I am really enjoying reading the Odyssey with all of you and our discussions about what qualities make a hero reminded me of this great poem. I think it is so important that each of us have heroes and others that we look up to in our lives. If your hero is someone that you know personally, take the time this week to share with him/her the special place he/she holds in your life- this person may not know how special you think he/she is!
As usual, please comment on the poem by clicking on the word "comment" below. Be sure to make a comment that adds to the discussion- not just that you did or did not like the poem, but why! You may comment on the format and structure of the poem or the content of the poem. See if you can find examples of the figurative language that we have talked about in class- alliteration, simile, metaphor, or personification. Please make sure that you are using your very best spelling and grammar in your comments and that your comments are at least four sentences long!
American Hero by Essex Hemphill
I have nothing to lose tonight.
All my men surround me, panting,
as I spin the ball above our heads
on my middle finger.
It's a shimmering club light
and I'm dancing, slick in my sweat.
Squinting, I aim at the hole
fifty feet away. I let the tension go.
Shoot for the net. Choke it.
I never hear the ball
slap the backboard. I slam it
through the net. The crowd goes wild
for our win. I scored
thirty-two points this game
and they love me for it.
Everyone hollering
is a friend tonight.
But there are towns,
certain neighborhoods
where I'd be hard pressed
to hear them cheer
if I move on the block.
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I like how they slipped in he metaphor on line 5 about what I believe to be the comparison of the basketball to a disco ball, and his swift movements across the court to that of dancing. The way I see it, Hemphill uses personification on lines 10 and 11 when he says "I never hear the ball slap the backboard". He gave the ball human characteristic by saying it can slap the backboard. When I look at the poem from the side, I think it looks like the crowd doing the wave!
ReplyDeleteI think this poem is centered around a unique kind of hero... THE BASKETBALL STAR!!!! I love basketball personally and this peom really spoke to me. I think the end meant that the basketball player would be scared to face the net again after the first time because they might miss. I dont know if I got this right but I do know that you begin to start doubting yourself after your first shot.
ReplyDeleteI liked how the title made it sound like it was about war, and reading the first few lines about him "spinning the ball in the air" i thought it resembled a grenade. It would also make sense about his men panting like around him, as if they were just running from gunfire. But then when it talked about the backboard and net, I knew it meant basketball. Also I love how he uses personification in the poem. For instance, he says on lines 10 and 11 that he doesn't hear the basketball "slap" the backboard. Everybody knows balls can't slap. I think the poem was very good and the suspense was great. The suspenseful beginning would really make the reader want to finish it to know what happens. It was a great poem.
ReplyDelete-James Cannon
I love this poem. This poem makes a better picture in my head because of the fact that I love basketball. It was sort of personification when they said the part about the ball slapping the back board. This poem is the kind of poem that when you read it you feel the same emotion toward everything just as much as the character does. This poem, I think, will be my favorite one that you put on the blog of all of them.
ReplyDelete-Henry Hill-
I really did not like this poem very much i'm not a big fan of basketball I did like the way he explained the fear and tension going on in his mind
ReplyDeleteSARAH FOOSHANG 4TH PERIOD
I like the fact that the poem was about basketball. what i didn't like about the poem was the awkward rhyme scheme. it was like there was none at all. i do like how he said at the end when he won he had many friends.
ReplyDeleteWell I liked the poem, it kind captured me in a way. I think one thing i liked was how the author made this character seem human and real. This guy or girl playing knows that the people cheering love him or her, but only at this moment that he or she is playing. I just thought that's how a lot of people feel in that situation sometimes, like they're only loved or cheered for beacuse of what they do but not beacuse of who they are as a person.
ReplyDeleteI thought this blog was okay. It talked about his feelings, and how he felt in the moment when he was about to shoot the basketball. I think this poem was a visual poem, and you see where the poem is taking you. I really liked the metaphor's in the poem and I really enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDelete-Julia
This poem was more interesting than the Tyger but this poem was a metaphor for his life. How he will try and try again until he gets it, but the only way he can go on is his family and friends. And when he scores a good game he has either accomplished something or proven himself in a way that he feels is satisfactory for himself. He feels good and wants to celebrate but he is modest so he will stay modest.
ReplyDelete~Connor Knapp
I think the blog was better than the last, alot better. It had like three metaphors. Like the one about the basketeball. There was aslo like three alliterations,one of them is fifty-feet. I'm not that sure what the meaning behind this is, because what I got in mind, is kind of mean, so I'm not sure if is what i think.
