Chaya's AP Lang Blog

Columnist Nicholas Kristof, in his opinion article "If Americans Love Moms, Why Do We Let Them Die?" (2017),  asserts that maternal medicine in the United States is failing, and it is completely unacceptable. He describes the current situation, then uses contrast to shed light on the difference between the U.S. and other advanced countries in this area, follows with pathos in the form of personal anecdotes of women who suffer because of this lacking, and builds a political argument on the basis that this issue is due to problems with Medicaid and Republicans lack of initiative in an issue that they are apparently passionate about. Kristof intends to shed light on the sad, harsh reality of the situation and those who it affects, and also admonish the American medical system as well as the government administration for not dealing with this problem. He serves as a critic towards the Republican administration and American maternal medicine, and as a advocate for the women who ar...

This satirical article, titled "As your doctor, I am protesting the removal of your tumor because I don't want to erase your medical history," uses irony and humor to make the point that it is completely ludicrous and illogical to leave the Confederate monuments in their places and not remove them. Using the form of a doctor's note, Bob Vulfov uses an extended simile comparing these offending monuments to a life threatening tumor. The satirical tone comes in by taking the stance of those who do not want to remove the Confederate monuments, and showing how ridiculous and silly their view point sounds when compared to a tumor. The "doctor" explains that he views the tumor as an "important symbol of your body's history and heritage" and this history should be celebrated and "prominently displayed inside your body." This is how those who wish to protect the monuments make their case. They claim that these monuments symbolize the history o...

In the past year, there have been many differences of opinions throughout the south regarding the topic of whether to remove Confederate monuments or not. While some cities, like Charlottesville, VA, chose to leave these statues standing, others, like New Orleans, LA, voted to remove them. The issue of conserving or obliterating these offending memorials has validity on both ends. Those in support of removing them want to erase the message that they stand for and what they represent in our history as well as our future, while those opposed to removing them believe that we cannot erase our history and these monuments should stand as a teachable moment for future generations.  I see solid validity on both sides of the argument, and at first I sided with Mayor Signer from Charlottesville, who voted to keep the statues standing. He spoke about how we must "neither forget the past nor accept its grasp on our present and future," and how we cannot erase the history of our country,...

Ode to the Moon Alone I am, deep in despair, Looking up to the deep dark sky, To you I lend a passionate prayer, Dear Moon, the Mother up on high. The orb of beauty and of grace, Appears when night is drawing nigh, A beacon in the dark of space, Dear Moon, our Mother up on high. Mysterious and magical, A silver diamond in the night, Your power awes both young and old, Dear Moon, our Mother up on high. Your presence firm, helps us believe An everlasting watchful eye, Your strength and hope to which we cleave, Dear Moon, our Mother up on high. Young and afraid, my hope is done, Coming to you, I now do cry, So listen please to your dear one, Dear Moon, my Mother up on high. Give me the strength, give me the might, My life to live, my tears to dry, I need you to shine bright tonight, Dear Moon, my Mother up on high . #pocketpoem

The path was purple in the dusk. I saw an owl, perched, on a branch.   And when the owl stirred, a fine dust fell from its wings. I was silent then. And felt   the owl quaver. And at dawn, waking, the path was green in the  May light.  #pocket poem

In “The Modern Prometheus,” JJ uses irony, contrast and imagery with a relaxed, blissful tone to emphasize the joy in making others happy. He uses contrast to show the parents instructions compared to the actual scene in the house, conveying that although nothing they said is being enforced, the children are having fun. His use of vivid imagery like “soft pajamas lying idle in the closet” and “hard sour chewies dangling from their mouths” shows how the babysitter hasn’t made the children follow any of the rules, and gives off a relaxed, stress free environment where the children could be free to enjoy themselves. The irony comes in because the parents’ specific instructions were completely ignored and everything that they said not to do was happening. JJ uses these techniques to convey the satisfaction and contentment that comes with giving into the desires of others, and benefiting from their enjoyment.

In “A Man I Knew,” Margaret Levine uses a detached, distant tone together with syntax and symbolism to describe a person who has a sad unfulfilled life. The poem starts off with the symbolism of “a condo,” showing that this man that she used to know owns his own fancy home, implying that he cares about materialism, but not necessarily other more important things in life. He seems rich and detached, as he has a “maid who comes every other week,” showing how he does not have a spouse and pays someone else to deal with his mess. This is symbolic for the fact that he probably has many issues in his life, but he does not like to deal with his emotional problems and has other people deal with it for him. The poem continues and says how he has “kids who don’t” come to visit him, and they only “float on the dresser” like in a picture frame, and are not in his life. He is totally detached from his family and doesn’t seem to try to reach out, as it says they “float forever, like a boat” symbol...