A Trzcinski-Draper's Online Journal

Both ‘The Falling Leaves’ and ‘Futility’ represent death through out both poems. This is because they are both set within the time frame of World War One. The poem ‘Out of the Blue’ states the date when the poem is set, November 1915. This is an iconic date as it was the start of the first world war, which was known for the mass amount of deaths caused by war. ‘I saw the brown leaves dropping from their tree’ is used as a metaphor for soldiers dying. The leaves represent soldiers fighting in war and the tree is the country that they are fighting for. Seeing as they are dropping this means that they are dying, this is because they are falling to the ground. This can link to patriotism as they are dying for no particular reason except for fighting for their country with no goals of their own other then their country’s. As the narrator is a woman, we are seeing the effects it is having at their home countries and how it effects their families. As they were left with the important jobs of looking after their country while the men were out to war, so they must maintain the country until they come back. “if anything might rouse him now” is used by Wilfred Owen to suggest that there is a chance the soldier might be alive. However, both the reader and Wilfred Owen know that the soldier is already dead. ‘The kind old sun will know’ meaning that the sun is the creation of life, it gives and takes it away. It is saying that the sun has given up on humanity on a whole, including this soldier. Wilfred Owen is showing the effects war has on the world and how we can not be forgiven for our acts of war. Both Margaret Postgate Cole and Wilfred Owen are presenting the effects of death on a country in each of their poems using the art of war.

Both ‘The falling leaves’ and ‘Futility’ each present death in their poems by using the imagery of the cold and the feelings you gain from it.  “Like snowflakes falling on the Flemish clay” is used to create the idea of snowflakes falling and covering the ground then fading away. This is because a single snowflake will fall then fading from memory which suggests that the bodies of the fallen will fall and fade into history and be forgotten. Also the fact that the snow is ‘wiping out the noon’ meaning that the snow is covering the fields, this gives us the image that loads of dead bodies are covering the battlefield. This gives us the image of the great amount of people killed within World War One. “Snowflakes” also connotes the idea of bodies littering the fields of Belgium. Postgate Cole is suggesting that there are so many bodies that both light and hope are being blocked out. This creates a cold and bitter tone in the poem which shows Postgate Cole’s hatred of the waste of life the war causes. This is similar to “Futility” which uses the cold to connote the hopelessness and emptiness war causes. For example “and this snow” is used to create a shift in tone that indicates hope might be lost and the soldier is dying. “Snow” also mimics the language of doubt and is a metaphor for hopelessness. Owen does this to emphasize hopelessness of the soldier’s conditions on the front. Owen uses the metaphor of “snow” to connote the amount of soldiers falling and the emptiness this leaves behind. Both Margaret Postgate Cole and Wilfred Owen are presenting the effects of death and the cold numbness this leaves.

Both ‘The falling leaves’ and ‘Futility’ each present death within the structure of their poems. “On the Flemish clay.” is the only line in the poem with a full stop; this suggests that the poem is one sentence. This means that the poem is a single thought created by a woman for a diary entry. It is also a place of war and the ‘flemish clay’ is the earth of Belgium, which is famous for the place of World War. It also escalates all the lives lost with in the first world war.  Postgate Cole may have decided to structure her poem like this, as a good poet will keep the structure tight to show the poet is considering a serious point. As Postgate Cole has used this structure feature in her poem it shows the reader that the war and the massive loss of life is an extremely serious point. I believe Postgate Cole wanted to stress the seriousness of her poem, as her poem is an extended metaphor. This is similar to “futility” as Owen uses half rhythms to create a structural feature. For example “sun” and “sown” are half rhythms, Owen included half rhythms as a regular rhythm scheme would have made the poem sound pleasant and upbeat. However as Owen used half rhythms the poem sounds broken and replicates the bullets, guns and explosions that would have been heard at the front. Owen did this as the sounds of the front were unpredictable and suggests that home life is broken as the men are dying needlessly because of war. Both Postgate Cole and Owen are presenting the theme of death through the structure of their poems.

