Preview

Song of the Whale

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
358 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Song of the Whale
The SONG OF THE WHALE
-Kit Wright
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS: 1) What words in the first verse show that the whale is huge?
‘Heaving mountain in the sea’ in the first verse show that the whale is huge. 2) How does the poet give the impression he is talking to the whale?
By the impression ‘Whale I heard you’ the poet makes us feel that he is talking to the whale. 3) ‘Crying for your kind’. What is the whale doing?
The whale is crying for all the whales that are dead and also for the whales that are still alive and are going to be killed. 4) ‘Lipstick for our painted faces / Polish for our shoes’. What is the poet telling us?
The poet is telling us that we human beings, in order to add beauty and luxury to our life,we are killing the whales. 5) What is the meaning of ‘We could make you / Dumb’?
This means that man would kill all the whales making it extinct. 6) What does the poet mean by ‘We‘ll never let you be’?
This means that man will never let the whales to live peacefully. They will continue killing them for their selfish needs until all the whales are extinct.

7) What is the poet’s message to the readers?
The poet conveys the message that - we should value the life of other living beings, we should not kill animals for our selfish needs and also we should protect all the species from being extinct.

The Song of the Whale
Heaving mountain in the sea,
Whale, I heard you
Grieving.
Great whale, crying for your life,
Crying for your kind, I knew
How we would use
Your dying:
Lipstick for our painted faces,
Polish for our shoes.
Tumbling mountain in the sea, Whale, I heard you
Calling.
Bird
-
high notes, keening,
Soaring:
At their edge a tiny drum
Like a heartbeat.
We would make you
Dumb.
In the forest of the sea,
Whale, I heard you
Singing.
Singing to your kind.
We'll never let you be.
Instead of life we choose
Lipstick for our painted faces
Polish for our
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Blackfish Rhetoric Analysis
    • 1293 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Blackfish Rhetoric Analysis

    The documentary successfully exploits visual and emotional rhetoric in order to cause its audience to question the treatment of whales and the habit of caring for these orcas in captivity. By observing the dilemma of captivity amongst orca whales, it produces emotions that range from empathy to resentment. This film powerfully influences its viewers to want to take action and possibly join efforts to help killer whales in captivity…

    • 1293 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of The Story 'The Fish' By Elizabeth Bishop
    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis Of The Story 'The Fish' By Elizabeth Bishop

    The story portrays a story of a fisherman who has the rare opportunity to meet an amazing creature. This is why he describes the fish as “venerable”, “homely”, and “battered”. He also stated that the fish did not fight at all; which does not become significant until near to the end of the poem when he realizes that this “tremendous” fish has finally submitted itself and given up.…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Killer Whales Rhetorical Analysis
    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Killer Whales Rhetorical Analysis

    Throughout the history of cetacean captivity, two orcas have been labeled as murderers. In the winter of 2009, at the park known as Loro Parque, an orca named Keto killed his trainer, Alexis Martinez. Exactly two months later, in Sea World Orlando, an orca known as Tilikum killed his trainer as well. Tilikum had previously been involved in the deaths of both another trainer and a park visitor. Those that do not support cetacean captivity jumped at this news, and the controversy of cetacean captivity had come out of the darkness. Several websites and blogs have been dedicated to this cause. The Orca Project, for example, expresses…

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Rhetorical Strategies In Blackfish
    • 238 Words
    • 1 Page

    Rhetorical Strategies In Blackfish

    Throughout the documentary “Blackfish” many rhetorical strategies are used to persuade the viewer about how captive and free killer whales living styles are affected. The main devices used to manipulate the viewer are: ethos, pathos, and logos.…

    • 238 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Blackfish Film Analysis
    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Blackfish Film Analysis

    This is where trainers come in and try to train these large wild animals to do things not in their nature. "They are under a constant low level of stress simply by being confined when they are built to travel long distances,” (Bubar). As a baby whales growing up, they tend to stick by their mothers and family. Orcas might look gentle, nice, and harmless, but when pushed, they are an entirely different wild animal. The trainers are at their own great risks, the killer whales are very large and dangerous animals that are being forced to do tricks and listen on command. Eventually outbreaks would happen more often, unfortunately Dawn was the victim. The movie ended with her performance, everything seemed to be going so well, as she got into the water, Tilikum seemed normal, and then outrage broke out, leaving Dawn killed which was very tragic.…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Hero's Journey : Summary of the Steps
    • 1162 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Hero's Journey : Summary of the Steps

    The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero 's known world and self. It is sometimes described as the person 's lowest point, but it is actually the point when the person is between or transitioning between worlds and selves. The separation has been made, or is being made, or being fully recognized between the old world and old self and the potential for a new world/self. The experiences that will shape the new world and self will begin shortly, or may be beginning with this experience which is often symbolized by something dark, unknown and frightening. By entering this stage, the person shows their willingness to undergo a metamorphosis, to die to him or herself.…

    • 1162 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Whale Watch Persuasive Letter
    • 88 Words
    • 1 Page

    Whale Watch Persuasive Letter

    I'm going on a whale watch. You told me you like d whales before. So, would you like to join me?During the whale watch, we will see the huge whale jumping out of the water and making a big splash. You can't imagine how big the whale is. However, if you see it by your own eyes, you will gasp. After you see the whale, maybe you can learn more about it too.I'm sure you will like this trip. Come with me! Let's go!…

    • 88 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Should The Studio C Sketch Don T Save The Whales
    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Should The Studio C Sketch Don T Save The Whales

    However that is exactly what happens when blame is put in the wrong place. While the sketch does not elaborate to much on the environmental consequences of a mass whale genocide, we can be sure that many harmful things will happen to the world without solving any of the problems attributed to them. The very fact that a rally assembles with weapons, almost leading to the death of the whale advocate by harpoon shows that tensions can rise when opposing groups disagree about something as serious as the source of society's problems. While this conflict is comedic when it's acted on a sketch comedy show, disagreements over who is to blame for deteriorating societies is enough to tear them apart, creating dangerous social, cultural and political divides. Even on a personal scale, relationships between people don’t thrive when one person is always putting down and blaming the other.…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Should Whales Be In Captivity?
    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Should Whales Be In Captivity?

