Published on November 14, 2022

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Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: Writing a speech like Winston Churchill

• Post author By tbrg
• Post date November 14, 2022
• No Comments on Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: Writing a speech like Winston Churchill

– Eedha Kaul,
Oberoi International School

On May 13th, 1940, three days after taking over as Britain’s Prime Minister, Winston Churchill stood before the House of Commons and said—“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” His speech lasted just five minutes. Heralded as one of the greatest speeches ever delivered, it firmly set the course for Churchill’s prolific career.

While Hitler was amassing power in Germany anew, Winston Churchill, reputed for his successful military and political prowess, spent much of the 1930s encouraging Britain to comprehend and accept the gravity of the situation. Britain, however, in its haste to avoid another conflict, disregarded the German threat. War ensued, and Neville Chamberlain quickly abdicated his position as Prime Minister. After the then-foreign secretary refused the job, Churchill was elevated to the Prime Minister’s office. As Britain began preparations for what was to become a ruthless, exhaustive battle, its chances looked bleak. Morale was low, and fear ran rampant. Amid this adversity rose Churchill, his speech infusing the nation with hope in one of its darkest hours.

In his distinctive writing style, Churchill repeatedly uses a combination of short, direct sentences followed by much longer sentences to elaborate on and substantiate statements made in the former.  When disclosing the position of the armed forces, Churchill states, “The three Fighting Services have been filled. It was necessary that this should be done in one single day, on account of the extreme urgency and rigor of events.” In the first sentence, Churchill wastes no time delivering the necessary information. In the second, he incorporates an additional detail—“on account of the extreme urgency and rigor of events”—justifying the course of action described in the preceding sentence. The contrast between these sentences highlights differences in their purposes and value. While the first sentence is intended primarily to convey an essential piece of information, the second was likely crafted to ensure transparency in the discussed process. In this manner, Churchill effectively supports his decisions without compromising the integrity of his report.

This writing pattern is also apparent in the part of his speech where he discloses his plans and actions, stating, “I hope to complete the appointment of the principal Ministers during to-morrow. The appointment of the other Ministers usually takes a little longer, but I trust that, when Parliament meets again, this part of my task will be completed, and that the administration will be complete in all respects.” Once again, the first sentence is brief, simply stating a desire and fulfilling its purpose to inform. In contrast, a non-essential phrase breaks up the second sentence—“but I trust that”—which introduces and affirms Churchill’s stance on the situation and his forthcoming duties.

Although the first half of the speech is informational in nature, Churchill then switches the tone to bear an emotional appeal. With his promise of only “blood, toil, tears, and sweat,” he endears himself to his countrymen, gaining their trust and firmly establishing himself as one among them.

“We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering.”—Churchill consistently incorporates personal pronouns and inclusive language to cement his endeavor to kindle unity, collaboration, and support. He uses repetition and rhetorical questions to convey his determination to lead Britain to victory—“You ask, what is our policy?” “You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs—Victory in spite of all terrors—Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.” His self-assurance reverberates through his audience, instilling in them the courage and resolve to continue fighting. This subtle and cleverly concealed method of empowerment establishes a common goal for which they must work and fight together.

Rather than sugarcoat the truth, Churchill repeatedly chooses a more forthright tone and manner of speech. Surprisingly, this brutal honesty fosters a sense of trust in the audience. By acknowledging and emphasizing the situation, Churchill encourages alertness, demonstrating his proactiveness amidst changing times. This admission showcases the strength of his language and how he holds himself while buffeted by adversities of change and conflict. His bluntness in describing the situation’s potential consequences, saying, “No survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for,” stoked fear among his listeners, highlighting the need for urgent measures. This balance between awareness and panic, that Churchill weaves is an excellent representation of his leadership ingenuity. He exemplifies poise and elegance in a delightfully persuasive manner. His words are wrought with inspiration and authority. This speech is monumental: a beacon of hope.