What did God say when he made the first black man? “Damn, I burnt one.”

This is racism. It’s a problem that still confronts many members of our society. It has been an issue for hundreds of years, mostly because people don’t understand other cultures, decide that others are different and are therefore able to be mocked. Now I ask the question: why should we let these people carry on with being racist and being so light hearted about it? I believe that just because the victims do not react, it does not mean that inside they are feeling hurt and betrayed. Why should we let people call each other ‘Niggers’ or any other racist remarks such as “paki” and “white trash”? There should be a punishment that we all implement. A type of ‘time out’ could be a highly effective means of dealing with the problem. By doing this we can allow them to reflect on what they have done and let them learn that it is wrong to use this type of language.

Right now people call each other “nigger” and “paki”, and I still wonder why they call each other something they’d feel horribly offended by. I am white. I do not call white people white trash because that would be insulting to them. So why do people think it is acceptable to call each other “niggers”, because they are both black and it makes it okay? Because they are only joking around? Racism is no laughing matter. We must come together to sign a petition. This is so we can implement a punishment for those who use these words so light heartedly. In many music videos, people are calling each other “niggers” or just being casually racist. This needs to stop. With this punishment being implemented we will be able to apply justice to those who use racism for comedic effect or a way of communication. Racism should be frowned upon by society and its inheritance.

The types of thoughts that could motivate a racist may well be that they’re scared or fearful of their home life or job. Perhaps they even speak from personal experience, where people from different cultures have had negative impacts on their lives. This is still no excuse for racism. If you are racist then there must be a punishment implemented so that justice can be served. This is so that we can have an acceptable society with no one becoming hurt; a utopia if you will. No one would want to live in a world full of racists. We can take a step closer towards our perfect society by implementing punishments so that people will learn that racism is wrong and that it is not okay to call someone a “paki” or “nigger”. By doing this we are making society a better place for its inheritance to live in.

Even in our modern Government racism is still about. The party UKIP still restrains from having people of other origins within this country. They believe that people who are not from England, are not British and should be sent back to their home country. Even if they were brought up here. Do you think this is fair? Why should they be punished when they have been working just as hard as other ‘British’ citizens to keep their homes and earn their money?

If a person has laughed at that joke, it does not make it acceptable within society. In fact the person that had laughed at that joke is just as bad as the person who said the joke. If you hear someone being racist then you should get a member of authority so that they can implement a suitable punishment accordingly. I firmly believe that a punishment  could act as a  ‘time out’ so that they can reflect on what they have said. This would allow them to realise that this language is never acceptable. They can then also receive a criminal record depending on how bad they used the racist remark. Once we implement these punishments we will be able to create a more peaceful society. Thus creating a more pure society for our children. Racism threatens our modern society. People must learn the consequences of racism.

It was an early morning in 1918. He awoke to the sun gleaming on to his eyes and, with an unpleasant moan of disgust, he remembered where he was and why he was there. He heard gunshots and shouting in the distance. He was not at home but rather in France, fighting for a god forsaken war that was pointless to begin with.

He got up from his bed and got dressed. There was no time for brushing his teeth or showering; in war he must always be prepared. He walked out of his bunker and felt the coldness of the French air. He felt something cold touch his face. To his amazement, it was snowing. It sent a chill down his spine. It triggered his memory of home, playing with his fiancée and building snowmen together. Yet this was no time for fun and games; after all a war was going on. Moving into the sun, he got to his post. He looked around and saw nothing but bullets flying and the soldiers suffering. Oh so much suffering!

This soldier saw his whole existence before its end. He is a soldier; a hard driven, passionate man who will do anything to support his comrades and ensure  their safe return home. However this war has made him question his purpose in life. He has a theory that everyone was born for a reason and that the world goes on, but we keep making the same mistakes over and over, not knowing why. He has a theory, that life does not end on a battlefield. Instead each soldier will be reborn anew in a place they can call home.

