This is me...

Edward Estlin Cummings (October 14, 1894 – September 3, 1962), popularly known as E. E. Cummings, with the abbreviated form of his name often written by others in all lowercase letters as e. e. cummings, was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright. His body of work encompasses approximately 2,900 poems, an autobiographical novel, four plays and several essays, as well as numerous drawings and paintings. He is remembered as a preeminent voice of 20th century poetry, as well as one of the most popular. In 1917, Cummings' first published poems appeared in the anthology Eight Harvard Poets. The same year, Cummings left the United States for France as a volunteer ambulance driver in World War I. Five months after his assignment, however, he and a friend were interned in a prison camp by the French authorities on suspicion of espionage (an experience recounted in his novel, The Enormous Room) for his outspoken anti-war convictions.
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Cummings is my favourite poet because he has a great style of writing. The poems that he had written were filled with expression and much variation. He is an outstanding person and and was gifted in writing. His first poem was composed when he was only three years old. It was depicting the life of a bird. His poems are mostly written in the form of hyperbole and personification. The words he used wasn't grand or sophisticated. He likes to repeat and emphasise on some verses; to bring out or enhance the context. I think he supposedly wants to create a bigger impression for the readers and let us imagine of the image for ourselves in our minds. The poems he wrote were mostly in English, but he also composed poems in other languages, such as French and Greek. Cummings was involved in World War 1 and was patriotic and religious. The content he wrote were mostly about war and relationships. He changed his style of writing after his father departed in a car accident. He began to treasure life more and this can be seen in his poems. His most famous poems were 'The Enormous Room' and 'Tulips and Chimneys'. In 1952, his alma mater, Harvard, awarded Cummings an honorary seat as a guest professor. The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures he gave in 1952 and 1955 were later collected as i: six nonlectures. Cummings spent the last decade of his life traveling, fulfilling speaking engagements, and spending time at his summer home, Joy Farm, in Silver Lake, New Hampshire. He died on September 3, 1962, at the age of 67 in North Conway, New Hampshire of a stroke. [13] His cremated remains were buried in Lot 748 Althaea Path, in Section 6, Forest Hill Cemetery and Crematory in Boston. In 1969, his third wife, Marion Morehouse Cummings, died and was buried in an adjoining plot: Lot 748, Althaea Path, Section 6.

Sources: http://poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/156
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/e__e__cummings

Below is the poem 'I know why the caged bird sings' by Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.
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Q1: In the first verse, there is presence of personification and hyperbole. The poet illustrates the wind to be smooth flowing and the free bird filled with boldness and courage. The emotions of the free bird is significantly exaggerated when the poet indicated that it dares to claim the sky. This effect is to express the carefree of the bird. The second verse compares the free bird with a caged bird; the latter being restricted in agony. There is personification and metaphor. The anger accumulated in the caged bird was overbearing and how he longed himself to be freed and let its wings soar in the sky. His singing are actually the moaning of his pain. Through the third and fourth verses, the poet continues to widen the difference of the two kinds of birds. The caged, about to lose its sanity and patience, sings out loud with a trace of fear and determination; whereas the free bird continues to enjoy its freedom and is quietly searching for its preys when the sun rose. At the fifth verse, hyperbole is mostly seen. the caged bird could not tolerate anymore, he wanted to be freed. All the anger and pain will erupt any moment. But the truth is, his fate is sealed. This is his destiny. Through the defiance, every thing remained in its state. This is eminent in the last verse, where the caged bird slowly begin the succumb and finally, loses hope.

Q2: I like this poem as it strongly expresses the difference in personalities and destinies. This poem also shows how the weaker ones or people at a disadvantage strongly fight back for the lives they want. The spirit and will is totally overwhelming. However, the poet ended this poem with a sad ending. I think this is rather real, as sometimes fate is really sealed. What is yours is yours; you can't possibly change. This also gives as an inspiration that no matter what, we must always try. The results may vary with the condition of trying. The caged bird will never know whether it can escape, unless it tries. Trying is important, very important...