Historians have attributed the original line about “blood, toil, tears, and sweat” to the nineteenth-century Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi, who once marshaled his troops, promising them only “hunger, forced marches, battles and death.” But that doesn’t diminish Churchill’s brilliance in the least. Instead, it highlights his incredible ability to dive into the past and resurface with a gem that secures his reputation and his post as Britain’s Prime Minister through the end of World War II.

Churchill remains the only politician to win the Nobel Prize in Literature to this day. Indeed, in a time of chaos and fear, Churchill ingeniously applied the intricacies of language to inspire his people, garner their support, and establish an attitude of hope, strength, and courage. 

Works Cited

International Relations and Security Network. Winston Churchill’s First Speech to the House of Commons. 1940, www.files.ethz.ch/isn/125391/1019_Churchill_blood_toil_tears.pdf.

Lindsay, James. “TWE Remembers: Churchill’s ‘Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat.’” Council on Foreign Relations, 13 May 2013, www.cfr.org/blog/twe-remembers-churchills-blood-toil-tears-and-sweat.

Rothman, Lily. “This Is the Speech That Made Winston Churchill’s Career.” Time, 13 May 2015, time.com/3848735/churchill-best-speeches-blood-toil-tears-sweat/.

Shmoop. “Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat Historical Context | Shmoop.” Www.shmoop.com, 2022, www.shmoop.com/study-guides/historical-texts/blood-toil-tears-sweat/historical-context.

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The Principles of making an excellent speech

• Post author By tbrg
• Post date November 14, 2022
• No Comments on The Principles of making an excellent speech

– Naomi Pandey
Grade 12, Shiv Nadar School, Noida

Speeches are different. That’s the point. They are different from a story, a poem, a debate or from a discussion. Speeches can inform, persuade, motivate or inspire. They can change. Change people’s minds about issues, change how we look at things. Change how we see the world. They may change everything. However, there’s a catch. To be able to do all of that, one must know the art of speechwriting, as well as public speaking. Ideating the material and performing it.

So, how do we write a compelling speech? Is it easy?

The question isn’t really about ease, though, it’s about what you want to talk about. Who do you want to talk to? What impact do you want to make? As soon as you can answer all these questions, you’ll be ready to embark upon the journey of actually writing the very script for the speech.

In this blog, we will unpack three main principles of speechwriting and public speaking with references to Martin Luther King Jr’s memorable speech, “I have a dream”, spoken in the year 1963, during the Civil Rights Movement in America.

Principle 1: Know your audience and purpose

When writing and performing a speech, it is always essential to know your audience. Whether this is for a product pitch or to make a motivational speech to teenagers about how they can combat anxiety, a speaker should know who they’re addressing and prepare accordingly. In the former example of a product pitch, the speaker will have to present a product in front of multiple businesses, and therefore will have to be experienced and well-versed in the realm of business. In the latter example, the speaker needs to be experienced in the field of mental health, especially for teenagers, and be able to break down complex principles of psychology into easily explainable analogies and examples, and then, provide effective and simple solutions about how a teenager can actually combat anxiety.

In “I have a dream”, Martin Luther King, Jr. was speaking to a large crowd at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC. This crowd consisted of fellow African American folk, who supported the Civil Rights Movement, as well as people of other races and creeds who, too, supported this movement. As is clear from its title, “I have a dream” was not only to tell African American people to take a stand against their mistreatment by white leaders but also to propel them forward- to fill them with hope, with a dream.

Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks of oppression, of police brutality, of blatant inequality despite there being a constitution that regards blacks and whites as equals. Martin Luther King, Jr. does not accept a constitution that is not being executed, and instead being ignored. Dishonoured. He does not defend the American government. However, he still maintains that to be taken seriously and to have their dignity never falter, the African American people fighting for justice must do so non-violently. Respectfully.

It is clear that MLK had written this speech in a way that will be logical, but at the same time, motivating, uplifting and inspiring. With the motif of, “I have a dream”, MLK not only stands up for what’s right, but also lifts up the spirit of the people who have faced every injustice fathomable, and shows them an idealistic, yet an achievable vision of the future.