He looked into the sky, as if he wanted a sign. He was looking for a sign for peace, hope and that everything would be okay. He reached his hand way up high but to get nothing in return. He thought of his mother. She always told him that “if you reach up to the sky to get what you desire, then you must take it from the Gods themselves.” He had hoped that this would be true, but it was only a bedtime story; nothing more, nothing less. There was no one to save the soldiers in their time of need. He suddenly realised that there was no God. No voice to guide you or to tell you what to do. Only you. That is all you need. Though he was lonely, he thought that no matter how long you live, you learn. But do we truly understand? He wondered why we kept making the same mistakes.

As he looked into the sky he saw the flag that had inspired him to sign his conscription papers. It filled his heart with the passion of patriotism. This symbol of hope made him believe that everything was going to be okay, that someone will come and save them from this war. He remembered that the Earth still moves on, never truly stopping. Lives are born and taken away; that is the way of life. Yet the soldier’s theory was never right, it was also never truly wrong. He wondered whether everyone was born into futility with no reason to live or whether we all had a purpose in life. He hoped that life was more than just this.

At that moment the feeling in his heart became overwhelming. He clutched his chest, as the pain took control. He stumbled to the ground. But he was still trying to look up to the sky. He tried so hard to believe that he would be saved. Laying on the ground, he looked to the sky. He thought hard about the reasons that he wanted to stay alive. He had still not achieve his purpose in life. He was filled with remorse. With a tear running down his face, he shut his eyes for the final time.

Though the soldier’s life is gone, his story is not over. His purpose in life was not to help people, to kill his fellow man or to be rich. His purpose was to break the Earth out of its sleep. He will live on, in a different world and reality until this has been succeeded. That was always his purpose in life.

Dear Ms Kerr

I agree with your article ‘Twerking, selfie and unlike?’ to a certain extent. Although you state that slang words are ‘just like any fashion trend’, I believe that there is reason for people to use them. The way in which a person speaks is not in correlation with his intelligence. Instead they just find it easier to communicate in that fashion, rather than using over-elaborate vocabulary. Slang words are constantly changing to fit the modern world’s society. While they are just a ‘fashion trend’, I do agree that they should not be put in the Oxford dictionary. An example of this would be ‘groovy’. I personally have not heard anyone say this in a number of years, and so no longer merits its place in the Oxford English dictionary.

Ms Kerr, I also believe that you are underestimating young people’s intelligence. I do not believe slang would be used in job interviews. Young people are fully aware that this would come across as unprofessional. Instead they legitimately use it to communicate on the ‘streets’ to one another. While you might use “Hi” to greet someone, they might use “Wagwan”. They may even use no spoken language at all and simply fist bump. In some ways, this is their use of jargon. Nonetheless I do agree that these words should not be put into the Oxford dictionary. However if a person is applying for a job, has a fantastic work ethic and would be a great asset to the company, would it be fair to not give them the job because they cannot express themselves to the standards required? Surely, Ms Kerr, you would not think this fair? If these slang words were introduced into the Oxford dictionary, then their spoken expression would be satisfactory and would be able to get the job.

Also not everyone uses slang to communicate with one another. Some use slang to talk to their friends and not to people who are a figure of importance to them, as they respect these people and strive to learn from them. In fact some don’t use slang outside of the ‘texting’ world. They could be using slang for its easy typing ability. This can confuse people who are not familiar with slang as some of the abbreviations can be very confusing. This means that the people who are not familiar with slang or the abbreviations to think it is stupid or daft.

Here is the example of modern day slang that you used in your article; “I’m so gonna unlike that selfie of her twerking. Srsly though, these words make me wanna vom”. The people of this young, modern society do not speak in this manner. This bundle of words doesn’t even make sense. The fact that you created this sentence, which also made no sense, gives a one sided view on the matter of slang. I’m sure if you put random English words into a sentence, it will end up making no sense and make you look stupid; much like the sentence you put into your article.

