Poems

Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age

The child is grown, and puts away childish things.

Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

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And yet, to say the truth,

reason and love keep little company together nowadays.

-William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Act III, Scene i

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Personal affection is a luxury you can have only after

all your enemies are eliminated. Until then, everyone

you love is a hostage, sapping your courage

and corrupting your judgement.

-Orson Scott Card

Empire

Readers Response # 21

Title of Book: Breaking Dawn

Author of Book: Stephenie Meyer

Pages Read: Page 500- Page 600

'

"Dont' be afraid," I murmured.

"We belong together."

I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words.

This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it.

His arms wrapped around me, holding me against him... It felt like every nerve in my body was a live wire.

"Forever," he agreed.

That was the blurb of the book Breaking Dawn. That is important because Bella and Edward get married and go on their honeymoon. But that is difficult because they have physical contact and they end up having a baby together. They decide to name the baby Renesme as in Renee(Bella's mom) and Esme(Edward's mom) Carlie as in Carlisle(Edward's father) and Charlie(Bella's father) Cullen. The baby is very rare.

She has a gift of showing you what she is trying to tell you. Literally. She can talk but she just rather show you. She isn't all vampire or all human. Renesme is half and half. Half vampire and Half human. She has Bella's chocolate brown eyes, Edward's bronze color hair, Charlie's curls, and Edward's skin. Renesme grows at in incredible pace. By one month she looks like a tall five year old or a short six year old. Renesme is very smart. When Bella tries to read her stories(not the picture book type) she sometimes takes the book from her and starts reading the book. She is very INTELLIGENT.

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They Said It Wouldn't But It Did

They Said It Wouldn't But It Did

They said this terrible things would never happen

Two very important things

The Twin Towers stood proud

And the Titanic could swim

But these precious things came to an end

The towers fell downAnd the ship sunk

They thought that it would tear us apart

But that just made us stronger

We learned from our mistakes

That helped stay united

They say it wouldn't but it did

We planned our moves

We preformed them in synchronization

We won and lost a couple of things

They say it wouldn't but it did

They said he wouldn't become president

But look at where he's at

He has proven them wrong

They say it wouldn't but it did

He has lightened our burden

He has shown us the way

He was proven as worhty

They say he couldn't but he did

They Said He Couldn't But He Did

Grew up in hard neighborhood
Didn't have respect
But then he ran for President of the United States
He had a good campaign
He was not ashamed of his past
He used it to push himself ahead
He is not ashamed
But he played a fair game
His words
His life
Based on hope and change
That said that he couldn't
But look at what he did
He made it this far
And now he is on the presidents wall of fame
He says that will change the way we live today
But not everyone believed him
They said he couldn't but he did
Now look at what he has done
He is the first left handed president
That may not be important
But on his side he has one
That helps him stand out
And it helps him fit in
They said he couldn't but he did
He did a great job
Running his campaign
They said he couldn't but he did
Now he lives in the White House
And counts a lot
Congratulation Barack Obama
They said you couldn't but you did
Now he did his fair share
He did all he could
And now he is at the top
John McCain did great
But not as good
Barack Obama did what he should
Now he is President of the United States
They said he couldn't but he did

Piece of Cake

Last week the 8th grade took the state wide ELA test. Some thought that it was hard. But out of the three books the second one was the easiest and the third one was the hardest. Some people in my class didn't get to finish and that just made me wonder 'Did they try s hard as they say?' The only answer to my question is another question. "Did you give it 100%?"

I would have said yes. But now that I think about that test was a piece of cake. Hopefully that cake tastes good. Because if it did I will pass the 8th grade and continue on to high school and then on to college. the test could have been a little harder but that is just me.

I am so extatic that this test was the last ELA test that I would have to take if I pass. Wow what a great test to begin the new year. Seriously I think that the test makers slcked off just a little bit becasue last year the 8th graders thought that their state test was hard. This years test was as easy as 1 2 3.

But maybe that is because this 8th grade is and always will be the smartest 8th graders that 339 has had in the year of 2009. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. But the teachers we have are awesome. So great job Ms.Johns, Ms.Levine, Ms.Kaelin, Mr.Blanchard, and Mr.Goldsmith. You guys and ladies have helped us a lot. So this is our thanks to you as the class of 2009.