Below is my experience when I suddenly lose my eyesight.

Dear Diary,
Today I became blind. Every thing seemed pitch black and my heart was engulfed in total fear. I did not dare to move from where I was; it seemed like a tough challenge. My life was in total darkness and how I hoped that I could see a glimpse of light, shining into my miserable life; giving me a sense of hope. Now I finally understand how the blind people feel, their lives seemed pathetic and pitiful but yet every day they lived with so much courage and boldness. My life was totally me when I could see, but now, my life was much dependent on the crane I am griping as I walk or the passer-bys I had encountered when I ask for directions. Though I am blind, I will not let anyone despise me for my disability; I will try my very best to live my precious life to its utmost potential. A lot of blind people deserve our true respect such as Bach, Helen Keller and others. Being blind is not a sad thing; it is only tragic if you don't value your life and think that you are inferior. We are definitely not. The black in all we see are actually the behind of a door, leading you to unlimited possibilities... It is just the matter whether you are willing to fling it open.
Bye,
Susan F.Y

Below is the discussion of the relationship between owning and operating a car and it being a socially irresponsible behaviour in the near future.

Nowadays, the climate is changing throughout the world. Glaciers are melting; sea level is rising; heat is unbearable. Countries like Holland and Austria are going to vanish due to global warming and sea rise. In this kind of crisis, should owning and driving a vehicle be classified under an irresponsible behaviour? In this discussion, I will be talking about this issue and further elaborate on the effects of having and operating a car.
Firstly, I think it is perfectly alright to own a car today and till the next ten years. The global warming, yes, still poses a big threat to us; however, it is not affecting very much and owning a private automobile will not cause the whole world to perish. It is still fine in this decade. Let's talk about ten years later.
Countries such as Japan and United States nowadays educate their citizens the danger of global warming and instruct their citizens to do anything possible to slow down the speed of global warming and the people of these countries have a high concern over their environments. They had taken measures to change their way of living and these proved to be very effective. Their willingness to stop global warming had indeed affected the whole world and the world is learning from them to inculcate their people to take action. This trend will continue to increase.
By the end of 2020, the world would have progessed into a different state. Yes, I agree that owning a vehicle then is indeed irresponsible and by then the world would possibly ban vehicles as they threaten the people's lives. Nowadays, there are less and less vehicles already. This clearly shows that more people have the knowledge of conserving energy and decreasing the amount of pollution, as much as they should. This is a good practice and this phenomenon would soon be seen in other parts of the world.
If we already can do so well now, I don't see a need in purchasing vehicles in the near future. Technology will get more advanced; we do not really need a vehicle that pollutes the air to go to our destination. By then, owning a car and operating it will be redundant and this is surely under an act of inconsideration and irresponsibility.

"Hari, return early today. We are going to celebrate mum's birthday." Lila reminded me, when I was busy straightening my tie and applying gel on my hair. It is new day after all; I will be tied up at the watchmending shop. After Diwali last year, Lila and I managed to set up a poultry farm and watchmending shop as I hoped for. It turned out to be a smashing success! Just after Diwali, my goodness... Let's talk about it.

It was an ordinary day when I was awakened by the incessant loud and disturbing noises outside our hut. It was indeed unusual as Thul, such a small fishing village, normally rests in tranquil. I staggered out of the house, after attempting to open my weighty eyelids a couple of times. "Wow! My goodness, gracious!" exclaimed me as I witnessed the incredulous moment. Loads of trucks carrying masses of workers arrived Thul, emitting unpleasant and odorous gases. It was a moments of relief for me. These people were the people whom would build the factories, unfortunately the merchandise the factories produce was unpleasing-fertilisers. But my mind was only filled with the illusions of big and bulky sacks of money flowing into my pocket(although the pocket is too small).