Principle 2: Richness, Rhetoric, Repetition

In order to make your speech both a rewarding experience for a future reader, as well as a listener, it’s important to make the speech phonetically rich, as well as sprinkle in literary devices wherever they fit in.

Metaphors, analogies and examples, in general, without a doubt, considerably ease up any concept that a speech might be covering. Apart from that, these tools also add a certain sense of richness and depth to the entire speech, at large.

“This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.”

Here, MLK uses phrases such as, “mountain of despair”, “stone of hope” and “symphony of brotherhood” which while making the speech easier to understand, also lends it richness and creativity.

Apart from this, it’s always important to remember that repetition legitimises. This can be done in the form of simple repetition, anaphora (repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive sentences), alliteration (repeating the same/similar sound at the beginning of consecutive words) and so forth. Repetition legitimises when used right.

While an overarching motif of “I have a dream” looms over the entire speech, MLK makes use of other repetitive techniques to enunciate his points regarding justice and oppression, while adding a sensory experience that subconsciously lures every listener in.

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

While repeating, “now is the time” MLK calls for quick action. Yes, the dream is into the future, but the plan is to not just keep dreaming more and more fantastical dreams. No, the plan is to act now and do what it takes to achieve this dream and make it a reality as soon as possible. MLK does not lament the past. He calls for action then and there.

Another example of repetition that spans multiple paragraphs includes, “We are not satisfied”, where MLK points out exactly where African Americans are still treated in an ever-unjust manner, despite reforms being made to laws and the constitution long ago, they continue to be aliens to the constitutions “unalienable rights”.

It is also important to utilise Aristotle’s appeals. These include logos, ethos and pathos. Logos induces logical facts and evidence to drive home a point. Ethos utilises an authoritative and/or reliable power to emphasize an argument. Pathos goes directly for the emotional appeal: to speak of tragedies raw and unfiltered, to fill peoples’ eyes with sorrow, and to allow them to hope for the future. A speech should make use of either or a combination of all three of these appeals to make said speech balanced and well-rounded.

MLK directly speaks of the state of African American activists in jail, but he also speaks of hope. He also speaks of dignity, respect and change. He maintains a balance between logical reasoning and emotional appeal.

Moreover, allusions and citations can always help. Whether you quote Freud in that speech to teenagers about anxiety or discuss Immanuel Kant’s assertions in a speech about ethics, it is always valuable to quote, allude and cite.

MLK regularly alludes to Abraham Lincoln (note that the speech also took place at the Lincoln Memorial), a president who strived to end the slave trade and to have all races be treated equally. He also makes religious allusions, and concludes his speech with an African spiritual, “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.” A simple conclusion, which will still make every hair on the listener’s body stand up as they listen to it.

Lastly: have a structure. Having a structure is extremely important, and every speech will have a different structure, which mostly depends on what the speaker wants to convey and what context the speech is in. For example, in a product pitch, you would probably describe a problem, provide a list of possible solutions to said problem, mention your product, mention how it is unique from other similar products, talk about costs, sustainability and so forth.

In “I have a dream”, Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks of how the constitution is not being lived up to, discusses the perils of African American folk, enunciates that they must be non-violent and ends with describing his own dream for the future.

A structure will add semblance and in general, make the speech much more well-rounded and easy to grasp.

Principle 3: Confidence

As the speaker, it is essential to be confident. Confidence comes from within, so it is best to be prepared for any obstacle that may come in between your speech. To always be able to think and improvise on the spot, and most importantly, to sound confident. To not let your shoulders droop, your arms flail about and to not let your voice falter and fall.

Throughout his speech, MLK’s voice stands strong. His voice stresses and releases particular syllables, and he is consistently confident.

MLK spoke in front of a crowd of 250,000 people. A number that is incomprehensible. He spoke about something earth shatteringly important yet controversial at the time. His sense of self and his confidence were thoroughly unwavering throughout.

