"If I Should Have a Daughter" Poem Response

      "If I Should Have a Daughter,” is an inspiring and connectable poem by Sarah Kay.  It is a poem that makes you think and learn something by connecting and by using real things in life.  Sarah Kay uses
figurative language and intriguing words to get her readers to understand.  Within her poem there are similes and metaphors with a hint of rhyme.  It doesn’t follow any rules and she made it what she wanted to by letting her voice shine through.  She compares situations to real life and the different things that go on.  An example of where she mixes real life situations with similes and metaphors would be
where she says:
     
      There is hurt, here, that cannot be fixed by band-aids or poetry, so
      the first time she realizes that Wonder-woman isn’t coming, I’ll make
      sure she knows she doesn’t have to wear the cape all by herself.
      Because no matter how wide you stretch your fingers, your hands will
      always be too small to catch all the pain you want to heal. Believe
      me, I’ve tried.

She talks about little kid things such as wonder woman and wearing a cape.  She also ties all of the lines together, connecting different ideas and making them one.  And in that last line, she uses her own life experiences using her voice.  This poem has a strong theme that connects to me and can connect to anyone willing to look for it.
      
      There are many different themes that you can connect to in this poem because poems have no limitations and you can make it what you want, depending on who you are.  The theme that I noticed was to never stop
dreaming and continue to look at the world through open eyes and that life is made for living and learning.  This theme was hidden beneath her analogy of if she were to have a daughter.  The whole poem is
about teaching her daughter about life and its experiences.  The last part of this poem is what made me think of this the most:
     
      “Baby,” I’ll tell her “remember your mama is a worrier but your papa
      is a warrior and you are the girl with small hands and big eyes who
      never stops asking for more.”
     
      Remember that good things come in threes and so do bad things and
      always apologize when you’ve done something wrong but don’t you ever
      apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining.
     
      Your voice is small but don’t ever stop singing and when they finally
      hand you heartbreak, slip hatred and war under your doorstep and hand
      you hand-outs on street corners of cynicism and defeat, you tell them
      that they really ought to meet your mother.

When it says that her daughter would be the girl with small hands but big eyes it made me think that she would be looking at the world with open eyes always going big and asking for more than what she has.  It
also says to apologize for doing something wrong but never to apologize for looking out onto the world curiously and making mistakes because you live to learn.  She said that her voice may be small but she can still make a difference and dream.  The last line that Sarah Kay put in about herself (the mother) was about how nothing can take her down because she lived and learned and now she’s stronger and she
passed that down to her daughter.
      
      This poem connects to me and basically to anyone who lets it.  I am nowhere thinking about if I were to have a daughter but rather the theme behind it, analyzed in the paragraph above.  Me?  I’m the type
of person that thinks big and dreams a lot.  Sometimes people say that I live in another world just because I go the distance and dream for whatever I want, no matter how unlikely it is that it will happen. This is what Sarah Kay is trying to say throughout the poem to her daughter if she was going to have one.  I look at the world with open eyes and I try to achieve any goal that I have no matter what problems get in my way and Sarah Kay wanted to prepare her daughter for all the bad but also good things that in life.  But the second part of this lesson is living and learning, which sometimes doesn’t work too well with me.  I make mistakes in life just like anyone else but sometimes I take them too seriously and make a big deal out of it but Sarah Kay
wants you to learn from your mistakes and keep going because that is what life is all about.  Making mistakes but then getting back up and learning from them because that is what living is all about.
      
      The very first time I was introduced to “If I Should Have a Daughter,” it was by Sarah Kay sayinit in a video.  When I heard it, I instantly knew that this was the poem for me because it didn’t follow any rules and it told a story of its own, letting the theme and connections just flow through.  When Sarah Kay read it, she inspired me.  She owned the poem and had such charisma that I wanted to listen to it a few times over.  It was compelling to me how one poem can impact me so much.  When I then read it and analyzed it, I learned
that it was more about teaching her daughter but it was also about teaching you.

** The lines used are directly from poem but the line numbers differed in different variations of the poem so I didn’t write the line numbers next to the cited lines.