    When the people who took the whales give the whales food they do not give them a lot. Whales are big animals and they are only serving small portions to them. I think whales liked it better in the ocean because they could just have as much food as they want but now that they are in tanks and used as money making tools they don't really care about the animals they just want money off of them, just like the small servings if they cared they would give the whales more food. According to Ingrid Betancourt, “In captivity one loses every way of acting over a small detail.”…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Fish Figurative Language
    • 1191 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Fish Figurative Language

    In lines 22-23, the speaker gives a detailed view of how the fish is in a near death experience and is fighting for its life. A small use of figurative language is used to describe the view of the fish’s gills as frightening (24). This proves how scared the fish was getting as it was almost down to its last breath. The gills are revealed as “fresh and crisp with blood” to continue to reiterate that death is on the way through imagery (25-26). This shows how man’s power can either be used for the better or the worse in the world. At this point, readers can see how the environment depends on the actions of human beings. The speaker then starts to think about the interior of the fish; they speak about its “white flesh”, “bones”, “black and red entrails” and “pink swim-bladder”. As the speaker looks into the fish’s eyes (34-35), the speaker makes note of how “shallow” and “yellow” its orbital area looks. In lines 37-40, the description of the eyes is continued. At this moment, there is a showdown between the narrator and the fish. Their eyes do not leave each other and the speaker starts to reconsider its actions. It is safe to infer that the fish’s eyes read desperation as it was facing death and was in need of a miracle. Once again, this establishes how much a person can influence the world through positive or negative actions. Bishop describes how sad the fish looked (45) and later emphasized on how intense it…

    • 1191 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Whale Wars Essay
    • 655 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Whale Wars Essay

    Every December, a fleet of hungry, evil whaling vessels set sail from Japan to commence their annual hunt on the minke and humpback whales in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary in the Southern Ocean. At the same time there is a crew of passionate volunteers making ready their vessels to make the same journey to the Southern Ocean, but they are not going there to whale. They are going there to do whatever is necessary to make sure Japan does not kill any whales as it is illegal to kill whales in this sanctuary in Antarctica. They are the Sea Shepherds and they operate under the United Nations World Charter for Nature. Which gives citizens the right to uphold laws when governments are too scared to do so. These are their battles this is their war.…

    • 655 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Mr.Hxy
    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Mr.Hxy

    4 All night The kindness Of the sea continued – Breaking into Walled-up griefs That men had sworn Would never be disclosed, Accepting outflung denunciations With a calmness That brought a reminder Of people listening to requiems, Pine trees whispering Against a stone wall in the breeze; Or a trembling voice That sang at the rails When the ship first sailed From the sorrow Of northern wars.…

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    David Huebert's Short Story 'Enigma'
    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages

    David Huebert's Short Story 'Enigma'

    The memory, as she describes, was of a day she had as a child when she went whale-watching with her parents and brother. She narrates the beginning of the day as an uneventful family outing where they had a mediocre lunch and were unsuccessful at spotting any whales. However, eventually they see a mother “humpback” whale and her “calf”, and this is when the woman begins to use this memory as an association to her present sorrows. The woman observes the two whales and illustrates her experience, “The mother left her head underwater but I felt that I knew her more than I had ever known. I knew the curious joy she took in the vastness of the ocean.” This passage is important as she later uses the grandness and all that is unknown about the ocean as a symbol to represent the ambiguity and obscurity that comes with…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    They Rock Poem Summary
    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages

    They Rock Poem Summary

    is a good detail to say that the great bull is entering a new space in “the zest of life” with his bride,which is positive,and, it is alike with the Medusa’s rejection of bride which is negative as a contrast detail to the original poem. Also, the usage of “inward roaring” is perfectly clustered with “inner red ocean of whale-blood” with the theme of sexuality again because it is like the things that are decay slowly, the perspective of the whales with the blood symbol is 4 changed as well. That is to say, “the maelstrom-tip” that the narrator use can be seen as the symbol of wave because of its meaning a “whirlpool”,then, the long tip with its strong and intense specifications are the ones that serve the function of main resource for the “she- whale’s fathomless body” with its penetration and “comes to rest” with its supremacy. Furthermore, the “strong phallus” of the whale over the bridge seem to be a reminder of the word phallic in which it could be said that the whale might symbolize the continuity of the natural life because it is the idea of wonder that creates a link between the other whales and the whale with “strong phallus”. For instance, the relationship between mankind and divinity is a good detail that they try to create ideologies to reach it…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Heaven of Animals Essay
    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Heaven of Animals Essay

    The third stanza creates a hint of competition as nature is trying to match the perfection and beauty of the animals, “To match them, the landscape flowers, Outdoing, desperately Outdoing what is required”. The idea…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics