A Date with a Literary Scholar: Refaat Alareer

On October 21, 2013, Dr. Haslina has invited Mr. Refaat Alareer to give a talk for our course in Falimbani room, FBMK. 

Dr. Haslina gives remarks for the talk

Mr. Refaat is a poet and he owns a blog named http://thisisgaza.wordpress.com/. Here is some of the information about him.

Name: Refaat Alareer

Homeland: Gaza, Palestine

Profession: English Literature lecturer in The Islamic University of Gaza

Mr. Refaat Alreer

During the sharing session, he firstly talked about his homeland; Gaza. He explained further about the history of Palestine and showed the change of map of Palestine from 1946 until now.

image from: http://www.juancole.com/2010/03/map-story-of-palestinian-nationhood.html

Then, he briefly explained about some events and situation that happened in Palestine, mostly in Gaza and West Bank. His briefing about those events for example during Cast Lead in 2008/2009, really open our eyes about the brutality of Zionist army towards Palestine people. Mr. Refaat afterwards told us that for Palestinian people to free themselves from the occupation, they need to find a way and writing is the most effective way to tell about their suffering to the world. Next, he showed a list of Palestinian poets who are active in writing poems:

Poets that write in Arabic language:

1. Mahmoud Darwish

2. Tamim Borgouti

Poets that write in English language:

1. Rafeef Ziadah (We Teach Life, Sir)

source: youtube

2. Susan Abulhawa (Wala!)

3. Remi Kanazi

After that, he told why he writes poems in English instead of writing them in Arabic. His purpose was to let people know and totally view him as who he really was as a Palestinian people. He also told us about his story of initial journey in writing poetry by analysing the surrounding, people and situation, and he gave some tips to write poetry which can be a guideline for us:

1. Read a lot of good and high quality poetry

2. Believe that you can write good stuff

3. Have a will to do so

4. Scribble your thoughts (always)

5. Be yourself (your own style)

6. The importance of freewriting when there is an idea.

during the session

He also talked about “sumud” which means steadfastness that the Palestinian people hold on to when it comes about their life. An hour later, we had the Q&A session with Mr. Refaat. We take the chances to ask questions and knew more about him. These are some of the questions and answers for the session that have been summarized.

Q&A session

1. Q: Who is your favourite poet and why?

    A: John Donne because he is amazing and creative poet. I love his poetry and works and   how he likes to play with words. Then, T. S. Elliot. (another favourite poet).

2. Q: How is the state of education on children and women in Gaza?

    A: Actually women get good education here. There are five universities there and women have same education like men. Since there is the restriction about the education that the children should have, so there is no problem regarding education on children and women.

3. Q: What is the symbol of olive picture in your blog?

    A: For Palestinian people, olive symbolizes the men and land so it is important in our culture. It is also symbolizes the existence of Palestinians.

For me, this talk really provides benefit and inspiration to people who are really serious about being a poet. There is no restriction and limited guideline about being a poet. As far as we have the determination and goals about what we are doing, it is enough. Mr. Refaat also give some other tips about when we start doing something, it is necessary to find the skills that give us potential and expand it with our creativity.

“The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Image: http://www.fsegames.eu/forum/index.php?topic=3193.0

“The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

‘Forward, the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns!’ he said:

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

‘Forward, the Light Brigade!’

Was there a man dismay’d?

Not tho’ the soldier knew

Someone had blunder’d:

Their’s not to make reply,

Their’s not to reason why,

Their’s but to do and die:

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Volley’d and thunder’d;

Storm’d at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of Hell

Rode the six hundred.

Flash’d all their sabres bare,

Flash’d as they turn’d in air

Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army, while

All the world wonder’d:

Plunged in the battery-smoke

Right thro’ the line they broke;

Cossack and Russian

Reel’d from the sabre-stroke

Shatter’d and sunder’d.

Then they rode back, but not

Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon behind them

Volley’d and thunder’d;

Storm’d at with shot and shell,

While horse and hero fell,

They that had fought so well

Came thro’ the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of Hell,

All that was left of them,

Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade ?

O the wild charge they made!

All the world wonder’d.

Honour the charge they made!

Honour the Light Brigade,

Noble six hundred!

This poem is about a disastrous historical military engagement that happened in the initial phase of Crimean War between Turkey and Russia, between 1845 until 1856. Under the command of Lord Raglan, British forces entered the war in September 1854 to prevent the Russians from obtaining control of the important sea routes through the Dardanelles. On October 24, 1845, British commander, Lord Raglan ordered Light Cavalry Brigade which consist of 600 soldiers  who rode on horseback into the “valley of death” for one and a half miles to fight with Russia. They were obeying a command to charge the Turkey force that been seizing their guns. Finally, the brigade began charging to act but they went in wrong direction. They were assaulted by the shots of shells of cannons in front and both of their sides. As a consequence, over 100 died within the next few minutes, and British lost possession of the majority of its forward defends.

Work cited:

Tennyson, Lord Alfred. The Charge of the Light Brigade. 2013. October 13, 2013. 

            http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/tennyson/section9.rhtml

What is drama?

What is drama?

Drama is a literary work of art which involving conflict, action crisis and atmosphere designed to be acted by players on a stage before an audience. This definition may be applied to motion picture drama as well as to the traditional stage. Besides, drama is a unique tool to explore and express human feeling. In addition, it is also the essential form of behaviour in all cultures; it is a fundamental human activity.

Image: http://framptonwiki541a.wikispaces.com/Group+Three

Types of drama

·         Tragedy

Tragedy involves the ruin, weakness or devastation of the leading characters. In Greeks tradition, the tragedy meant as the destruction of the noble person based on fate. Nowadays, modern tragedy just showing that it is not of the strong and noble but of the weak and mean. The example of tragedy is "Othello, the Moor of Venice" by William Shakespeare.

·         Melodrama

Melodrama is a kind of drama that has the musical elements as the accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scene. For example, in the scene of Beethoven’s “Fidelio”, the orchestra plays the musical elements as the actor speaks in the grave digging scene.

 Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. "Othello, the Moor of Venice." Portable Legacies. Eds. Schmidt, Jan Zlotnik and Lynne Crockett,
Boston: Cencage Learning Wadsworth, 2009. 722

Life Stream Center. Drama. n.d. 5 October 2013. <http://drb.lifestreamcenter.net/Lessons/Drama.htm>.

What is poetry?

What is poetry?

Poetry comes from ancient Greek word “poieo” which means I create. It is a part of art that formed in human language in oral or literary works that is used for artistic qualities.  The purpose for the poetry to be formed is either to express the emotion or ideas to the readers or listeners. The things that should have in the poem are the imagery, words used, and musical qualities.

Poetry is well-known for its difficult understanding of content for most readers because of its nature. Poetry has the nature that less in emphasising linguistic form so it is quiet difficult rather than short story or drama.  The most important element in poetry is the sound, which is rhythm.  There are different types of meter played keys of lines in Old English, Early European and Modern poetry.

Image: http://easy4us.wordpress.com/category/poetry/

Type of poetry

·     

          Carol

A hymn or poem often sung by a group, with an individual taking the changing stanzas and the group taking the burden or refrain. For example many traditional Christmas songs are carols, such as “I Saw Three Ships” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

·         Romance

It is originated from French; a genre of long narrative poetry about medieval courtly culture and secret love. It triumphed in English with tales of chivalry such as Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Knight’s Tale” and Troilus and Criseyde.

·         Haiku

A Japanese verse form of three without rhyme lines in five, seven, and five syllables. It creates a single, memorable image, as in these lines by Kobayashi Issa, translated by Jane Hirshfield:

                  On a branch

        floating downriver

        a cricket, singing.

Works Cited

 Poetry Foundation. Glossary of Poetic Terms. 2013. 5 October 2013. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/glossary-terms?category=forms-and-types>.

Poetry Organisation. What is poetry. 2005. 5 10 2013. <http://www.poetry.org/whatis.htm>.