I’m the poor, you’re the rich
I’m the poor, you’re the rich
We breathe the same air, and yet our life is so different
You think about caviar or truffle; I think about bread or potato.
You think about Ferrari or Bugatti; I think about bus or subway.
You think about Gucci or Hermes; I think about Gap or Zara.
You think about Bombardier or Gulfstream; I think about breakfast or dinner.
I tried my best to better my lot in life
Yet here I remain, like a rowboat in the middle of a storm surge, at the mercy of the elements.
Can I survive? Can I improve my life?
Will this ever end?
Been like this for too long
Lots of us, few of you
the light needs to shine on the end of the tunnel
the change must happen.
After all, no one is ought to be superior to others.
We are all created equal.
My article:
My reflection:
My poem:
Poem Composition:
The poem A Brave and Startling Truth by Maya Angelou is an open poem that explores the actions people should take to make the world a better place. the poem is intended to inform the readers that human is capable of both good and evil deeds, but the earth is the only home for humanity; therefore, the human need to be compassionate and achieve good deeds in order to preserve humanity. The poet uses figurative language extensively. In the lines of “From fists of hostility” and “When land mines of death have been removed”, Angelou uses similes to referring fists as hostility and land mines as death. The fist is a commonly used symbol for violence, and Angelou uses fist in the poem to illustrate the constant threat of violence and hostility for people and show the need to eliminate the violence. The land mine is life threating weapon in many places in the world and local residents constantly face the dangerous threat of land mines which can cause death. Angelou uses land mines to demonstrate the devastating effect of war on normal people and the need to end all wars. The poem shows both the blood and the rose side of humanity and suggests that humans are capable of both atrocities and magnificent achievements. However, just like in Oryx and Crake, if the blood side overcomes the rose side, the human would inherit a wasteland and humanity would face destruction. Only through the rose side, the human can preserve the earth and humanity itself. The poem A Brave and Startling Truth informs the readers that humanity can achieve good deeds and humans are ought to achieve good deeds.