Analysis of poem: Children in the Darkness

1. Point of view

The author is writing from a point of view of a "spectator" of war. He was trying to sympathize with the children in war, saying that the war would deplete the children's childhood, that war "would consume the children's life". 
In the first stanza, he was trying to say that war would "demolish" the children's hopes, as "There are children in the darkness would have not seen the light" suggests. 
In the second stanza, he is saying that war are not allowing children to live the life that they are supposed to have, "chalk and blackboards" suggests that children should be studying at this age however, instead they are going to war. 
In the third stanza, the author was trying to suggest that instead of allowing them to go into war, "couldn't they" give them a chance, to study and live the life they should be. 
In the fourth and fifth stanza, his opinion was that war is cruel and children should not be going to war. 

2. Situation/Setting
The situation in this poem is children going to war and learning how to fight using weapons at a very early age. They could be losing their lives at an very early age. Children should not be going to war because " war will consume their body and soul" and this should not be happening to children instead they should be taught " to read and to dance". 

3. Language/Diction
The author has been using language to express his feeling in this poem. 
In the second stanza, "Chalks and Blackboards" are used to depict a normal children's life that they would lead, that is going to school and learning instead of going to the war. 
In the third stanza, "Could we" is used repeatedly at every line of the stanza and this shows strong feelings that the author has that Children should be learning at this age and emphasizes how war consumes the life of the children. 
In the fourth stanza, War was personified as it "consumed" the children's body and soul, depicting war as a evil creature. Life and bloody was also metaphor to be "poured" into the "thirsty, endless hole" which was the war, once again depicting war as something evil and hopeless and "poured" suggest large amounts. 

4. Personal response

In my personal opinion, I think war is something evil. Children at a young age had to be put on the front line for the country instead of leading the lifes that normal children have. This poem allows us to appreciate the lifes that we have and not complain as there are children in war that have to suffer in the war. 

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

Home Learning: Background of "Children in the Darkness"

Henry M Bechtold was in Vietnam in 1967 - 68 and again in 1969. He goes back often because his soul lives in Vietnam and he goes back to visit it from time to time.

     He was sitting in my hotel room in Saigon just before Christmas 2009 and was trying to write a poem about the girls who work in the park and how badly men treat them. He was angry but unable to write anything that did not sound trite or weak. He looked at the TV and the news was on.  He did not know what the news reader was saying but in the background was a photo of a small boy with a helmet and an automatic rifle.  This poem flowed out.  The words just came to him and he typed as fast as I could to get it all down.  


Taken from: http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Children_

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Home Learning: Children in the Darkness Poem

Children in the Darkness 


There are children in the darkness 
Who have not seen the light 
There are children in the darkness
Who someone will teach to fight

Chalk and blackboards will not be
To this door there is no key
From this life they can not flee
And these children are not free

Could we simply light a candle
Could we give them half a chance
Could we teach them how to read
Could we teach them how to dance

Or will a war consume them
Their body and their soul
Will their life and blood be poured
Down some endless thirsty hole

Back into the darkness
From which there is no flight
Back into the darkness
Into which there shines no light 


Henry M Bechtold

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Sports in Singapore ( Part 1 )

In this blog post I would be covering about the various sports significane in Singapore and the areas of improvement that Singapore can work on to become a better sporting nation.

Table tennis!














Courtesy of Onoc

Yea, thats one of the most significant sport in Singapore right isn't it? Let me analyse why is it so significant to Singapore's sporting market.

This sport has achieved tremendous results especially in recent years. It marked an increase in the popularity of the sport in 2008, when the table tennis team, had won the silver medal for Singapore, only the second time in 42 years. It was a historic moment for the Singaporean, and therefore the increase of popularity. I remember when I was a sec 1 but classmates had really loved to play this sport and we always enjoyed the game during recess.

However, recently, there was a significant markdown in the popularity of the sports? The evidence? Hwa Chong Table Tennis Tables. As one of the most popular and tremendous sports athlete of Singapore, Li Jia Wei , world number 6 has stepped down from the team, the team lost its X factor. Believe me? Just ask a friend whether they know Li Jia Wei was in the table tennis team which won the silver medal. Following that, ask them who is Feng Tian Wei. This is not known to despise the athlete but just to show an example about how a trademark athlete of the sport in the country could actually affect the popularity and future of the sports.

Squash 















Well, this is the sport I am playing. Some of you might not heard of this sports before, thus explaining the popularity of the sport in Singapore.

However, you might be surprised that actually squash had been one of Singapore's favourite sport in the 1970s and the 1980s. In that regime, we actually had a world ranked player which linger around in the top 30? That is Zainal Abidin, which happens to be my coach too. You can ask your father or your mother who is Zainal, I can tell you that 70 percent of your parents would know who they are.
Surprising isn't it?

