Poem Analysis - Rainbow Death by Hubert Wilson

Rainbow Death
by Hubert Wilson

America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.

Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Nefariously America led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!

About Hubert Wilson

• Born 1968, Died 1972
• Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force

Conflicts

Although this poem depicts the war that happened in the past, Hubert's poem "Rainbow Death" shows a modern day ingredient of warfare, Agent Orange. Agent Orange is a codenamefor a herbicide and defoliant used by the US military in its herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam war. Hence, from this source of information, we can tell that the poem that Hubert wrote was about the Vietnam war. It reminds us that the war may not be over even when it is over.

Poem Analysis

Hubert Wilson uses end rhymes in his poem, such as "price" & "twice", "dead" & "spread", with a "rhyme combo" in the last 3 lines, "astray", "pay" & "spray". If you notice, the end rhymes are all bad, some in context of the poem. Hubert wanted to convey the message that war was bad and that there will be many casualties. He urged people to "think twice" lest they pay a "high price".

Reflections

I feel that this poem, although being short, successfully conveys the message of the ill effects of war. Hubert, in this poem, emphasises greatly on the ill effects of it and questions the reader whether they are "thinking twice". Mixing modern details into a historic war is quite ironic and definitely will get the attention of readers as they would be more aware of the current situations better than the past.

References
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

1st Week of School

1^st week of school was fun and interesting. We were introduced to our new teachers (except Chinese) on the 1st lesson and lessons starting the subsequent few. I wouldn't say that it is very relaxing and that it will be relaxing for the rest of the year. My class is piloting a Future Schools Program, an initiative by the Ministry of Education. Hence, the style of teaching is not very perfect so my style of learning must be WAY BEYOND perfect to substitute the "not-so-perfect" teaching. I really hope that this year will be a good and smooth year for me!

4th September Home Learning

1a. The persona feels bored, tired and frustrated. The metaphor “tugged the leash” means that the pupils were all trying to rush home but the teacher was holding them back tightly. Using the term “unruly hounds” on the pupils showed that the teacher was very frustrated by them insisting on going home when school hasn’t ended yet. The pun “sick” has the meaning of bored or ill, which in context to the poem refers to both. Another pun, “toll”, also implies that the persona is worn out.

1b. The choice of words within the sentence “When will the bell ring, and end this weariness?” implies to readers that the persona can’t wait for the lesson to end. The metaphor “unruly hounds” tells readers that the persona did not like the pupils’ attitude towards learning. The choice of words in the second stanza point out that the pupils’ did not take pride in their work by scribbling in their work and had sloppy answers.

Article Review

9/11 Memorial Preview Site NEW YORK - TOURISTS coming to ground zero to see the Sept 11 memorial often peer through a fenced-off construction site for a glimpse and ask street vendors when it will be built. It will be at least two years until the memorial to the 2001 terrorist attacks opens to the public. But in an old camera shop north of the World Trade Center site, visitors will be able to watch live video of the construction, record their 9/11 memories and even leave with a souvenir. The foundation that will run the finished memorial and museum built the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, hoping to attract the hundreds of thousands of tourists a year who come to ground zero looking for a 9/11 story and finding a giant construction site. The Tribute WTC Visitor Center, a small gallery on the south side of the site, charges US$10 (S$14.48) admission and says it brings in 300,000 tourists a year. It won't cost anything to get into the preview site, although the foundation will sell memorabilia, including 9/11 memorial pins, books and DVDs. Joe Daniels, president of the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum, said the foundation also wants to present an alternative to stories tourists hear on the street about the plans for the site. 'Every single day, I'm walking by these guys who are selling the flip books to tourists,' Mr Daniels said. 'These tourists are asking questions about what's getting built. ... We see a tremendous interest in what's happening here.' The 3,000-square-foot (279-square-metre) space will feature models and renderings of 'Reflecting Absence,' the design for twin reflecting pools with cascading waterfalls where the trade center towers had stood, surrounded by nearly 3,000 victims' names. Live webcam video of the construction will be displayed on a giant screen. In a recording booth, visitors will be able to speak for 3 minutes about where they were, and what they remember of Sept 11, 2001. The recordings - visitors can share their stories in any language- will enter the permanent collection of the 9/11 museum and become part of an introductory exhibit. The foundation said private donations paid for the memorial preview site but didn't say how much it cost to build. It has raised over US$350 million privately for the 8-acre (3.2-hectare) memorial, which would set the waterfall-filled pools in a cobblestoned, tree-covered plaza. Builders said the memorial will open to the public on the attacks' 10th anniversary, although some parts of the aboveground plaza won't be finished. The museum, being built underneath the memorial, is slated to open a year later. -- AP