Though you mentioned that Shakespeare would be ‘turning in his grave’, Shakespeare invented different types of slang words. He is seen as one of the greatest writers in history, yet he still used the slang that was relevant at his time. Does this make him no better than the people who use slang to this day? The words that he had created are now seen as words of the English language which are also within the Oxford dictionary. But when Shakespeare was alive these words were not known. This meant people did not understand what he was stating in his plays and caused people to dismiss these words that he had created. It took many years for these words to then become accepted into the English language and acceptable to use them. Although much of the slang used in our modern age is just a shortened form of exciting words, Shakespeare’s words gave new meanings. I still believe that in the future some of the slang we use now will become acceptable in the English language and Oxford dictionary. This will lead this language to become acceptable in a future society.

I feel as though you should consider slang as an alternative form of expression. I’m not saying slang is good or bad, the fact that they choose to communicate like this makes it acceptable. I believe it is acceptable as it is creative, meaning they are creating new words with different meanings. Yes, it may sound stupid but if you understand them then that shouldn’t be an issue. Though in interviews they can judge you on your speech, is it fair if they are brought up in a certain area or neighbourhood, which is not educated enough and they cannot afford to become better suited? This means that they should be tutored rather than left in the dirt. No one should be blamed for the way they express themselves. However with no help they will just keep speaking in slang or context that is misunderstood by others. Instead of saying how bad it is and how much of a disappointment it is, why not address these facts to the government or the council of a certain estate so that they can help them with their speech?

Words are added into the Oxford dictionary as to allow future generations to use them with true meaning. By implementing these slang words into the Oxford dictionary we are able to use new words within the English language for everyday use. By doing this we are allowing those who do not have the best communication skills or English skills, to become more equal in the modern or future society.. Though these words may seem stupid, they represent modern English culture. This means it is reasonable to use them in a way that they see fit. However there is no need to shorten words that are already within the English language. Instead we must create new words so we can expand our collective vocabulary. A language is defined by the people who speak it. Therefore people should not be seen as illiterate if they speak it, slang included…

Your sincerely,

Alex Draper

Alex Draper: an Argumentative speech: “Racism”

My issue is people being racist to other people. Racism has been an issue for hundreds of years, because people don’t understand where they’re from and decide that they’re different and should be mocked about it.

Right now black people call each other the n word, and I still wonder why they call each other something they’d feel horribly offended by. I don’t go around calling white people white trash because that would mean I’m insulting them, so I don’t understand why they would call each other the n word. I think it’s really stupid to call another black person a nigga which is another term to call someone a slave? There are other forms of racism. Such as asking an Asian person if they can see or calling a polish man a builder because they’re Polish.

People may not react straight away but inside they’re hurting. I don’t understand why someone would say “Go back to your country” when their family have worked hard to be in the position that they’re in right now; why should someone who’s not worked as hard say they should get out of “their” country? Racism is illegal and should be stopped immediately.

They types of thoughts that would motivate a racist person would be that they’re scared or fearful of their life or job, maybe something could of happens to them in their life to hate them , but I can’t see why you would hate a race rather than just one person who made you feel like this. Another reason would be that they’re proud of their country and they’re scared of people coming to change it and they don’t want to give them a chance or change it because they think they’ll ruin it. One more reason be they’re scared of them and they feel the need to mock them to show how tough they are so they don’t get picked on, this is very similar to how bully’s operate.

In summary, you may joke about being racist to black people or Mexicans etc even if one person has laughed at that joke, it does not make it right. In Fact the person that had laughed at that joke is just as bad as the person who said the joke, by laughing you are making that joke acceptable to tell to other people, which is wrong because racism is no joke. So if you hear someone being racist tell them that it’s not acceptable and not to say those racist jokes. You may be laughing but if he or she was racist to your religion country background etc, you wouldn’t find it very funny because you should be proud of your background instead of laughing with the racist. So in all you should not be racist to anyone and racism is never acceptable in any circumstances but if you do see or hear someone being racist you should either report it or go to them and tell them that it is not acceptable.