Response to 'The Management of Grief'

In the eyes of Kusum.

I was almost numbed when I first heard the new about plane from Shaila. She came to my home at mid night I did not want to believe what she was saying.
"Haha. No way. Please don't joke with me."
I hoped it was a joke even though I knew Shaila was not a person who would joke to visit my home at midnight.
Shaila told me she was being serious. To check it one more time, I turned on the CBC News and there was a large new flash going at the bottom. It said ' A Flight disappeared'
I couldn't believe it. Why my family? Why did that had to happen to my family?
I was trying to calm down as possible as I can but I my voices started to shake. I kept praying for my husband and daughter’s safety. Shaila decided to call Judith Templeton, but she seemed not to be the answer. I would want to call a person. Right now, I wanted to grab a person and just ask him or her to solve this problem. But just knowing what’s going on with the plane was hard enough.
Even when a hundred hour has passed, I was stumbling and screaming. And finally I calmed down. I told Shaila that we cannot escape our pate. I told her that all those people – our husbands, my boys, her girl with the nightingale voice, all those Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Muslim, Parsis, and atheists on that plane – were fated to die together off this beautiful bay. The reason why I said this was because I was so hopeless that this was the only way that I could relevemy stress.

Response to 'Shawanagan Bingo Queen'

Shawanagan Bingo Queen is a short story by Josheph Boyden. In this story, I paid special attention to the setting of a story. There are many ways in which an author can describe a setting. It could be geographic location, cultural backdrop, artificial environment, props and object. In Shawanagan Bingo Queen, the setting is mostly described by cultural backdrop. Cultural backdrop is when the setting is created by cultural background, the way of life, customs and beliefs. First, the author talks about the character's cultural background of Ojibway. This is quite interesting because it is unique to hear about native stories and learn about how natives become a part of Canada. In the story, Ollie does not want Mary to work in Casino because she thinks it is just for White man. Here we can see how some native people think about the whites.
The setting is also established by artificial environment, how it talks about the Bingo Hall, that being the only main location throughout the entire story. I think this is a good way to tell the story. Also it leaves the readers with the ability to imagine how the location looks, letting them use their imagination.

Response to 'An Ounce of Cure'

Ounce of cure, a short story by Alice Munro is about developing individuality and discovering oneself. “An Ounce of Cure” in relation to the adage ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ is meant to show that the saying got mixed up in the way that the main character is a young girl who didn't think ahead and therefore would not have been able to heed this saying. In the story, the main character spends hard time dealing with emotional issue. Instead of preventing, the girl tried to overcome the issue by taking pills which is an ounce of cure. Of course, this did not work well as it was not a good choice. The theme of this short story is about developing individuality and discovering oneself. It was a touching since the author described a teenager's emotion carefully, and I was able to sympathize with the theme as a teenager. At the end of the story, the main character was found drunk in Mr. Berryman’s house when she was suppose to babysit. This was her result of being emotionally depressed by breaking up and being obsessed with her boyfriend. If she concealed her emotion more, I think she would able to have an ounce of prevention ratherthan an ounce of cure.

Response to 'Happy Ending'

'Happy Ending' is written by one of the famous Canadian authors, Margaret Atwood. In this story, she tells many different possibilities of ending for the same plot. The different endings from A to F basically deal with the marriage of John and Mary. In some cases, they happily live together, and in other cases they divorce.
In this story, Atwood tries to make a point that many authors rely too much on traditional and unoriginal storylines. Throughout this story, the author is being sarcastic and also criticizing. The author infers that many writers are not being creative enough that the ending of the story could be confined into seven choices. 'One thing after another, and what and what and what. Now try How and Why.' This last sentence of the story indicates that the author hopes to see more dramatic and creative endings. As she emphasized the words 'How' and 'Why' by using capital letters, she leaves her message for other writers to create imaginative and thorough plots and endings in depth.
Although the story is short, the author did a good job on classifying possible endings with humour included. Also, the author’s message toward the readers could be clearly revealed through the story.
I really liked the story as I could see how a simple plot could be ended in many different ways like how music can be changed into various arrangements. Also, I was encouraged to try write a creative ending afterwards when I was writing my short story.
by Molly Kim

Welcome to Canadian Poetry!!

Welcome!
Below are the amazing, fantastic Canadian poems.
I hope all of you can enjoy and learn more about Canadian literature :)
★~Thank you for visiting~★

Response to old Canadian Poem

The Swimmer's Moment

Margaret Avison

For everyone
The swimmer's moment at the whirlpool comes,
But many at that moment will not say
"This is the whirlpool, then."
By their refusal they are saved
From the black pit, and also from contesting
The deadly rapids, and emerging in
The mysterious, and more ample, further waters.
And so their bland-blank faces turn and turn
Pale and forever on the rim of suction
They will not recognize.
Of those who dare the knowledge
Many are whirled into the ominous centre
That, gaping vertical, seals up
For them an eternal boon of privacy,
So that we turn away from their defeat
With a despair, not for their deaths, but for
Ourselves, who cannot penetrate their secret
Nor even guess at the anonymous breadth
Where one or two have won:
(The silver reaches of the estuary).


Unlike older traditional poems, The Swimmer's Moment by Margaret Avison written in 19th Century has no regular meter or rhyme scheme. Through this poem, the author makes a significant, metaphorical comparison between swimming and life.
The usage of metaphorical comparison in the poem requires a reader to have an ability to link their life with swimming. Once the reader understands the relationship, the poem makes more sense and it touches the readers' heart. When I understood the inner-meaning , I felt great sympathy with the poet. The whirlpool stands for obstacles or challenges that people experience. At the moment when the swimmer is drowning, he or she chooses whether or not to overcome the difficulty, which is the whirlpool. I would highly acclaim for the usage of adjectives such as “mysterious”, “ominous”, and “black”, which help readers to imagine the picturesque. If I have to point out one thing, I would suggest using more literary devices: alliteration, assonance, and simile. Otherwise, it was a great poem that makes the readers to relate poem with their own life.

-Comment by Molly Kim

Response to Campbell's poem

Different Side of the Lake

Campbell Parsons

As the wind brushed my cold cheeks
And as the snow crunches by each step I take
I feel something different
The Canadian winter is incredible

I have walked there in the summer
But on these cold days the lake shore feels different
Although the winter looks calm the creatures of the forest are still near by
The rabbit’s foot steps are lying in the light powder on the beach.
I feel something different
The forest still feels warm to me

As I walk along the beach I breathe in the fresh air
I feel the cold as the snowflakes fall upon my hair
I can only imagine the warmth of the hot chocolate I will drink later
But for now ill bask in natures great changes
I feel something different
I winter is such a different place
I could stay there forever

This poem is a lyrical ballad which tells a story about the poet’s experience at the lake. First, the expression of wind brushing is a unique idea to talk about the blowing wind. It was also a personification which made the poem more lyrical. Second, ‘the forest still feels warm to me’ set the contrast with other cold atmosphere. I could sympathize with my own experience, as I mention the warm heart amongst the coldness in my poem. I could imagine the different scene of Canadian summer and winter at the same time. I liked how the poet tried to apply the end rhyme (air and hair) at the last stanza. The repetition of “I” at the beginning of each line at the last stanza made the poem more flowing and rhythmical. More sensory adjectives of sight, sound, taste, feeling, and smell could have enhanced the reader to imagine the picturesque. In addition, the line saying ‘ I feel something different’ and ‘winter is such a different place’ is repeating the same idea twice. Explaining more about how it is different might be helpful.

-Comment by Molly Kim