English GHA Assignment

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Poetry
Question one
Symbolically, a deferred dream decomposes and is not just forgotten. If a dream is not sought, the dreamer will be frustrated and unable to do anything about it. Hence, the author seems to suggest that one should act on their dreams as fast as they can to make things happen rather than wait, (“Dream Deferred – Poem by Langston Hughes, 1). The environment can cause a dream to defer. This comes in the situations such as oppression as in the case of African Americans being subjected to slavery. When you are tortured by the society and environment around you, it is impossible to have any big dream.
Question two
I think that the first person narration of this poem is necessary due to the fact that it has to emphasize the point. I also think that the author is very emotional and want to send the point home in the most subtle of ways, (Jim, 1). It is efficient when someone uses a first-person narrative as it depicts real-life experiences. The poem trigger sympathy in the reader in the use of symbols and metaphors. For example, the use of animals such as dogs, which are always at the mercy of their owners, indicates desperation.
Question three
The fig tree is a representative symbol of the author’s Arabic background. The fig tree is part of Arabic life and contains edible fruits. The way the author’s father planted the tree, he was demonstrating generosity to the world in the way the tree would normally live for many years and feed many people with its fruits, (“My father and the fig tree,” 1).

Hence, since a tree has roots in its soil, the poem also symbolizes the father’s dedication to his family. In their new country, the author can always remember where she came from when she remembers her father’s folklore.
Question four
The author is protesting in this poem. The author does not want to keep on using English as he feels he is losing his identity. He narrates about relinquishing one’s culture, home, and possessions in favor of a new language. The author is clearly not happy about the assimilation, (Inada, 48). English signify a cage to the author as he has abandoned his identity. By his nature, the author remembers how the US victimized him and his people. He feels as if he is betraying his people if he keeps on speaking English. Hence, he must get out of his cage.
Question five
The woman reflecting on her married life feels lonely since she can no longer see her husband. The author means that the woman is alone with the line “When half her bed is covered with books,” (Thompson, 112) The books are a reminder of the character’s loneliness. The woman also feels happy about her future, as she gets old. She currently “fears about how to deal with the aging,” (Thompson, 112). Hence, loneliness is the least of her concerns.
Work cited
“Dream Deferred – Poem By Langston Hughes.” Famouspoetsandpoems.Com, 2018, http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/langston_hughes/poems/16947. Accessed 9 Mar 2018.
“My father and the fig tree.” Www-Tc.Pbs.Org, 2018, https://www-tc.pbs.org/now/classroom/nyepoems1.pdf. Accessed 9 Mar 2018.
Thompson, Denys. Distant Voices: Poetry of the Preliterate. London: Heinemann, 1978. Print.
Inada, Lawson Fusao. KICKING THE HABIT. Drawing the Line (9781566890601); 1997. Print.
Jim, Willis. Before I Die. “Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project, Inc.: Nowisconsinpuppymills.Com, 2018, http://www.nowisconsinpuppymills.com/poem.html. Accessed 9 Mar 2018