From that time, I knew that being a rich man was no problem for me at all. Thul became a crowded and populated village. It prospered. Everything seemed to change drastically. More people, more houses, more factories, and most importantly more MONEY for Lila and me. Our poultry farm and watchmending were the most common patronised in the whole village. We reared cows, chickens, pigs etc... Lila took care of the poultry farm and I was the owner of the sole watchmending shop in Thul. With more people flowing into the small village, people seemed to get more civilised and technology was developed significantly. It was not uncommon to see most people on the streets to have watches; some even had a mobile phone (big and black). My watchmending shop was always filled with people. Every anxious customer who came into my shop went out with a big happy smile. I was the only person who knew how to mend watches; therefore, I was an necessity to the villagers. I felt so honoured being able to render great help to others. Our poultry also greatly met the needs of the people in Thul, housewives and teenage girls make up a long queue outside our farm before they day even started; they wanted the freshest and best quality products, of course. And so, we thrived as we strived.

And today, presenting to you the two young "millionaires" in Thul, Lila and I tried hard to make both ends meet. We had saved every dime and nickel to be in this current state, if not we would still be as poor as before. Lifting up my briefcase, I waved goodbye to the well-dressed Lila as I embarked on my journey to one of my watchmending branch out of 10 of them. 4 of the branches are in Alibagh; and 2 in Bombay. I had never felt so energetic in my life before, at that moment; as my head was filled with the delightful images of a warm dinner at home tonight...

Below is the interview with my mother regarding her favourite book of her lifetime.

Q: Tell me, mum. What is your favourite book?

A: Okay, it is "The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes".

Q: Who had written this book?

A: Umm... I'm not sure, but I think it is Conan Doyle.

Q: Why did you like that book so much?

A: I think the story is filled with a lot of logical thinking and it gets really exciting when you start to read. Once you have touched the book, it seemed that your hands are glued to it. The mysteries in the book really keep you thinking what is going to happen next. The thrill and anticipation cannot be described in words. It is like you are on the front row of a roller coaster and the roller is tilting 90 degrees and going to blast down in any second. It never gets boring. The reason why I liked that book is because you cannot predict what will the outcome be. But always, you will get a satisfied answer at the end. It is incredible and amazing of how the story is depicted. Holmes always successfully solve every case effortlessly. You feel contented and happy for Holmes as he returns with glory.

Q: Can you briefly describe what the story is about?

A: It is about a detective, Sherlock Holmes solving all sorts of cases. He had met a lot of difficulty on the way, but he still emerged. He was able to think rationally and logically, thus, he was a good detective. The story is broken into parts; whereas each story is about a weird case that Holmes had to solve.

Q: Anything else to add on?

A: I am sad that I am not a detective today... Just kidding!

"Jake, we're on air in 5 minutes."
"Okay, got it."

Okay, let's see... Oh, my script.(Reading it) I feel so bad now. Narwin doesn't deserve to be treated this way. She is way too innocent; Philip is the one who should be condemned. If I were his parent and taking in mind all those disrespectful acts that he did, I would simply punish him. Wait a second, whose fault is this in the first place? Philip also did nothing wrong if I am looking into the matter from the angle of patriotism! It is something dreadfully wrong with the school's regulations. What in the world is the school called? Oh yes, Harrison! This school is weird; smart people (like me) will not send our children to this school. Bet its reputation is tarnished after this incident,totally. This whole thing is totally bizarre. All of the three people (Philip, Narwin and Harrison) involved in this turmoil are at fault. Philip for being disrespectful and disobedient; Harrison for setting absurd and ridiculous rules; and Narwin for being unpatriotic (though she was just following orders from her superior). But only Narwin is blamed for her unpatriotism. If I were her, I would simply die of grieve. People accuse and malign me for something that all teachers of Harrison must abide by. And why must I be the unlucky one who is Philip's homeroom teacher?? Wait... Jake! What am I thinking? I should be defaming Narwin as nastily as I could! This is my job! I must gain popularity and achieve something great in showbiz. I am not even involved in this, so why should I care? Cool down and take a deep breath. I will be fine.... AND AWESOME!!!

"In 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 ...."
"Yes America! This is Jake Barlow from ...."