ReplyDeleteEmely Ruiz
The maetaphor in this poem gives a really good picture we can all think of while reading it. Comparing basketball to the intricate movments of dancing helps us think of the pre mediated movements that basketball players and dancers have during there preformances and games. The disco ball is the center of the dance floor while the basketball is the center of focus in a game its a good chocie of metaphor to help us relate and realize the simmilarities. The ending confused me though when he said he would be hard pressed to hear someone cheer for him in a diffrent nieghborhood I think it refers to peoples prejudice attitudes against others even if one does good in a sport.
ReplyDeleteWell, I liked the poem. Basketball really is not my sport. I liked how the author put himself in the shoes of a basketball player, and associated dancing with playing basketball. I am a dancer and I never thought of basketball in that way.
ReplyDeleteYet, although I said that I liked the poem, I really thought it had no meaning, and if you are going to write a poem, it should be about something that matters. Thats my opinion anyway...
I suppose that to a person who plays basketball, its a amazing poem, but to me it did not connect to that deep level that poems should connect to.
<3 - Hannah Beth Mckeel
Hey Ms. Mathis!! I really liked this poem. I thought it was really cool how he compared running the plays to dancing, and the ball to the disco lights. I think that it's possible that the ball slapping the backboard is personification, but i'm not entirely sure. I thought that this poem goes great with what we are doing in class.
ReplyDeleteI thought this poem had a lot of hidden messages. I recognized the metaphor of the basketball as a disco ball in that the basketball is the spotlight of the whole game. I thought it was strange at the end of the poem where the author said in some neighborhoods it would be difficult to hear people cheer him on if he was on the street. Maybe the author is from a hard background that doesn't celebrate success, but the basketball player overcomes.
ReplyDeletei liked when he describe in role in basketball as a narrator because i would think this would be like a different kind of poem to me. his poem made me visualize the player making a basketball score in slow motion.
ReplyDeleteI liked this poem a lot because of how the author makes you think of how people sometimes only like you for what you do, not for who you really are. It made me think of how sometimes we don't really like somebody, but we will accept what they do. When I was reading the poem, I found a couple of metaphors the author used. One of them was when the author made the basketball look like a disco ball. This is a really great poem that I enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Simpson
I like the poem. I think it is called American Hero because the author was maybe trying to show what we consider as a hero instead of what should be. This poem was really easy to understand and I liked that I knew what it was about right away. I also like the fact that we can imagine everything that is said. THIS POEM WAS GOOD!!
ReplyDeleteI think that this was a very good poem. I like how the author was extreamly detailed. He described the player's surroundings and what he was hearing. I really enjoyed this poem.
ReplyDeleteI think the author did a great job comparing a hero to a basketball player. It was well worth my time reading. I like how the author described all the surroundings. I didnt understand what he meant by "move on the block." But it was still good.
ReplyDeleteI disliked the poem because it was a little too depressing. It was depressing because people will judge you without even knowing what you have accomplished based on prejudices. I tend to think the basketball player was a minority because the end made me think he was an outcast on his block. I would not read the poem again but some people might like it.
ReplyDelete-Anthony Gelardi
For what i understand about this poem someone has slam dunked the ball to win the game. He is thinking that everyone likes him but if he moved they would not like him as much. I thought this poem was to short and did not pull me into the story like other poems do. The only reason i dont like it much is probably because it is about basketball.
ReplyDeleteChris Meindl
ReplyDeleteI like the fact tha it is about an American Hero. I really hate the fact that it is about basketball. Its meaning is that if you do something good you just might get all the credit.
This poem in my view is a high schooler thinking to himself as the game clock counts down.Trying and looking for the best move of the game. It is sort of like he is the allstar of the team. The captain, leader, role model, the person who the whole team looks up to. But to me it seems thet this person is like Troy Boulton of High School Musical 1, 2, 3.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Lawton
Holland morris
ReplyDeleteI think the main character is a basketball player (obviously) expressing the joys of winning. Everyone is cheering and excited about the win. I can tell this is making a refference to sportsmanship, especially win it states that he/she knows that not everyone will be happy with the win but if they do it will be a wonderful display of sportsman ship
I liked this poem because it, as Ashley P said, shows that a hero can be anyone...doing anything. You don't have to be super-strong or great-looking just to be your best, and I think that this poem emphasizes that each of us can have our moment of glory doing what we love.
