BLACK ELK SPEAKS: SUMMER READING About Black Elk Speaks Introduction In August 1930, the Midwestern writer John Neihardt went with his son Sigurd to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota to speak with Black Elk, an Oglala Sioux. Neihardt was in the process of completing A Cycle of the West, an epic poem concerning the history of the American West. He had published the fourth section, The Song of the Indian Wars, and was looking for material for the final section, The Song of the Messiah. Neihardt had earlier become acquainted with Indian culture when he lived near the Omaha reservation at Bancroft, Nebraska, and he knew Black Elk's reputation as a holy man and the second cousin to the great Sioux Chief Crazy Horse. When the two men met, Black Elk recognized that Neihardt was a sympathetic listener, someone interested in the spiritual world and in Indian history.
“Theme for English B” In this article, Critical Essay on “Theme for English B”, the author, Chris Semasky, discusses his opinions on the poem “Theme for English B” along with giving many of the thoughts and ideas behind it from its author Langston Hughes. Semasky discusses his idea of how Hughes uses expression and how wording things differently can give the reader an entirely different picture or thought than it would if worded in a different manor. Moving through the article, a few of the stanzas from the poem are chosen and dissected in order to give meaning behind them. Hughes seems to be trying to find himself by comparing himself to everyone and everything else. Reading through this article it seems that Hughes is not a very simple minded person, as his thoughts and answers are not very easy to understand.
Ralph Ellison's nameless protagonist in "Battle Royal" is a young African American struggling to find his place in society in the early twentieth century American South. Rather than provide the reader with an essay of statistics and facts about racial discrimination, Ellison chose to create a short story full of imagery and satire that allows the reader to step into the horrific experiences of the young man. More importantly, Ellison uses the key events of "Battle Royal" to satirically depict real cultural issues affecting African American society throughout history. Early in the story, we learn that the central character is graduating from high school. He is considered an excellent speaker, and an all white men's club invites him to present his
But the student is not sure “it’s that simple.” Then he begins to list all the reasons that such an assignment might not be so simple: he is twenty-two, older than most students in his class probably, colored; he was born in North Carolina, went to school in Durham, NC, then comes to college in Harlem. Furthermore, he is the only African American in his class, which seems strange for Harlem in 1951, when the poem was published. Then the student gives the route he takes to get from the college to his
Dead Poets Society (1989) Dead Poets Society is a story of an English teacher named John Keating (Played by Robin Williams), who inspires his students to be themselves and change their lives and “ Seize the Day” through his teaching of poetry and literature. Neil Perry, Todd Anderson, Knox Overstreet, Charlie Dalton , Richard Cameron, Steven Meeks, and Gerard Pitts are senior students of the Welton Academy, which is the best elementary school in America and the values is defined by the headmaster Gale Nolan as tradition, honor, discipline and excellence. John Keating, a former student at the school, begins working in the school as an English teacher. He tells his students to call him “O Captain! My Captain!” In his class, he is making unusual works for his students in teaching them.
He attended Welton as a former honors student. Mr. Keating plays a huge role in Neil, Todd, Charlie and Knox’s lives. He uses unique methods to teach his students about different ideas like “Carpe Diem”. They hear about how Mr. Keating participated in a group called “The Dead Poets Society” which he says means more than just poetry. The boys try to reconvene the meetings as a time to just get away together.
On May 24, 1939, Alex Haley began his twenty-year enlistment with the Coast Guard. He enlisted as a mess attendant and then became a Petty Officer Third Class in the rate of Steward, one of the few rates open to African Americans at that time. His Coast Guard service number was 212-548. It was during his service in the Pacific theater of operations that Haley taught himself the craft of writing stories. It is said that during his enlistment he was often paid by other sailors to write love letters to their girlfriends.
He became a mentor to Baldwin, and Beauford’s influence brought him to his first realization that a black person could be an artist. While working odd jobs, he wrote short stories, essays, and book reviews. He also was a preacher like his stepfather but was better gifted. During his teenage years in Harlem and Greenwich Village, Baldwin started to realize that he was gay. Baldwin was taunted by American prejudice against blacks and gays, so Baldwin left the United States at the4 age of twenty-four and settled in Paris, France.
Essay The poem “Theme for English B” covers a lot of different topics and in this essay I want to discoed and analyze them. The poem is about a young black university student who enrolls the race issue,as he is the only black person in his class.The poem sets place in Harlem,New York,he mentions to go there all the way from Manhattan.”The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem…” The speaker lists all the things that he likes,which are common thing and do actually require him to be just the same as everybody else,but his skin color makes him different .he wants to explain the instructor that they both are a part of each other black and white and learn from each other. The speaker of this poem is a fictional character though very similar to the author and represents him in some kind of way. Both studied at Columbia University and lived in Harlem,Hughes had to leave Columbia because of racial prejudices.His audience is the public,especially people who have racial prejudices but also afro-americans in general in order for them to feel encouraged and to get the idea of equality in the common mind.He definitely speaks up for all afro-americans,he wants them to be proud of what they are and he emphasized his strong relation with them.”I feel and see and hear,Harlem,I hear you:hear you,hear me--we two --you,me,…”It’s clear that Harlem stands for the black community.”I hear New York too.Me--who?” I think New York stands for the white people and he emphasizes his connection to them as well,although they might feel differently. The subject of this poem is that black and white are both a part of each other.As they both are American and that they learn from each other.It’s about opening yourself up for the other person who has just the same interests as you have and just a different skin color and different rights and positions in the society.
Jack Kerouac Biographical essay The writer, Jean-Louis Lebris de Kerouac known as Jack Kerouac was born on March 12, 1922 in Lowell, Massachusetts from French-Canadian parents he didn’t learn to speak english until he was six. He moved in Columbia University where he received a football scholarship. The most important influence of Kerouac’s writing was The Beat culture that took root in the 1950’s; he created it with his Columbian (University) friends whom where trying to form a new philosophical lifestyle and movement. During his writing period, he had serious problems with alcohol and drugs that’s why he died on October 21, 1969 in St. Petersburg, Florida (Jack Kerouac Biography). Kerouac lived in Lowell Massachusetts for his childhood, where he attended Lowell High School.