This makes him a charismatic leader and a trustworthy mentor.

This makes his speech all the more inspiring and moving. Never forget the adage, “confidence is key”.

To conclude, to make a speech that stands tall, is substantive and overall uplifting: one must know who, what and why they are writing and making a speech. One should make the speech easy to follow and add depth to it by using multiple figures of speech. One should always be confident in themselves- always trust themselves and always be prepared for the worst.

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Crowdfunding for business

• Post author By tbrg
• Post date November 14, 2022
• No Comments on Crowdfunding for business

What does crowdfunding mean? Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, in modern times typically via the Internet. It is a way of collecting money in order to start a new project, for volunteering and helping purposes, and anytime when there is need of money. People often associate crowdfunding with money generated to help the poor, or provide any kind of support. However, crowdfunding is a practice that goes beyond it, as unicorns and known companies also use crowdfunding as a source of money generation. It is not always out of need that people need to crowdfund but like the name suggests, help from the crowd in order to fund you for your upcoming project/move/step etc. 

The Myth

It is very apparent in our society that people associate this term with ‘dire need of funds’ and is something undertaken by the poor or people who are unable to afford something for themselves or their families. Well, that is a myth, because today biggest multinational companies like Google, Vodafone and Philips also use crowdfunding to generate money for the business, in order to take up new ventures and projects within google. 

Perhaps, everyone is moving in the crowdfunding ecosystem. To state, google was among the first large companies to spot the potential of online crowdfunding exchanges. Last year, the internet search group co-sponsored a competition for entrepreneurs in Germany, called the Gruender-Garage, run on the US-based peer-to-peer lending platform Indiegogo. Contestants were offered up to €10,000 each in match funding from Google, if they could hit their own business funding targets on Indiegogo. 

Ralf Bremer, Google’s public affairs manager in Germany, says this approach brings the company closer to technology developers. “We want to expand our relations and grow roots with the German start-up and innovation sphere,” he explains. “We want to invest in Germany’s future success as the internet’s innovation culture helps economic growth and jobs.” 

Moreover, it has been noticed that crowdfunding campaigns help build connections and engage with the customer is a more compelling proposition than signing cheques. It can encourage small investors, too. “Contributors to these campaigns can also feel like they, along with the brand, are helping something creative, entrepreneurial, or social come to life.

Types of crowdfunding?

There are four types of crowdfunding that exist and each of these receive money from interested donors. The 4 types of crowdfunding are the following:

• Donation: Donation-based crowdfunding is when the crowd gives a campaign, business or person money for nothing in return, as a form of charity or helping the needy. For example you create a crowdfunding campaign to purchase new machinery for your business. The people who give you money do it out of help and support for the growth of your business and ask for nothing in return.
• Debt: Debt-based donations are peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, which is a form of crowdfunding. In debt-based donations, there is a debtor and debt collector. The debt collector gives the lump sum money to the debtor who is ought to repay the loan with an interest charged on it, within a given time. t
• Rewards: This is when donors get something in return for the donations they have made for the firm. The rewards are varying depending on the size of the donation, which incentivizes higher contributions. For example, in some crowdfunding campaigns like cancer walks you pay a sum of money and in return you receive a T-shirt, or other products often at a discounted rate.
• Equity: While some crowdfunding campaigns don’t allow backers to own a portion of the company they’re supporting, equity-based crowdfunding allows small businesses and startups to give away a portion of their business in exchange for funding. These donations are a type of investment, where participants receive shares in the business based on how much money they contribute.

Examples of successful crowdfunding sites

There are many online crowdfunding platforms you can use to kick off your business. Here are four of the top crowdfunding sites you can use to grow your company. 

Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a rewards-based donation platform that has been helping companies raise money since 2009. It has been used to raise more than $5 billion for more than 182,000 projects. Part of what makes Kickstarter so successful is how simple the site is to use. You set a monetary goal and the amount of time you want to reach it, and tell your campaign’s story. You then share your project with the community in hopes of finding backers.