ReplyDeleteI liked this poem. I liked it because of how it deals with basketball and I like basketball. I also liked how it compared that with dancing because in a way it is. One thing I didn't like was didn't have a rhyme scheme. Not that I hate poems that don't I just prefer them with rhymes.
ReplyDeleteZack Black.
I was fascinated by the title of the poem "American Hero" and how it related to basketball. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The "American Hero" was a person that shot an unbelievable basket that really helped this persons team. What I first assumed by "American Hero" was some man that just came back from war like what James said, but it makes perfect sense for as a different kind of hero; which in this case was an extremely good basketball player.
ReplyDeletethat is my type of poem. i liked how it included team work by saying all my men surround me tonight. it sounded like something walter dean myers would right. i felt like i could hear the ball dribbeling on the floor and feel the tension in the crowed. i noticed the author used a metaphor by saying the ball was a shimmering club light.
ReplyDelete-sara damas
I thought this poem was alright. I'm not a big fan of basketball so it didn't really capture my attention. I liked this poem better than the past ones, though. I agree with Shamar when he said sometimes someone is a hero for what they do but not because of who they are as a person. I didn't really like the structure of this poem. Maybe if it rhymed, I would like it better. To me, there is more of a flow if a poem rhymes, but I'm not saying I don't like poems that don't rhyme.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I did not know that this poem was about basketball. It made sense after it became more obvious. Out of all the poems I've commented on, I like this one the best. The use of metaphors in this poeam is amazing and I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDelete-Mica Clark
I like this poem a lot. It had great detail of what was going on in the poem and what was happening. I can relate because i have played basketball. So you could see why i would like this poem. I like how he says that he as nothing to lose nd is spinning the ball on his fingers, seeming like he his the best or one of the besrt players on the court and as nothing to fear. Daniel Tavena
ReplyDeleteEven though I really don't like basketball, I really liked this poem. I'm really glad I actually understood it the first time I read it. I think the author did a good job on making himself clear and letting us know what he's talking about. I also liked how the author makes the poem a 'happy' poem throughout the whole thing. What I mean by this is that he makes it so that only good things happen in it, and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a pretty cool poem. I liked how Hemphill used the basketball as a club light and his moves as dance moves. The way Hemphill wrote this poem made it come alive. I felt like I could see it happening. Emily
ReplyDeleteI adore this poem the most out of all the poems we did blogs on. I relate to this alot. For one I love basketball it like a dream wife to me and second I scored that amount of points in one game and felted loved. I really like most how he used one the quotes i grew up with and heard my entire child which was "i have nothing to lose". All my coachs that i ever played for used that line before every important game.
ReplyDeleteBy:
Jatavius Lloyd-Jones
I enjoyed this poem for the most part even though I don't like basketball. This poem was easy to understand and follow what was going on. I understand that the hero in this story is like the star basketball player. I liked how the dancing and disco ball were used to compare to the basketball game.
ReplyDelete--kaitlyn henderson
I liked this poem, because I could understand what was going on, which I admit I am rarely able to. I was able to figure out this guy was exited about being in the basketball game. I actually enjoyed this poem, even thoough I don't like basketball, nor do I know any thing about it, other than throwing the ball into the hoop. I think it is about the main character being proud of himself for making a lot of goals during the game
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this poem. It did a great job of capturing the moment where the basketball player makes a shot. It reminded me of how a movie would have this part in slow motion. I liked the metaphors in this poem where he describes himself as "Danceing" and when he throws the ball he "lets the tension go". Personally when I get the basketball I want to get rid of that little peice of tension as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this poem gives more meaning than just one. i understood everything just like it says that in one place you might be a hero to some, but in other places, it's harder. I enjoy the sport of Basketball and could see all of the things that were happening. The line that I thought that was the most impressive to this poem was this one..."Everyone that is hollering is a friend tonight. But in certain Towns, certain Neighborhoods where I'd be hard pressed to hear them cheer,if I moved on the block." I thought that that was the few sentences at the end that meaned the most.- Addison Helms
ReplyDeleteI'm really not sure what to think of this peom. On one hand, I don't particularly care for basketball, and I didn't like the lack of any real rhyming. On the other hand, I liked some one the comparisons, like how it compares the ball to a club light, and his movements to dancing.
