Blog Week 11

The first poem I would choose would be "To Help the Monkey Cross the River" as it details ideas of juxtaposition and irony. It also seems to have a certain perspective on how hurting someone or something can in turn help them. Sort of the mentality that applies would be what doesn't necessarily kills you only makes you stronger. This first poem has details, in a comedic way I think, of how help comes in unexpected ways at times. I would also choose "Today Was a Bad Day Like TB" because it focuses on discrimination. It is always interesting to read peoples' perspectives on a controversial social issue, and the importance of making sure people are always fully aware of these issues instead of ignoring or being indifferent to them. Whatever one's opinion is, it helps to bring out the practice of literary theory as well. My third pick would be "Harlem" which mainly caught my eye because my son will be attending graduate school close to Harlem in the coming fall, but more importantly, it is written by a great writer, Langston Hughes. It would be nice to read one of his most anthologized poems. The fourth text I would choose is Andre Dubus's "Killings" because it depicts the story, in some facet, of his life when he left his car to aid stranded motorists and then was eventually struck by another car and eventually lost most of one leg and strength over the other. It seems to be a worthy read. My final choice will have to be Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" mainly because Edgar Allan Poe has written very eerie, eccentric, sometimes frightening stories that can grab a reader's attention. Considering that "The Tell-Tale Heart" is so very well known, I am interested to read his other works, and this is one that I have never come across.