GoFundMe

GoFundMe is a donation-based crowdfunding company, and although it’s famously used for more charitable initiatives, businesses can take advantage of the platform as well. This is a great option for nonprofit organizations and businesses that have service-based initiatives. Statistically, 1 in 10 campaigns is fully funded on the site.

LendingClub

LendingClub is a debt-based crowdfunding site because it is a P2P lending platform. It offers up to $40,000 in personal loans and up to $500,000 in small business financing. Each loan term is three or five years. To qualify, your company needs to have been in operation for at least a year, the applicant must own at least 20% of the business, and it must have an annual sales revenue of $50,000.

Indiegogo

Indiegogo is a reward-based platform that offers two kinds of funding. Fixed funding allows you to set a goal for a certain amount of money, and if you don’t reach your target, all funds are returned to donors. Flexible funding is when you’re looking for any amount of monetary support, all of which you can keep whether you hit your goal or not.

The challenges of crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is often misunderstood as a quick and painless way to amass wealth, but in reality, it takes significant time and effort to build a project that investors will see as providing them with a valuable service and therefore be willing to back it. This is analogous to making a presentation to a group of potential investors about a business proposal. There is no assurance of success, and as crowdfunding grows in popularity, backers have learned to be more selective in the projects they fund because they, too, have financial limitations.

According to Kendrick Nguyen, CEO and co-founder of crowdfunding platform Republic, “Crowdfunding works for all kinds of companies at all different stages, but the companies that have the most successful campaigns tend to have the largest and most engaged communities behind them — usually of customers or users or other supporters of their mission.”

Acquiring such widespread backing can be a formidable challenge. Successful businesses are the result of diligent marketing, reliable founders, and a superior product. Crowdfunding presents a wide range of difficulties, as stated by Ryan Sim, managing director and co-founder of We The People, which sells only crowdfunded products. Problems with reward-based crowdfunding campaigns that he outlined include the following:

1. Identifying and employing a low-cost marketing approach before, during, and after the campaign.
2. Making sure that the campaign description contains compelling language to increase sales.
3. Making an engaging campaign video that details the features and benefits of the product (the main difficulty being the high cost of doing so)
4. Designing a rewards programme that will yield the highest possible return on investment
5. Identifying the best and most affordable method of reward fulfilment

When launching a crowdfunding campaign, “it’s important to note that these challenges are just the beginning of the obstacles to consider,” warned Sim. Every entrepreneur faces difficulties that are specific to his or her industry, in addition to the more general ones.

When it comes to equity crowdfunding, there are additional difficulties to consider. Equity crowdfunding, says Ample Foods CEO and founder Connor Young, necessitates a greater focus on educating potential investors who may not have a traditional investment background.

According to Young, “investing in a regular crowdfunding campaign is quite easy” because of everyone’s familiarity with online shopping. “You simply respond, ‘Oh, OK, I’m essentially pre purchasing a product that does not yet exist, and I’m going to get it in six to twelve months.’ You shouldn’t have any trouble grasping that. However, equity crowdfunding is met with more resistance from the average person who is not used to investing in companies.

Crowdfunding benefits for investors

Crowdfunding campaigns offer substantial returns for investors.

• Crowdfunding presents an opportunity for investors with a low barrier to entry. Since it is not a part of the financial market, it is immune to fluctuations in the economy and the stock market.
• Putting money into a crowdfunding effort is simple. Direct online investment into a venture or business is now possible.
• By contributing to multiple equity crowdfunding campaigns, investors can diversify their holdings and increase their exposure to new opportunities.

Tips for crowdfunding success

There is no magic bullet for crowdfunding, but there are three essential steps to take in the right direction.

1. Communicate with backers.

Young emphasised maintaining open communication with donors after a campaign has ended. He said that delays are common during product launches, so it’s important to be prepared for them and respond openly and honestly when they occur.

