Analysis of the Saddest Poem by Pablo Neruda

1.    Theme: what themes do you notice in the poem? Explain how the themes contribute to your understanding of the poem

I notice that the themes of heartbreak, depression, and loss of love are present in the Saddest Poem by Pablo Neruda. Throughout the poem, there is a recurring line which is “Tonight I can write the saddest lines” which showcases all the pain and sorrow that the author is experiencing with love. The themes occur in chronological order first starting with his initial heart, then leading to his period of depression, and then his loss of love for his significant other. The lines, "I can write the saddest poem of all tonight. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.”, demonstrates the author’s feeling of heartbreak because he believed that both he and his significant other were both deeply in love but in reality, they were not. The author’s feeling of depression is portrayed through the lines, “I can write the saddest poem of all tonight. To think I don't have her. To feel that I've lost her.” The theme of depression can be found in these lines because the author showcases his emotions of feeling lonely and sad without the love of his life. Finally the lines,” Although this may be the last pain she causes me, and this may be the last poem I write for her.”, display the author’s loss of love for her and how is slowly moving past his previous relationship.

2.    Do you agree or disagree with the poem? Explain your thinking.

 I agree with the poem because when one is in a relationship with someone that they love for a long duration of time, they become very intimate and close to them. As a result, when they end their relationship, it become difficult to move past the relationship. This is portrayed with the line the lines: “Someone else's.  She will be someone else's. As she once belonged to my kisses. Her voice, her light body. Her infinite eyes.” These lines showcase how when one goes through a breakup, all they can think of is that person and how much they loved them. In addition, they endure a feeling of depression knowing that someone else will get a chance to be with them rather than themselves.

3.    Jot down and respond to a favourite line or favourite image. What specifically do you like about the poem? Be specific, pay attention to beautiful words, phrases and language.

My favourite line from the poem is “To hear the immense night, more immense without her and the poem falls to the soul as dew to grass.” This line is significant because it demonstrates how the author was able to hear the night more clearly without his significant other and he felt lonelier without her as the night was filled with darkness.  In addition the line, “falls to the soul as dew to grass”,  metaphorically signifies the loss of love as the small droplet of dew from a leaf falls into the grass signaling the end of a relationship. 

4.    What is this poem saying? What ideas is the poem conveying?

The poem is conveying the idea that love is precious and vulnerable. Sometimes a relationship may not always work out and as a result it may be difficult to move past it. One must give themselves some time to regroup and fix their mistakes before searching for love again. The process will be filled with some periods of depression which will lead one to make irrational decisions but, the feeling of depression can be filled overtime through learning from past mistakes. Once one does some self-reflecting, they will be able to put their past relationship behind them and embark on a new relationship.

5.    Personal connections: is there any way in which you relate to anything in the poem?

I cannot personally relate to this poem and the author’s experiences, but I have seen others who went through the same feelings and emotions as the author did in this poem. For instance, recently one of my friends recently broke up with his long-time girlfriend and he had been going a whirlwind of emotions after the breakup. Similarly to the author, he has not been able to stop thinking about the girl that he loved and he felt that his soul was lost without her. He tried countless times to win her love back and he tried correcting his mistakes in hopes of mending his relationship with her but, unfortunately, she did not want to get back with him. This goes to show that sometimes in life, relationships do not always work out and we should not dwell on them, but rather learn from them and become better people leading into other relationships.

Media Collage

1) Picture One – What did you include in this picture? Do you have to document everything to tell the whole "truth" about this classroom? What did you exclude? Why is this important to note about documentary film and media in general? 

I chose this first pic which is located in the green pit at school. I chose this picture because this was a place that I always hung out with my friends at lunch. In addition, I also met some of my new friends here as well. I had many great memories here in grade 9 because this was a spot where I always studied before tests and hung out with my friends. The green pit also changed over the course of four years as they added furniture and charging spot for phones. As the green pit went through changes, I also went through drastic changes since grade 9 as I matured into a better person.

2) Picture Two - Is there truth in this picture – despite not providing all of the details of the room? Is there bias in this picture? How do your emotions impact the picture you have chosen to take?

Truth is evident in this because it showcases a valuable message that I can apply to my life and that others can apply to their own life. When I come to class everyday, I always see this picture and it helps motivate me each day to improve on myself and to strive to succeed in my life.  There are many significant messages from this piece of artwork such as that we cannot change the mistakes that we made in the past, but instead we can learn from them and become better people. In addition, the quote “Everything affects everything”, is also significant because it demonstrates how every choice or action that we take in our life can have a positive or negative impact on us.

3) Picture Three - How does one set up the composition of a beautiful photograph to connect with the audience? How does this beautiful photograph impact the audience's perspective of this classroom? How does this connect back to our discussion of social media accounts in Unit Two? 

I took this picture in the classroom and it depicts a composition of a beautiful photograph because it showcases how words are a form of art. The different fonts, colours, and styles of the words showcase the beauty of words and how they are a piece of art.  The classroom is filled with words throughout the classroom and the many words such as quotes and messages reveal all the wonderful moments and experiences that previous students endured in the classroom. This impacts the audience’s perspective of the classroom because when one walk into the classroom, they will feel welcomed and happy seeing how vibrant classroom is with all kinds of art portrayed throughout the room. This photo connects back to our discussion of social media accounts because as one would share their stories and lifestyles through their social media accounts, the writing on the ceiling and walls throughout the classroom reveals many memories that students have experienced over the course of many years while in this classroom.

English Essay

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X0-eh59WcR5xNoLUw6CNm9EA1JmlszVjHNDIRFvlgeg/edit?usp=sharing

Best Piece of Advice

Over the course of my life, I received many pieces of advice from my family, friends, teachers, and others who had an influence in my life. However, the best piece of advice that I ever came across, came from a book called Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do, written by Robert H. Schuller. After reading this book, I came across some great life advice which was that in life, we must be resilient and be able to overcome any obstacles or challenges no matter what they are. That is why I always tell people that “tough times never last, but tough people do”. This quote itself is very significant to me because it showcases how in life, people always go through difficult times that are usually momentary but, those who have the determination and will power, overcome those difficult times leading to a successful life. Through this piece of advice, I learned that perseverance is key in overcoming any obstacles or challenges that you may face in life. Perseverance is the ability to keep going even if you have the desire to give up. It is often difficult to keep on going, but that’s what makes us tough. One who perseveres is does not quit when the odds are against them or when things go against them because they always figure out a way to come out on top

no matter what situation they are in. Perseverance has been an important aspect in my life because I have always been the type of person to constantly challenge myself to become a better person while dealing with the many  inevitable challenges that occur. Countless times, I wanted to give up when I was put into a difficult situation, but I always discovered a way to overcome these times of adversity through being optimistic and determined. For example, when I was in elementary school, I always competed in various track and field events, more specifically the 200m sprint was my speciality. Every time I competed, I was always anxious because I was scared of not performing to the best of my ability. When I was running, I always felt like giving up and a voice inside me was pushing me to give up. However, I consistently found way to stay focused and determined during my races which motivated me to push myself to my limit. Evidently, I ended up being successful because I was able to push out the negativity and believe in myself to overcome all the adversity. Overall, I believe that if we maintain a positive attitude, be optimistic, and keep working hard, we will be able to overcome any obstacle or challenge that life has to throw at us. Hence, tough and mentally strong people always outweigh the difficultly that tough times have to offer.