Final Sonnet

The Story of Me and You

I remember when me and you first met,

You said eternally I would be yours. 

And lightning struck and it still happened yet,

Deep in the blackness, stuck behind closed doors.

I had to pull the force and walk away,

Push myself far from who I thought was you.

I grew past your side where I used to stay. 

Let go of my memories, lost those too. 

Today, I have found a new “only one,”

Someone whom I can put all my trust in.

And when I glance at Grey Moon and Gold Sun,

It’s you that I see, my boo, my lost sin.

You played with my heart and tore up my soul,

But it’s you I love, the spot in the hole. 

All Poems Written So Far

1.     Artwork poem: on previous blog post with response

2.   What is _________?

What is Poetry?

Poetry is the story

Your soul is writing

About you.

Poetry is the heart

That has a mind

Of its own.

Poetry is the limitless

Possibilities of

Open doors.

Poetry is a swirl

Of blended colors

That string together

Your emotions.

Poetry is not an

“IS”

But is a

“COULD BE.”

What is living?

What is Living?

Living is breathing in

All life’s opportunities,

And getting a sense of

Who you are.

Living is jumping

Even though you know you

You may fall

On rocky shores.

Living is not wasting time

But doing everything,

Making every second

Count.

Living is making magic moments

And memories to share

And hold on to forever.

Living is being now,

Not yesterday,

Not tomorrow,

But today.

Living is being you

And enjoying it,

And making it worth it.

3.   What happens to__________?

What happens to the dead?

What happens to the dead?

                Do they shut the lights,

                And stay in the dark

                Forever?

                Do they light back up,

                And appear by

                Your bedside?

                Or do they flutter by

                As an angel and

                Sit on your shoulder?

                Do they fade into the sun?

                And see the world?

                Or are they just gone?

               

               

               

"The Creation of Adam" By: Michelangelo Buonarroti

     

       





    Michelangelo Buonarroti was an intriguing and very talented artist of the late 1400s and early 1500s.  He  created many great works of art, many that are still recognized today.  He lived a difficult life but still came out strong with many works of art, some that came from his life problems.  One of his greatest and most known works of arts is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  There are many panels, all with a different religious scene going on.  This is one of many paintings that show his creations and fine skill.

            Born and died “creating works of great beauty,” Michelangelo Buonarroti was born near Florence in 1475, specifically in Caprese, a small town in the hills of Tuscany.  He died in 1564, in Rome, known as one of the best artists of all time.  His family went through hard times.  His mom died when he was only six years old.  He started school at ten years old and three years later he decided he wanted to become an artist.  After his father heard about this, he beat him.  But after some thinking, Michelangelo was allowed to work as apprentice for Dominic Ghirlandaio, who was a big painter in Florence.  He learned many things form working for Domenic.  In 1489, he was invited to learn about classical sculpting in the Medici Palace.  He was taught by Bertoldo de Giovanni who used to be a student of Donatello, another great and well known artist.  Michelangelo was so talented that he was able to be educated with the head of the Medici family’s son.  But in 1496, he was forced to search for work in Rome after problems that were occurring in Florence.  In 1516, after many works of art were created, he went to work for the Medici family.  He never married anyone but worked throughout his life mainly as an architect, but at the same time creating many great paintings and sculptures.  Some of his best sculptures are as followed: The Battle of the Centaurs, The Madonna of the Stairs, Bracchus, Statue of Sorrow, St. Matthew, Taddei Tondo, the famous Sistine Chapel ceiling and many more.

            The Sistine Chapel ceiling is a very elaborate work of art, painted by Michelangelo in 1508 and he finished in 1512.  Pope Julius II requested that Michelangelo paint the chapel ceiling. Julius was determined that Rome should be rebuilt to emphasize its previous power and he really wanted to get the job done.  Michelangelo started to develop a belief in Spiritualism, after he was catholic for which The point of Spiritualism is that the path to God can be found not exclusively through the Church, but through direct communication with God.  It is said he developed this belief by being in the Church so much.     It is also said that parts of the body such as the brain influenced his work.  In one of the panels there is a picture and one of the men’s faces are lifted and underneath it looks like a brain with the stem.  I chose to focus on the “Creation of Adam” because I felt there was more of a meaning than what was shown and I felt that
when you looked at it, there was a force of power.  In this panel, there is an image of the human brain shown behind God, this was put there because of Michelangelo’s interest in drawing the brain.  Michelangelo had a meaning behind painting this panel that shined through his sonnets that he wrote.  He understood that his skill was in his brain and not actually in his hands. He believed that the "divine part" we "receive" from God is the "intellect".  So, this painting didn’t really mean religious things to him but it meant the
true meaning of art.