“Do you keep in touch with your investors, even when things go wrong?” is a key question. When asked, Young responded.

At the end of the campaign, it’s a good idea to give the community an update, letting them know how to get in touch with you and if you have any plans to switch over to preorders on your own website.

Do not be hesitant to keep your backers informed after the campaign ends. Relationship building with backers is crucial to the success of any crowdfunding campaign.

2. Disseminate interesting and pertinent promotional materials.

A good batch of marketing materials will help your campaign stand out.

Making an emotional connection with a customer is as important as explaining the product’s features, according to Young. Investors believed that “I was an authentic guy and that I really seemed to care and be passionate about it,” which was a major factor in their decision to back Ample.

There are always going to be a lot of crowdfunding campaigns competing for attention. The most effective strategies for getting your name out there involve making compelling promotional materials and getting your network to support the cause. During its first crowdfunding campaign, Ample used a short video to introduce its product.

3. Prepare for the campaign.

Successful crowdfunding campaigns start with careful planning. Tell everyone you know that you will be starting the campaign. Before the release, make use of your personal and company social media accounts. You should make it easy for potential donors to find you.

It also requires time to make the right marketing materials. Don’t rush to shoot that instructional video the day before the campaign launch; give yourself time to get it right. If you want to succeed at crowdfunding, it’s worth taking a few extra weeks to plan out your strategy and generate buzz about the campaign.

Concluding a campaign

Once your crowdfunding campaign closes, one of three things happens:

1. If the funding goal was not met, the campaign’s backers would receive a refund. If your crowdfunding campaign does not succeed in reaching its funding goal, you may still be able to collect the money you have already raised on some platforms.
2. Your total fundraising amount, less any applicable processing fees, will be transferred to you upon completion of the campaign. In the case of Kickstarter, fees range from 5% for hosting the campaign to 5% plus a percentage of the total for payment processing. Successful crowdfunding campaigns only; campaigns that don’t make their target won’t be charged.
3. Equity crowdfunding campaigns are different in that you still have obligations to your backers after the campaign has ended. The outcome of the donations will determine the extent of that duty.

While crowdfunding does not guarantee the success of a project or the longevity of a company, it helps many entrepreneurs gain business experience and create relationships for other opportunities. 

 

Published on September 27, 2022

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School Curricula Changes: A Cause for Optimism

• Post author By tbrg
• Post date September 27, 2022
• No Comments on School Curricula Changes: A Cause for Optimism

Eedha Kaul,
Oberoi International School

In response to the pandemic and its repercussions, schools and colleges were compelled to make multiple adjustments, including switching to online classes, shortening study blocks, condensing the curriculum, and lowering grade boundaries. Recently, with the return to offline classes, changes in school curricula and student expectations have been a cause for concern. As the virus’ grasp slowly loosens, the education system’s grasp on students is tightening again. Is there reason to worry?

The lockdown prompted leniency, which students cherished. Suddenly, there was more room to accommodate hobbies and new interests. However, these conditions also heightened temptations, leading to an indulgence in online entertainment, laxity in students’ eating, sleeping, and studying habits, and disruptions to their once relatively healthy and sustainable daily routines. Simply put, being stuck at home was more damaging than good and students struggled to shed these habits once offline school instigated the need for specific lifestyle changes.

Consider the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. As a post-pandemic reaction, courses have been revised and expanded, additional exams are being introduced, and the grade boundaries, the most distressing change for students, are reverting to what they originally were: inflexible and demanding. Similar modifications are being made across schools all over the world. Many, if not all, students are beginning to panic, apprehensive about being able to reverse their poor study habits instantaneously and return to a studious work schedule.

Change can occasionally be misleading, and the transition back to harsher grading systems might appear alarming, unfair, and possibly entirely uncalled for. However, before criticizing the recent educational system changes, it is essential to consider their implications. An education without rigor or high expectations will render future generations of the workforce under-equipped to handle complex tasks. For instance, professions in medicine and law highly depend on an extensive, thorough education. Without that foundation, we would be jeopardizing the health and safety of the people and undermining our justice systems. 