Inaugural Poem Response

I think that the poem Praise Song for the Day by written and recited by Elizabeth Alexander means that we should be ecstatic about our new America. Now that Barack Obama is our new president we should praise that everything is going to change. Barack Obama is going to be a great president and he is going to help us change everything because if he has come this far and has given us hope why in the world would he let us down now?

This poem makes me feel like Elizabeth Alexander wants us to see how eveything is going to change soon. For example, she states in the poem:
We cross dirt roads and highways that markthe will of some one and then others,
who said I need to see what’s on the other side
I know there’s something better down the road.

We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain: that many have died for this day.

Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,
picked the cotton and the lettuce,
built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of."

This tells me that she wants no that she knows that with Barack Obama on our side he will right what was wrong.

Some of the pharses that I really liked from the poem are:

Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?

Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.

In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,

praise song for walking forward in that light.

And to me those phrases connect and say to me some people learn to accept each other no matter what is happening between them. Also that love is the most powerful thing in the world and no matter what that will always stay the same.

This poem really relates to Barack Obama and his life because she states in the poem:

Say it plain: that many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,

That means that people like Martin Luther King Jr., Sojourner Truth, Malcolm X,etc. have died fighting for the future of people like Barack Obama. They fought for the rights for African-Americans to have bright long futures.

Readers Response #20

Title of book: Breaking Dawn

Author of book: Stephenie Meyer
Pages Read: Page 1 - Page 756
Chapters Read: Chapter 1- Chapter 39

The book Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer is a very great book so far. This book is all about romance but with a twist. One because one of the main characters is a vampire. And the other reason is that he is immortal and the life of his life is mortal(which means his heart doesn't beat and hers does).

Bella Swan is one of the main characters(she is the one below)

You have to watch read Twilight(or watch the movie), New Moon, And Eclipse in order to know what is going on between Edward and Bella to know how strong their love is.

In this book Edward and Bella get married and have a baby girl. Bella decided to name her Renesme Carlie Cullen(hers and Edward's moms names are Renee and Esme, their fathers names are Charlie and Carlisle and their last name is Cullen). She has hard skin like Edward, chocolate brown eyes like Bella, Edward's color hair and Charlie's type of hair(brown and curly).

Like Edward Renesme gas a special talent. She can show you what she is thinking just by putting a hand on you. Bella also has a special power which is to shield. Bella can stretch her shield very far from her body and anyone in her shield is protected well enough so that they don't get hurt.

Only one problem really happens in this book. The Volturi(a very powerful coven of ancient vampires) think that Renesme is an immortal child(a new vampire which is a child that was bit and never ages). Though she is half mortal and half immortal she is non-venomous. She bites people all of the time and they are still perfectly fine.

Another not so big problem happens in the book. Once Bella became a vampire she and to keep that secret from her father Charlie.

Readers Response # 19

Title of book: Eclipse

Author of book: Stephenie Meyer
Pages Read: Page 404- Page 629

In the dead silence,

all the details suddenly fell into place for me

with a burst of intuition.

Something Edward didn't want me to know.

Something Jacob wouldn't have kept frome me....

It was never going to end, was it?

Readers Response # 18

Title of book: Eclipse
Author of book:Stephenie Meyer
Pages Read: Page 1- Page 404

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destructive ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

-Robert Frost

Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird

Some of the major themes in To Kill a Mockingbird are racism and justice and equality for all.

The author reveals these themes by showing Atticus taking on the Tom Robinson case because he is black even though he knows that he isn't going to win because black people don't get fair trials in Maycomb, Alabama.

I think that the characters will each learn something from the Tom Robinson case. For example, Scout learns that no matter what people tell you keep your head up high and say "Yea whatever those words mean nothing to me." And i think that Jem learned more about Justice for all because he tries to explain it Scout but she doesn't understand it as easily as he does.

The lesson that Harper Lee would want me to know by the end of this book would most likely be that no matter your race, no matter your color at the end of the day you are still part of society and no matter what people tell you don't let them bring you down because thos ewho tease you are the ones that hace no self respect for themselves.