            The Creation of Adam panel shows Adam and God reaching toward one another, arms outstretched, fingers almost touching. I imagined the spark of life jumping from God to Adam when he was created coming from between their fingertips. Adam is portrayed as real and alive, with his eyes wide open, and he is also completely formed.  It looks to me as though Adam is to "receiving" something from God.  It is shown through their hands.  I think that their hands play a big role in this painting because there is an electrifying force that draws your eyes straight to the hands.  They are almost touching but they are not fully there yet.  This painting reminded me of how Michelangelo lost his mother when he was young.  His mom was gone and he was reaching for her but she wasn’t really there.  It is in one respect his mother leaving but a new life of Adam being created with Eve under God’s arm ready to “fly away” also.  This painting has many layers of meaning and whatever you see when you get that first spark by looking at this
painting is your interpretation of this.  It was never meant for one interpretation, it was meant for many, because God didn’t have one way in which things had to be.

            The “Creation of Adam,” part of the Sistine Chapel ceiling painting created by Michelangelo Buonarroti is truly amazing and shows not just a great artist but a very developed person mentally.  When some people see this painting, the just see Adam and God but if you look past that and take control of your thoughts then you will find a deeper meaning, all relating back to power, life, and reaching but never being able to touch.  I am proud to call Michelangelo one of my idols not just because of his highly advanced works of art but also for working so hard and never giving up when he went through tough times, which he went through a lot.


Creating Life
An outstretched finger, reaching for the light,
God as his savior giving light to life,
With a single breath,
And an electrifying force,
And goodbye to his creator,
And Buonarroti’s goodbye to his mother.

With a wish and a prayer, and a burning desire,
Eve will appear under the arms of our father.
Seeking life and hope with his body bare,
Adam is created with a pull that they share.
His mom is gone, the mother of Buonarroti,
Into the heavens of God, never to return
To make him happy.

A life never forgotten and another one made,
Into the world above, in which the clouds create.
The Creation of Adam, born and alive,
Where life was first created,
With God’s first cry.


Resources:
Jen Green, Michelangelo.  Pages 5-7, 22, 29.

http://arthistory.about.com/od/famous_paintings/a/sischap_ceiling.htm

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2010/05/27/michelangelos-secret-message-in-the-sistine-chapel-a-juxtaposition-of-god-and-the-human-brain/

http://www.wellcorps.com/Explaining-The-Hidden-Meaning-Of-Michelangelos-Creation-of-Adam.html

    

