Control or No Control?

        Control is a complicated subject. What is it exactly? There is a emotional control, control  over one's actions, control over someone else's actions, etc..
        As a fourteen year old, I get little to no control over my actions. My parents are the one's who have the power to allow or tell me to do anything. I cannot refuse or not listen because they are the ones who provide and care for me. In my opinion, this isn't a fair system. Control over what I do and how I should behave shouldn't be my parent's concern. Once in high school, I feel that everyone knows who they are and how the can/should behave. By now, parents don't need to be in control, until the children give them a reason to. But yes, they have a right to control me because they provide for me but I feel that that doesn't mean they mean they own me. I think that control is this: balance, and people (parents for example) should to know when to give it to other their kids and when to take it away.
        On the contrary, there is other parts of my life where I do have control. For example, I have control over my emotions. This means, I'm not crying for hours when something goes wrong, I can keep myself composed when I need to. Emotional control is something (like control over my actions) you get over time. For instance, kids cry and whine but once adults they have fully matured and gain emotional control. Control is power and power needs balance to work.

Poetry Out Loud

Part 1:

1.       A poem that starts with the first letter of your first name.
Eating Poetry by Mark Strand

2.       A poem that begins with the third letter of your last name.
A Birthday by Christina Rossetti

3.       A poem the person next to you suggests.
A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns

4.       Another poem to read
A Dream Within a Dream by Edgar Allan Poe

5.       Another poem it read
On An Unsociable Family by Elizabeth Hands

Part 2:

·         I really like On An Unsociable Family by Elizabeth Hands because I can really relate to what the poet is talking about. She explains the family in a way that is cold and depressing so you can understand her emotions in the poem.

·         I didn’t like A Red, Red Rose because I found it hard to follow.  For example, it used words like “Luve” and “wi’” which made me confused because I have no clue what those words mean.

·         I like the poem On An Unsociable Family by Elizabeth Hands. I would definitely pick it as my favorite of all the six poems.

·         I personally connect with this poem because I can relate to the family. When my parents were married, my family was quiet and didn’t really like being around each other. Which the poet tells about in the poem.

Part 3:

·         The criterion that I think will be easiest for me is Evidence of Understanding because I understand all the words in this poem and what it’s about. The second criterion that I think will be easiest for me is Level of Difficulty because I don’t think this is a really hard poem but I do think I am challenging myself by picking this poem rather than others.

·         I think most difficult criterion for me will be the Physical Presence because I get really nervous talking in front of people and my knees and my hands start to shake. The second most difficult criterion for me will be Voice and Articulation because also when I get nervous my mouth gets all dry and my voice starts to quiver.

·         To get a good grade on presenting your poem you will need to stand tall and look confident and comfortable. Also you need to make sure your voice is clear and loud so everyone in the room can hear.  Third, you need to bring your poem to life and add some fun props or voices but on the other hand don’t overdo it either.

Part 4:

• I watched "The Man-Moth" by Elizabeth Bishop and read by Kareem Sayegh. He reads the poem like he is actually talking. He seems comfortable but also sinister as he is read the dark poem which is good.
• I watched "Pied Beauty" by Gerard Manley Hopkins and read by Carolyn Rose García. She was whispering and talking like she understood everything she was saying and she didn't seem like she was reciting anything but just talking to a group of people.

Part 5:

I think after doing this assignment I am really excited about the competition but also really nervous. I am really excited because I found a lot of poems that I really like and I am excited to bring them to life. On the other hand, I am not very confident that I will be the top three best kids in the class. I am really nervous to present because I know I am a really bad public speaker.