? I'll pass. One day I actually decided to stop being lazy and investigated what all the hype was about and read the book. I was hooked. Some feel as the books have literary merit, while others considered it a classic of this time period. The real question is where is the line drawn? When is a book considered popular? When is a book considered a classic? The answer to that question would vary from person to person. As the reader, I became more intrigued in the plot rather than the literary devices the author used (if any). There are different types of classics that vary throughout the time period. We see this in examples such as Shakespeare and Homer. These are two contrasting ideas, works, and time periods, but both still to be considered classical pieces of literature. Classics appear to shift with the time period. How do we know when to classify one and when not to?

The Classics/

     In school, we are forced to read and analyze different works of literature. These works include plays, novels, epics, and short stories. As we read, I realize how the author constructs their works of art is meant to be viewed a specific way by the audience. Plays are meant to be seen, while short stories and novels are meant to be read. But on the other hand, some epics were meant to be told orally. These are key factors that we must pay attention to while reading these works. But the real question is, why we even read them if their purpose was to be heard or seen? The answer is the techniques that different authors used. Shakespeare's poetry and use of other literary devices was unprecedented. The literary culture had never seen works like his before which make them unique and impossible not to study. Oral epics are classic and encompass much of a specific culture. Not only do they serve as a literary device, but also as an historical one. In conclusion, classics are classic for a reason and should be read.