I Know Why the Caged Bird is Dead.

The caged bird's dead, it wouldn't shut up-
So we drowned it in a cracked teacup.

Grave of dreams, nightmare screams,
Is this happening to me?
After locked up in his cage it ain't as easy as it seems.

He was first blindfolded with "fearful thrill",
So that in the end he'd be easier to kill.

His wings were clipped, his feet were tied.
In the sand, his remains were quite easy to hide.

He once opened up his mouth to sing (ring a ling)
So we slit open his throat with a strand of string.

Decapitated, emancipated, unappreciated-
Think we all know his death was way outdated.

I'm glad he's dead- he's so lame, got no game,
Fun to maim, still the same endgame-
You just came.. Home.

Requiem to Life

What happens to a soul in torment?

Does it fester like Iago, bleeding for revenge?

Or give up like an embittered soul with nothing more to live for?

And then release its dearest dreams to the wind?

Does it rage like an Inferno, roaring through the nine circles of Hell?

Or reject its sins- like an innocent soul, thrown to the temperament of fate?

Maybe it just abandons all hope like one who drowns its soul in the Archeron.

Or does it reach Nirvana through its pain?

A Character Analysis of Sophocle’s Antigone

We’ve all felt alone and worthless. When life beats us down, we want nothing more than a voice: we want to be heard, we want love, and we want attention. But sometimes, we don’t get that. And we wonder- is life really worth living? Sophocle’s Antigone was no different. She was just an unloved girl who wanted a chance.

            Antigone’s self-pity seemed to imply that she was already dreaming of suicide- all she really needed was a reason. Why so sad? She had been scorned and ridiculed for “the most painful of (her) cares, the thrice-repeated doom of (her) father” (865). After the highly publicized downfall of Jocasta and Oedipus, she and her siblings were the only bearers of the humiliating scorn of the people of Thebes. Shortly thereafter, her brothers died and left Antigone “unwept [and] friendless” (881). Even worse, Creon’s order to leave Polynices unburied painted another embarrassing streak of shame for Antigone to shoulder. As her family and her honor crashed down around her, Antigone was convinced that she has “seen nothing- nothing mad or shameful or dishonorable- that (was) not among.. (her) sorrows.”  (5) The only logical exit? Suicide. After all, “anyone who lives a life of sorrow as (she does), how could they not count it a blessing to die?” She only needed a noble cause to martyr to. And conveniently, a cause was found- “Could (her) fame be more gloriously established than by placing (her) brother in a tomb?” (518) Antigone fantasized over the glory that she could leave behind. Though no friend would groan over her "unwept fate” (886), her father’s incest hung over her head like a tarnished cloud, and her brother’s shame stained her reputation, she believed that setting things right with the gods would at least leave a small hint of honor.

            Her sense of upholding the family name and religion drove her to a fanatical obsession over Polynice’s burial. As she “(heaped) a tomb for (her) dearest brother” (81) to avoid “(being) found a traitor” (47), the text implies that she’s adamant the gods are on her side. She openly defied Creon by stating that she “(didn’t) intend to pay the penalty to the gods for violating these laws in fear of some man’s opinion.” (468) She threatened her sister with the vengeance of the dead: “you will be hateful to me, and the dead will hate you always.” (93) Creon started to notice her insanity; he saw “her insides in fury, not like someone in full control of her senses.” (506) But she apparently was oblivious to these comments; she“(pleased) those (she) should please most” (89), and “death and the dead will witness who did the deed” (558). Her obsession with death made her believe that “(her) soul has been dead” (75), and she jumped at the chance to “be the bride of death". (823)

            Despite her eagerness to end her life, she refused to go without fighting for a cause she was passionate about. She claimed she “shall succumb to nothing so awful as a shameful death.” (96) By being unshamed, it is assumed that she wanted to widely proclaim her martyrdom by “(showing) how nobly (she) honors her noble birth.” (38) She “groaned loudly” (435) as she buried Polynices, and afterwards “stood in denial of nothing.” (443). Perhaps she believed that after death, she would be honored for her resolute bravery and defiance. She convinced herself that her iron will was much more important than a fulfilled life. It is obvious that she was “the fierce daughter of a fierce father, she doesn’t know to bend with the wind.” (485). Antigone was an incredibly static character, never ridding herself of the “violent winds (that) still rage in her soul.” (937). How ironic that in the face of death, her actions showed that she was living the most. Her courageous and headstrong personality shined the clearest through her depression and desperation.

            In a way, it can be said that the play Antigone had a happy ending. Antigone had spent her life waiting, plotting, hoping for death, and her very last words were peaceful ones- “I am led away indeed, no longer merely waiting.” (947). Though her tragic hopelessness led to her grave, her death showed immense strength, religious conviction, and family pride. She fought for her death the way others fought for life, and through her battle, she found her voice.

On the Epiphany of My Mediocrity- And Why I’m Feeling Left Out

Asian mothers are ferociously strict. Thanks to the internet, a website solely dedicated to hatching plots for maximum torture (er.. that is, success) in raising children now exists. It’s the constantly updated, Asian-mother version of the Bible.

My mother, like a myriad of other Chinawomen, constantly sends me links to this website. These links include pages like “12 Year Old Wang Hu Makes a 36 On His ACT” or “My Kid Just Got A Full Scholarship to Harvard- And All He Did Was Get A Perfect SAT Score and Perform At Carnegie Hall!”

When I got yet another dreaded link, I ignored it- as usual. However, when my mother remarked, “Aren’t you lucky I let you use the bathroom?” I figured an article that mentioned fantastic contraptions like toilets was worth my time.

…The article changed everything. Suddenly, I understood why I was "never allowed to be in a school play" (Chua, par. 1), why my test scores were so inadequate, and most importantly, why I lacked the ability to do a push-up.

On Facebook, I saw that my Asian friends from the national chess championship had also received the article from their mothers. (See? It’s a conspiracy.) I’m not the only one with mantras like “Doing your best is not fun- Winning is fun” and “Everyone else has brilliant children- Why am I stuck with you?” drilled into my head since birth. And it made me realize that negativity is the best thing for children. Who really cares if you’re trying your best if you suck?

I now feel like my parents are overly nice. What were they thinking, letting me participate in a sixth-grade production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”? There are kids out there doing logarithms and programming calculators, and I’m here checking my Twitter.

I’m making up for lost time by taping “YOU SUCK” posters on my wall. The clock’s ticking, and when the genius Asian generation takes over the world, chances are I’m not going to make the cut.

Works Cited

Chua, Amy. "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior." Wall Street Journal 08 Jan 2011: n.p. Web. 17 Feb 2011.