ReplyDeleteI think this poem is talking about basketball. The poem begins with a guy on the court that is getting ready to score. When he shoots he makes and then the crowd roars. The athlete makes a comment that i think means that even though he can make it on the basketball court, other things in life are harder.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought the poem was about war and fighting. I thought this because of the lines "I have nothing to lose tonight. All my men surrounding me, panting,". This reminded me of fighting. I realized it was about basket ball when I read the line "Shoot for the net. Choke it. I never heard the ball slap the backboard. I slam it through the net." When I realized this I had a new meaning for the baginning of the poem. I very much enjoyed the comparasion of the basketball player and a dancer.
ReplyDelete-Andrew Hadaway
If you are great at a sport everyone will love you. But they should not love you just for this reason. Sports players today sometimes do not understand that people look up to them and they commit crimes and do bad things. Just because you can succeed in sports this does not make you a good person.
ReplyDeleteMichael Holland
I didn't really get it. It was very hard to understand but i did understand the point, that if you are good at something they will love you but if you are not they will ignor or not care about you. They should not love you just because you are good at basket ball. They should love you for who you are. It was an okay poem it wasn't my favorite.
ReplyDeleteThis poem explains in words what basketball players feel every game when they score a point. I can relate to this poem because I have scored points before when I didnt know if I could or not. You get that excitment of not know if you can do it or not. I loved this poem!!
ReplyDeleteNatalie
This poem was very realistic. I like the way the author tells the way the player is determined to win the game. I aslo liked when the author said shoot for the net...choke it. That was fresh. But over all i enjoyed this poem.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this blog. I liked it because it was about basketball. I like how it describes how the man is about to shoot the ball. It makes me be able to imagine the scene in my head.
ReplyDeleteI think that this poem is trying to say that even though people may not like during something but when something happens that everyone can relate to and that they are happy about they can all come together.But I also think just because everyone loves somthing that they shouldn't just like peole because they help there team win. Also I liked this poem because I think that usaully think that in sports most people will be happy if there team wins even if they don't like the person who won the game for them. But this is why I like this poem because I can relate to this story.
ReplyDeleteCasey Jeanfreau
I liked this one. It was interesting to think about a hero in a basketball game. Most of the time when you think of a hero you think of someone wearing a cape or who does something great. In this he was declared a hero for a few simple points. Not to underestimate that, but when you compare a basketball game to a life changing event it makes you realize that a hero can be anyone
ReplyDeleteJustin Noote
This poem was interesting because it reminds me of the time I'm playing soccer and there is like 10 minutes left in the game and my team is losing. It feels good when you win, but you have to think about the way the other team feels when they lose. I think the poem was based on a basketball game. It made me think how good our team will be this year.
ReplyDeleteI think that this poem was really cool.I like how it shows that anybody can be a hero.It shows that heros are determined.I can really imagine how this poem would look if it was made into a movie.
ReplyDeleteTo me this poem was talking about a basketball player making his shot and is nervous about it. I also noticed that it was somewhat a free-verse since only line one and line five rhymed and lines seven and eight as well as lines nine and eleven. In this poem i think the player is the hero since he is the one making the winning shot.
ReplyDeleteI also liked many of the adjectives because it made the poem seem more realistic and gave a better image. Overall the poem was well written and it was something that anyone can relate to.
Chelsey A.
Hey! I really enjoyed this poem. I thought it was a very intresting poem and it was probably my favorite poem. My favorite part was in the beginning; when he said he has nothing to lose tonight. I hope next weeks poem will be just as intresting.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Hayes
I liked the Sturcture and figurative language of the poem, but all in all I didn't really care for it. It had a good story, but it didn't eally seem like much of a poem to me. It just seemed like a guy telling you that he can play beasketball well, and people like him, but others don't because he made the team they like loose. To some, it mighgt be the story of a great player with fatastic skill and talent, but to me, it was just a strand of words about a sport I really don't care for, not to be rude.
ReplyDelete-Ashlie Reane Gibson
This poem is obviously about basketball. This poem really shows how much effort is put into the game, and the exhilaration of when you score a point. I could imagine how the basketball player must have been feeling when they found out they made it. I hope the next poem is just as good!
ReplyDeleteI loved this poem because im a big basketball and army fan. I liked the beginning when it was talking about how the ball was spinning on his finger, it made you think that it was a bomb in a bad guys hand. I didnt like the ending though because he was starting to dought himself. He made it seem like if he missed any shots that he wouldnt be liked anymore. Overall I really did like this poem. oh sorry that this is late I did do it on time but I realized over the weekend that you never approved it, which means it probably didnt send it to you anyways.sorry
ReplyDeleteKatlyn McAnally
Really loved this poem. It shows how one shot can bring a crowd of people together. Also shows that there's a winner and there's a loser. By the way the author says that if he goes a block down the street he might not get a hooray! Loved the poem.