"The Creation of Adam" By: Michelangelo Buonarroti

Michelangelo Buonarroti was an intriguing and very talented artist of the late 1400s and early 1500s.  He created many great works of art, many that are still recognized today.  He lived a difficult life but still came out strong with many works of art, some that came from his life problems.  One of his greatest and most known works of arts is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  There are many panels, all with a different religious scene going on.  This is one of many paintings that show his creations and fine skill.Born and died “creating works of great beauty,” Michelangelo Buonarroti was born near Florence in 1475, specifically in Caprese, a small town in the hills of Tuscany.  He died in 1564, in Rome, known as one of the best artists of all time.  His family went through hard times.  His mom died when he was only six years old.  He started school at ten years old and three years later he decided he wanted to become an artist.  After his father heard about this, he beat him.  But after some thinking, Michelangelo was allowed to work as apprentice for Dominic Ghirlandaio, who was a big painter in Florence.  He learned many things form working for Domenic.  In 1489, he was invited to learn about classical sculpting in the Medici Palace.  He was taught by Bertoldo de Giovanni who used to be a student of Donatello, another great and well known artist.  Michelangelo was so talented that he was able to be educated with the head of the Medici family’s son.  But in 1496, he was forced to search for work in Rome after problems that were occurring in Florence.  In 1516, after many works of art were created, he went to work for the Medici family.  He never married anyone but worked throughout his life mainly as an architect, but at the same time creating many great paintings and sculptures.  Some of his best sculptures are as followed: The Battle of the Centaurs, The Madonna of the Stairs, Bracchus, Statue of Sorrow, St. Matthew, Taddei Tondo, the famous Sistine Chapel ceiling and many more.  The Sistine Chapel ceiling is a very elaborate work of art, painted by Michelangelo in 1508 and he finished in 1512.  Pope Julius II requested that Michelangelo paint the chapel ceiling. Julius was determined that Rome should be rebuilt to emphasize its previous power and he really wanted to get the job done.  Michelangelo started to develop a belief in Spiritualism, after he was catholic for which The point of Spiritualism is that the path to God can be found not exclusively through the Church, but through direct communication with God.  It is said he developed this belief by being in the Church so much.     It is also said that parts of the body such as the brain influenced his work.  In one of the panels there is a picture and one of the men’s faces are lifted and underneath it looks like a brain with the stem.  I chose to focus on the “Creation of Adam” because I felt there was more of a meaning than what was shown and I felt that when you looked at it, there was a force of power.  In this panel, there is an image of the human brain shown behind God, this was put there because of Michelangelo’s interest in drawing the brain.  Michelangelo had a meaning behind painting this panel that shined through his sonnets that he wrote.  He understood that his skill was in his brain and not actually in his hands. He believed that the "divine part" we "receive" from God is the "intellect".  So, this painting didn’t really mean religious things to him but it meant the true meaning of art.  The Creation of Adam panel shows Adam and God reaching toward one another, arms outstretched, fingers almost touching. I imagined the spark of life jumping from God to Adam when he was created coming from between their fingertips. Adam is portrayed as real and alive, with his eyes wide open, and he is also completely formed.  It looks to me as though Adam is to "receiving" something from God.  It is shown through their hands.  I think that their hands play a big role in this painting because there is an electrifying force that draws your eyes straight to the hands.  They are almost touching but they are not fully there yet.  This painting reminded me of how Michelangelo lost his mother when he was young.  His mom was gone and he was reaching for her but she wasn’t really there.  It is in one respect his mother leaving but a new life of Adam being created with Eve under God’s arm ready to “fly away” also.  This painting has many layers of meaning and whatever you see when you get that first spark by looking at this painting is your interpretation of this.  It was never meant for one interpretation, it was meant for many, because God didn’t have one way in which things had to be.  The “Creation of Adam,” part of the Sistine Chapel ceiling painting created by Michelangelo Buonarroti is truly amazing and shows not just a great artist but a very developed person mentally.  When some people see this painting, the just see Adam and God but if you look past that and take control of your thoughts then you will find a deeper meaning, all relating back to power, life, and reaching but never being able to touch.  I am proud to call Michelangelo one of my idols not just because of his highly advanced works of art but also for working so hard and never giving up when he went through tough times, which he went through a lot.        Creating LifeAn outstretched finger, reaching for the light,God as his savior giving light to life,With a single breath,And an electrifying force,And goodbye to his creator,And Buonarroti’s goodbye to his mother.With a wish and a prayer, and a burning desire,Eve will appear under the arms of our father.Seeking life and hope with his body bare,Adam is created with a pull that they share.His mom is gone, the mother of Buonarroti,Into the heavens of God, never to returnTo make him happy.A life never forgotten and another one made,Into the world above, in which the clouds create.The Creation of Adam, born and alive,Where life was first created,With God’s first cry.Resources:Jen Green, Michelangelo.  Pages 5-7, 22, 29.http://arthistory.about.com/od/famous_paintings/a/sischap_ceiling.htmhttp://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2010/05/27/michelangelos-secret-message-in-the-sistine-chapel-a-juxtaposition-of-god-and-the-human-brain/http://www.wellcorps.com/Explaining-The-Hidden-Meaning-Of-Michelangelos-Creation-of-Adam.html