Not only this, but lenient grading encourages laziness and disrupts a student’s development of a healthy, efficient, and effective work ethic. It sets lower standards, making it much easier for students to score well while doing only the bare minimum. With every other person performing exceptionally, the value of a perfect or near-perfect score is degraded—its credibility tarnished. Rather than serving as a distinction of merit among student bodies, this style of grading assumes a perfect score to be a mediocre accomplishment. Without a demanding rubric, students will find it even harder to stand out in a community where excellence is already booming. For example, with the reduced IB curricula for graduating students last year, a perfect score, which was initially obtained by only a mere handful, was suddenly achieved by numerous students across the globe, diminishing, to an extent, its highly prestigious significance in schools and colleges throughout. 

The sheer volume of skills, experiences and learning that students can gain from a wholly developed curriculum should surpass any challenges accompanying it. While adjusting to a post-pandemic lifestyle will be taxing, the school curricula changes will ensure students graduate with a high-caliber education that prepares them for a future burgeoning with complexities as well as opportunities. 

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Learning poetry through reverse engineering a poem

• Post author By tbrg
• Post date September 27, 2022
• No Comments on Learning poetry through reverse engineering a poem

Naomi Pandey
Shiv Nadar School, Noida- 12 IB

Growing up, poetry was definitely a very important art form to me. Around me, I saw many people who were equally as passionate as I was, if not more, about poetry. My head would constantly be swimming with ideas, pen always jotting down streams of consciousnesses on discarded sheets of paper. Thinking it to be the greatest piece of art I may ever create. 

And then… picked apart that same piece of paper a few days later and making a face to signify exactly how unimpressed I was by it. 

Poetry isn’t that easy. It’s easy to write a poem that feels good at a particular moment but when you read it shortly afterwards, something always seems to be amiss. That thing, in most cases would be nuance. The words are all simple and straightforward. There are a few phrases that are mildly interesting, but apart from that, everything seems unappealingly mediocre. 

One day, however, I realised, that was kind of the point. That was step one. The raw ideation of a poetic idea. Something worth working upon. The fallacy was not the mediocrity, no, instead it was harshly judging a work in progress. 

The next step could be to work on it yourself or maybe, to find inspiration somewhere else. 

Whenever I asked my favourite English mentors for writing advice, it was always to read all sorts of literature I can get my hands on. It sounds fairly clichéd but to no one’s surprise, it absolutely works. When you read more, you expose yourself to new ideas, and sometimes, to different interpretations of the same idea. Different ways the same idea is conveyed through different words. The different ways are somehow breathtakingly beautiful in their own right. 

Apart from that, you expose yourself to different writing styles. There are so many. Do you want to be structured? Do you want it to rhyme? Do you want it to form a shape across the page? Do you want it to be all over the place? Do you want it to be guarded or transparent? Complex or simple? Self-aware or completely unaware at all points? From the eyes of a random girl or through your own eyes? 

What this does is help you find what styles resonate the most with you and feel true to you. 

A very profound poem that shaped me as a budding and growing poet was “What Kind of Times are These”, by Adrienne Rich. Adrienne Rich was one of the most prolific American poets during the late 20th century, having won numerous accolades for her influential writing. A devout feminist and a deeply vocal writer, her writing leaves a deep impact on readers. 

Moving forward, I will be reverse engineering this poem, so as to unpack how such a piece of writing was formed in the first place.

The universe of this poem

Although there’s no set rhyme scheme, this poem is divided into four stanzas of four lines each. There is no uniformity in the length of the paragraphs or the lines, however, Rich uses her structural division to add suspense to the poem. 

Each of the first three stanzas, in and of themselves, develop unanimous crescendos of mystery and thrill. It is clear that the poem is political, Rich talks of nature. Of trees meeting, of woods, of roads, of shadows and of lights and this greatly contributes to the tone of the poem. Airy yet determined. Confused, yet sure. Like an oxymoron or a paradox. 

