Rita Joe (1932-2007) I Lost My Talk I lost my talk The talk you took away. When I was a little girl At Shubenacadie

[answerhappygod]

Rita Joe (1932-2007)
I Lost My Talk
I lost my talkThe talk you took away.When I was a little girlAt Shubenacadie school.
You snatched it away:I speak like youI think like youI create like youThe scrambled ballad, about my word.
Two ways I talkBoth ways I say,Your way is more powerful.
So gently I offer my hand and ask,Let me find my talkSo I can teach you about me.
1988
Work Cited
Joe, Rita. “I Lost my Talk.” Native Poetry inCanada: A Contemporary Anthology, ed. Jeannette C. Armstrong &Lally Grauer. Broadview Press, 2001, 17.
Assignment: Write a personal response paper to Rita Joe’s poemin which you discuss its meaning and relevance to you. For thispaper and this one only you can use “I” as a form of address or reference as you describe yourthoughts. write 800-1000 words
Guidelines: A personal response is an essay in which you discussyour own thoughts and feelings about a reading. The point is tothink about what you are reading (in this case Rita Joe’s poem) andhow it makes you feel; then ask yourself why you feel thatway.
1) Read the poem and think about the effect it has on you. Readit through again at least two or three times before starting towrite about it. As you write, try to establish the main theme,story or gist of the poem. Put simply, explain what the poet iswriting about and why the poet is writing about that theme, as wellas how it affects you.
2) You do not need to create a thesis because this is not apersuasive essay, but you should make sure you start with astatement of focus in which you articulate the main theme or ideaof the poem that really resonates with you (and why).
3) As a basic guideline, here are some suggestions for how toproceed: early in the paper you can state very literally andin one or two sentences, what the poem is about for you and thenanalyze the emotion of the poem, or look at the poem’s main ideas.You can also include relevant references to your own experienceswith a second language if you like.
4) Listen to the sounds of the poem and note how the poetorganizes the poem, while also being very alert to word choice.That is, in your discussion, pay attention to the key words andsubtle images of Joe’s poem and how they affect you.
5) If you decide to quote from the poem, each quotation shouldbe properly integrated, and include parenthetical citations (withline numbers). In addition, regardless of whether you quote thepoem directly make sure that you include a Works Cited page with aproper bibliographic reference for the poem in MLA format.