A memorial and museum will be built in memory of the 9/11 victims who died 8 years ago in 2001 on the very day of September 11th. It will be unveiled on September 11th 2011, which marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

I feel that having a memorial to remember the innocent victims who passed on during the September 11th terror attacks. It is not about the money they earn selling tickets and souvenirs, but is more of the memory. Although this fateful event happened close to 8 years ago, we should remember it forever so that we learn from their mistakes and remind ourselves to be vigilant at all times.

Opening this memorial on the 10th anniversary marks a very important date as we will reminisce what happened 10 years ago. It must be very saddening if one of your relative was a victim of the attacks. This is a reason why Singapore takes its defence a serious problem. We never know when history will repeat itself. Hence, we must be vigilant at all times and be aware of your surroundings. When the memorial opens, I will definitely visit it to remind me how lucky I actually am.

My Favourite Food

My favourite food is chicken. I like any type of chicken dish, from Hainanese Chicken Rice to barbecue chicken to fried chicken. I feel neutral between how the chicken is cooked, but I especially like fried chicken for its crispiness, juiciness and flavour. The place which I find has the best fried chicken is actually not KFC, but Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits.

Popeyes started off in Arabi, a suburb in New Orleans within Louisiana in 1972 and slowly established their outlets around the world. The first locally opened Popeyes branch was located in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1. Other branches opened in Terminal 3 of Changi Airport and the Singapore Flyer. As I’m a bit health conscious, I only treat myself to fast food occasionally. I do hope that Popeyes can open more outlets across the island so that it would be more convenient for me and other patrons.

Their chicken is golden brown and when you sink your teeth into the piece of mouth-watering chicken, the succulent and juicy meat really gets you hooked up and craving for more! Another thing I like about Popeyes is that their fries, called Cajun fries, is fried with herbs and spices, unlike other fast food outlets like McDonalds or KFC. As for local food, my favourite would be Hainanese Chicken Rice. I like the fragrant rice and delicious chicken.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia, Yahoo! Image

The Importance of Keeping Up with Current Affairs

There are many reasons to keeping up with the news, just like any other matter. To some, pride is concerned. They are afraid their friends would ask/talk to them about current news and they are unable to answer it, which makes them lose face, so they force themselves to watch the news broadcast every night or read the local newspaper. This DOES keep them updated to the news, but the attitude they are having which drives them is wrong.

They should be reading newspapers and watching the news broadcast to inform themselves of what is happening so that they can be vigilant. Take the Influenza A (H1N1) flu virus for example. If one didn't watch the news, he wouldn't have known the virus had come to Singapore and would carry on with his dirty habits (if he has one). He wouldn't have known that the previous term "swine flu" was officially changed. Neither would he have known that Mas Selamat had escaped, not ruling out the fact that he may kidnap somebody or commit crimes during that period.

Just these few examples and I can show you the importance of keeping up with the news. Now, the news is also available on the web, like CNN, BBC, or Channel News Asia so what are you waiting for? Flip, Tune or Click now!

Tips on Staying Healthy

The Influenza A (H1N1) flu virus is spreading relatively fast despite the warm climate Singapore has. That means that the virus is spreading EVEN FASTER in other countries that experience winter!! To keep the flu virus at bay, staying healthy is the number one solution, so now, I will give you some tips on being healthy.

First and foremost, personal hygiene. The simplest thing about personal hygiene is washing your hands. Your hands are constantly holding things, like writing, eating , et cetera, so they are dirty almost all the time, until you wash it PROPERLY and THOROUGHLY. Basically, there are 8 steps to washing your hands properly which should last for at least 30 seconds. Below is a illustration to let you better understand how the 8 distinct steps are done. Remember to use soap and water to wash them.

You should wash your hands regularly to rid it of the germs lest they go into your body through your nose, mouth or open wounds. There are many other ways where you can stay healthy, starting from the most basic of covering your mouth when you sneeze.

Information summarised from Health Promotion Board, Keep Your Hands Clean
Photo courtesy of Health Promotion Board, 8 Steps to Hand-Washing