In the first two lines: 

“There’s a place between two stands of trees where the grass grows uphill
and the old revolutionary road breaks off into shadows”

Rich uses alliteration in “grass grows” and “revolutionary road”, which provides this sensory pleasure garnered upon reading this poem, which along with its vivid imagery, paints a picture in the reader’s mind. Another important element of these two lines is the motif of a ‘tree’, because this will come up later in the poem.

“I’ve walked there picking mushrooms at the edge of dread, but don’t be fooled
this isn’t a Russian poem, this is not somewhere else but here,
our country moving closer to its own truth and dread,
its own ways of making people disappear.”

At this point, it becomes clear that Rich is addressing you, the reader. She’s telling you that this ambiguously dreadful and hidden secret that she is trying to unfurl, this mystery, it is nowhere else but here, beyond the reader’s line of sight. It’s clear that this is specifically about America, however this could apply easily in today’s context. Today, where we still see and feel that something is missing, that something is not right and that something might go horribly long. Today, we still feel a storm is brewing but we have no idea from where. This is not somewhere else but here. Addressing the reader makes this poem a special and intimate experience, where now, as a reader, you feel singled out and what’s more, you feel even more immersed, even more involved.
“I won’t tell you where the place is, the dark mesh of the woods
meeting the unmarked strip of light—
ghost-ridden crossroads, leafmold paradise:
I know already who wants to buy it, sell it, make it disappear.”

The third and penultimate stanza adds even more to the tension, that eerie feeling of dread that you can’t put to words- this poem is especially compelling because it is so open to interpretation and it doesn’t tell you how to feel. It doesn’t tell you to be happy or sad or scared or angst-filled or full of empathy. Yet you feel those emotions, because you don’t have to be told anything.

The imagery furthers the beauty of this realm. This place is like a misty mountain behind an abandoned road, next to a century old well. This place is like a destination where the sky is perpetually grey, foggy and misty, but then again, this place is nowhere else but here…

Full Circle

“And I won’t tell you where it is, so why do I tell you
anything? Because you still listen, because in times like these
to have you listen at all, it’s necessary
to talk about trees.”

What is even more resonant about this poem is the way it ends. Not with talks of war, bloodshed, violence or carnage, but with this sense of earnestness. When the tree motif came full circle the first time I read this poem, all the hair in my body stood up, and now, as I write this, they still are. When things come full circle, a motif, an idea, a melody or a theme, it never really loses its charm. 

The ending is like a partially resolved chord to end a song with, like Radiohead’s Exit Music (for a film). Yet, it’s the perfect place to end. The tapestry has been woven.

To conclude

Through this experience of reverse engineering a poem, I hope to bring forth a set of points you might want to consider for your next poetic venture. Of course, it’s not necessary because every writer is different, but this points could still be important to keep in mind:

1. Do you have a structure and does it have a meaning?: do your stanzas, line breaks, rhyme schemes and forms have something deeper to them. Maybe having another layer could help provide depth to your next poem
2. Do you use any sensory or literary nuances?: playing with the phonetics of a word, wordplay, alliteration, anaphora, asyndeton, similes or metaphors can be fun- but it would also be important to make sure it fits in well with the rest of your words
3. What is the atmosphere like and how do you set it?: This poem has a suspenseful tone, but what is your poem’s tone, mood and atmosphere? How will you bring it forth? With imagery, structure, poetic devices, form or something else
4. And finally, do you want your writing to be open to interpretation?: Although this poem is politically charged and has its own historical context, it is still quite open to interpretation and has both a personal and global significance because of its metaphors and imagery being of nature and secrets. Do you want to write about something specific or do you want your poems to have multiple meanings.

Conclusively, I would suggest finding other poems that are special to you and reverse engineering them and who knows, maybe you find something life changing and special there!