Let me explain this sports popularity. During the era, there were many squash courts, and squash rackets and equipment were everywhere, and this cause the popularity as many people were willing to try the sport. Compared to now, they are only 36 squash courts in Singapore. Squash equipment are also hard to find nowadays. During then, there were a lot of professional squash players who are world ranked. However, this days, many of the players only pick up the sports as a CCA in secondnary school because of lack of courts and thus leading to the decline in this sports.

I would continuing about sports in Singapore in my next post and summarizing all the events and posts in Term 1' 2010.

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Monday, March 8, 2010 Posted in | | 2 Comments »

Resorts World Sentosa ( Part 2 )

This is a follow-up to Resorts World Sentosa ( Part 1 )

As I have said, there are many attractions in Resorts World Singapore, and I would countinue in my introduction to this attraction so you would have a better insight what RWS have to offer when the park is entirely open.

Marine Life Park















Courtesy of Resorts World Sentosa

This resembles something you would see in the Sentosa Underwater World, but this would be a far better experience that you once used to get in Sentosa. Why?

You could actually "swim" in the world of the ocean and get to interact with various types of marine animals, varying from dolphins to snorkel and other fascinating marine creatures! Set to be the largest oceanarium in the world, the Marine Life Park is where families come for a whale of a time. It is a great time for the whole family to bond together and wadle into a pool to learn about the coral reefs. They is really a "sea" of knowledge at the Marine Life Park!  


Maritime Xperiential Musuem 


(No picture as it is unavailable, would put up once there is an update of picture.) 


So what is Xperiential Musuem? Maritime Musuem? 


Doesn't Maritime Museum sounds new to you? Yes, it is a new initiative in Singapore!

This Museum would tell you the tale of the great sea-fathers, the legends of the sea, and how the sea developed and the lines change after years. It would be done in a interactive way, to maintain your interest and is guaranteed to make sure you have a very fun and fulfilling educational trip. So what is the structure?

The museum's centerpiece is a huge 360-degree multimedia theatre, where visitors "board" an Arabia-bound sailing ship docked near Singapore 1,100 years ago. Laden with cargo, the ship runs into a storm. Lights and effects would accompany in your time in the "ship" to make sure you would have the best of visual effects and give you an everlasting effect. Great for upper primary students to lower secondary students, a very educational trip.

Well, here is the attractions you have at RWS. Amazing isn't it?

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Interpersonal

For the part about Interpersonal, I decided to interview one of my friends from Woodlands Secondary School, Venessa. This is the transcript of the interview.

Me: How do you understand prejudice as?
Venessa: A wrong perception about some people.

Me: Any examples you can think of?
Venessa: wrong perception that people who don’t speak are emotional and anti-social?

Me: How do you see prejudice as? Good or Bad? Why?
Venessa: Prejudice is certainly not good as it accuses people of doing things they did not do.


Me: How do you see prejudice as? Good or Bad? Why?
Venessa: Prejudice is certainly not good as it accuses people of doing things they did not do.


Me: How do you understand discrimination?
Venessa: A action that is unfair to others due to some wrong prejudice.


Me: How is it different?
Venessa: discrimination is the actions , while prejudice is the thoughts.

Me: From the example above, can you relate it how the prejudice that people who dont speak are anti-social leads to discrimination?
Venessa: As we think that they are anti-social, we started to distance away from them and thus they become lonely.


Thanks

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Friday, February 26, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

Intrapersonal

Who do you want to be friends with in the novel? Why? 

I would want to be friends with Boo Radley in the novel. I felt that he was significantly one of the mockingbirds in the novel, and I have extreme sympathy for him.

 
Boo Radley


Being accused of a crime long ago, he refused to meet the society because of the prejudice that he had been given by the society. Maycomb started to make fun of him and thinks that he is a monster or a creature. Jem and Scout once even believed that Boo Radley was actually a monster that eats animals raw and stained with blood!

This is not certainly a way to treat Boo Radley. Indeed, he has not interacted with the society, he was unable to do so. However, he tried to help the people that are in need. For example, during the fire, Boo Radley was the one who put the blanket around Scout to avoid her being cold. More significantly, he was the one who saved Jem and Scout by defending off Bob Ewell off them and even killed him.

Boo Radley was certainly a mockingbird, innocent but accused of things that he did not done, and the prejudice by the Maycomb Society. By making friends with him, he can realise that not everyone thinks him that way, and I certainly thinks that he is a nice guy to be with, someone who would protect you without condition at all costs.

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