The Lonely Teddy Bear

She used to love me.  She played with me everyday.  We would spin in circles and then collapse on the floor.  She would cuddle me and take me everywhere.  But then she got older.  She didn't take me anywhere out of the house.  She was embarrassed that she had a "stuffed animal".  I used to be a friend, not just a stuffed piece of felt.  Now, instead of living in the arms of my best friend, I live here, under her bed, in the dark corner where the sun only shines between 1:00 and 2:00.

No, my worst fear is happening.  She found me under her bed, and now I'm in a garage sale box that is marked things that are $0.50.  So I guess years of childhood happiness is only worth 50 cents.  I fear I won't be sold, and you know what happens to things that don't get sold, they get thrown into the garbage.  I don't want my life timeline to be store self to loving arms to garage sale to trash.  But wait, there might yet be hope in my stuffy world, someone is coming over to my box.  "Look mommy, it's a teddy bear!"  Oh, I can tell it's a loving child just by the way she says teddy bear like it's the best thing in the world. "Can we get it, please, mommy, please?"

"I suppose, it's just fifty cents."

During the car ride to my new home, I am held in the arms of my new friend.  I would cry of happiness if teddy bears could.

I will always miss my old friend, but at least the hole in my heart isn't as deep, now that I am loved once more.

The Tell-Tale Heart

 The man telling this story is "mad" and a murderer.  We cannot trust the point of view of this person. We see this story out of the eyes of a crazy man, so some things do not make sense, but we are able to see the reasoning of the murder. If we were to see the story from one of the police officer's point of view, we would be able to tell if he suspected the narrator.  Our interpretation of the story would simply be an officer who goes to a house, has a pleasant chat with a man, and then discovers that the man is a murderer.

Here we are at the house that neighbor had said she heard a shriek from.  The man who answered the door was casual.  He wasn't acting guilty.  We searched the house and came up with nothing.  He had said the shriek was his own from a dream.  It's a bit unusual for a grown man to be having nightmares, but nonetheless, he does seem like a trustworthy lad.  Such a pleasant man too, and such interesting views on life.   

He's starting to get pale, but I suppose that's just from lack of sleep.  He's getting into deep topics now, the root of politics and such.  Oh, he's furious now.  Working up a sweat, pacing, shouting.  I've never had such a conversation before.  

All is well and then the good host screams a confession to a murder.  

We find a heart and dismantled limbs under the floorboards.  Who would have thought a man with fantastic manners would be so dark and murderous to kill a kind old man? 

The Real Message

"My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.""- Forest Gump

Have you ever heard that quote?  Or how about the song "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer"? Perhaps you have seen the cartoon  Tom and Jerry.  From childhood we hear and repeat quotes and songs and watch cartoons that mean much more than what we think.

Forest Gump speaks the truth, but there is so much symbolism behind that box of chocolates. Let's start with the box itself.  Life isn't fair and square, neither is the chocolate box. Now, how about we open that chocolate box?  Well, we will find the good chocolates that everyone loves, and then there's the bad chocolates that are always left in the box and thrown in the garbage.The good chocolates represent the good situations that everyone enjoys, like going to a water park.  The bad chocolates symbolize the bad experiences like getting sick. 


For this example we don't even have to look for symbolism, it says plainly in the song that Rudolf was made fun of and everyone called him names.  That only changed when Santa made him important.  The message that song is sending across is that you should only stop bullying when the victim becomes important.  Why do we still listen to and sing this nasty song?  Singing Christmas songs is part of having the Christmas spirit.  If everyone goes around singing this song, all through December everyone is going to be promoting bullying.


In the cartoon Tom and Jerry, a cat persistently tries to capture and eat a mouse named Jerry.  This cartoon doesn't teach a lesson, but instead a quality.  That quality is determination.  This classic cartoon also displays violence as humorous, which is bad, but then again, it is just a cartoon.  Children aren't going to go running around, bashing people's heads in just because they saw a animated cat and mouse beating each other up on T.V.  Yet even the violence is more than just fighting.  If Tom tries to trap Jerry, Jerry escapes and then has a piano fall on Tom in return.  This sends out the well-known message "what comes around goes around." 

There is so much more to the world if only you open your eyes and think. Realize that even the simplest cartoon is so much more than just bright colors and a simple plot.  Everything sends a message.  Be aware of what message you send.

Response to "Joy Ride"

The poem "Joy Ride" has several metaphors.  Take,for example, the first stanza.  The entire stanza is saying that humans are like cars.  Always moving, needing to be fueled.  We sometimes get dented or and we all have our scratches and scars, but most of us can be repaired.  "You're never immune to collisions", in other words, there are no guarantees in life. "Don't be afraid to swerve and speed,drive fun, crazy & even a little wild."  Just take a chance sometimes.  You don't always have to play it safe. "It's better to get lost listening to your soul;than know where to go, but not enjoy the ride."  Sometimes you have to listen to your heart and not your head; don't take the adventure out of life, that's the fun part.  The tone was very laid back and adventurous.  The mood of this poem was, well there's no other way to describe it, the mood was fun.  That was the whole message that the author was trying to get across,have fun.

Response to "Mother to Son"

The piece "Mother to Son"  has several metaphors.  For example, the splinters.  The splinters stood for those people that annoy you and are complete pains in the foot.  Another example is "And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light."  This meant that there will be situations where you don't know what you're getting yourself into.  A third metaphor is "So boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps."  This meant that you have to keep pushing yourself and continuing on in life.  You can't just give up.  You have to keep going.  The tone of this poem was loving, but firm and encouraging. The mood of this poem was very inspirational.  This mother kept going and never stopped or took a break.  Her sheer determination was what I found so inspiring.  I was impressed by how well the author was able to carry that through the piece.

Plagiarism

Boy, oh what am I gonna do

If I'm way too in love with you?

Your smile

Makes me want to stay in your arms for a while

Oh, that look on your face

Has me orbiting through space

You've got those eyes that can tell a story in just one look

I meet your gaze and see your never-ending book

My words live on your pages and your ears are the spine

But if I'm yours and you are mine

Why is her name the title?

They said you were silly when you thought you could see better without your eyes open.  They watched as you stumbled and tripped and they watched as I rushed to your aid and picked you back up again.  They watched as I guided you.  They listened to you, a blind man, describe things better then those who could see.  "How can you see, if your eyes do not look", they asked.  "A blind man feels, he absorbs, he is one with nature.  He does not need to see for he listens." "So why do you need a guide?" They asked.  "Because I have not yet learned the way."And so I was stuck.  Not able to be blind, for then who would guide you?  And not able to see, for I was already half blind.