ReplyDelete-Davarius Hampton
This poem was rele good. I liked it a lot. it is very inspiring and could help many people out in life if they remember this poem. It puts out a good perspected towards life.
ReplyDeleteThis poem was pretty good. It would have been a lot better if it was longer and had more of a plot to it. This poem is neat because of the completely different items he can compare the game of basketball.For example, the metaphor at the beginning where the ball is compared to a disco ball and toward the middle where he uses personification where he talks about never hearing the ball "slap" the backboard. The only part about this poem I don't get is the ending where he talks about how he would be "hard pressed" to hear them cheer if he moved on the block. Overall it was a good poem.
ReplyDeleteI thought this poem was interesting because it was kinda like a big metaphor to me. It reminded me of how nervous I get when I'm about to preform and then when it starts all of the pressure goes away. This poem brought me back to my first time preforming. I thought this poem was well written and good.
ReplyDeleteMiranda Symons
This poem was not like the other poems that have been chosen. All of the others have always been meaningful and deep where as this one just has a basic meaning and can't really be interpreted any other way. It was a good poem though, I don't know exactly why he said the last few lines. I think he was might have been trying to show how the other team felt for losing. It also sounds like the person who the story is told from is very prideful.
ReplyDeleteTerah Gamble said...
ReplyDeleteI liked the poem. I especially like the fact that at first you don't really think the poem is about basketball. I almost thought is was about something life threatening (not saying basketball isn't important). I felt the exact same way as Miranda Symones, when your on the stage there is nothing more scary it really makes you nervous. Finally in the end when your done performing there is nothing more satisfying! This is what this poem says to me.
Terah Gamble
Well, I could relate to this poem because I like basketball alot. I liked this poem because it was very descriptive and I could picture this as a real person. Also, I liked it because you could kind of put yourself in his or her position. This is really deep stuff, you could make alot of outcomes from one simple thing if you had the imagination.
ReplyDeleteCameron Huddleston
I really like this poem and I am sure all the basketball players do to. I think the basketball was compared to a disco ball. As he throws the ball spinning in the air just like a dico ball in the air spinning and shinning. This poem I think is one of my favorites so far.
ReplyDelete~Courtney Allen~
I loved this poem! It seemed to be abot a basketball star obviously, and how he was the hero for the basketball team. He made the winnig shot. To his team and to the fans he was like a hero. This was my favorite poem we have had this year.
ReplyDeleteKara Williams♥
I love that it is about my favorite sport, I love basketball. The descriptiveness in this poem is key. If it wasn't descriptive this poem would not be good at all. I liked this poem especially the part where it says "I slam it through the met. I like that part because that is what i am going to be doing this basketball season.
ReplyDelete- Will Bryson
I actually really liked this poem because i could see myself being right there as the persons eyes and holding onto the ball and shooting it and making it all net. I really liked this poem, 5 stars
ReplyDeleteI think that the sport basketball relies a lot on dance. I dont think that basketball would really even exist if dance didnt. I love making the winning goal or touchdown in sports because it makes me feel like the team needed me. I really like this poem because i can relate to it.
ReplyDeleteJacob Jones
I don't really like the poem. The author just tells us what happened. He just shared it instead of placing it between metaphors and similes. Basketball isn't my favorite sport either.
ReplyDeleteI sorta liked the poem. I think it is called American Hero because the author was trying to show what we consider as a hero instead of what should be. This poem was really easy to understand and I liked that I knew what it was about right away. I also like the fact that we can imagine everything that is said.
ReplyDeleteI think that the poem is about a basketball star who scored a fantastic shot at the last minute, and THe crowd cheered for the team. THe team one I guess, it was kind of hard for me to understand. I did not really get anything out of this poem. but I think that it was OK.
ReplyDeleteBY: James Michael Condon II
i liked this poem and understand it. the hero is of course the basketball player. when it says he was dancing under the club light is metaphor. i can see myself being to hero in this poem.
ReplyDeleteI thought this poem was interesting. Especially how they compare dancing with him balling and stuff. I really htough he was at a club for a second.
ReplyDeleteKristin Bayne