there was confusion, there was some pain
who owned what and who would gain
hotel freedom stands so tall and proud
they built it on some common ground
the biggest deal in this town
no one could stop it going down
a sullen native brings me my fries
some foreign coins should raise a smile
perhaps he'll show them to his children
and watch this world spin in their eyes
it could change their lives
little white graves behind the school
a fitting end for stubborn fools
hotel freedom goes from strength to strength
they say its chains are gaining ground
when those that count they speak as one
then all the cranes block out the sun
there is a wall around this pool
and little iron bars on every room
this thing called freedom is a noble cause
but we must take steps to contain
the common anger that remains
This poem is really touching. I realize that right now open space especially in urban area are torn down and replaced by skyscraper. Back in my hometown, many rice fields that close to the highway replaced by cheap subsidized house. There are lots of benefits that we can get by planting a lot of trees and also making a plantation in its prospective area. First benefit is, the trees in an open space in urban area can give us a benefits by producing oxygen and they suck the carbon-dioxide because they need it for photosynthesis. Second benefits that we can get the shade that makes us comfortable when we hanging out under the trees. It makes the view of the city better and make our life healthier. Healthier citizen making smarter citizen and making a better nation. Making more peaceful citizen and growing our air-quality better. Cleaner city also can attract more tourist to come to our city and that’s my friend, means money to our pocket.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is describing how advancement in economy changes the urban area rapidly. The skyscrapers start to replace many field and home and for those who foolishly fight back will get hurt. These processes of changes are unstoppable and certainly will have many problems along the way especially for people who live there. There are good and bad things with this changes in an area. The good thing is with this rapid economic growth more people will be prospers since the flow of the money to the area will increase; the bad thing is this will significantly reduce the area for people to grow corps since all the field use for the skyscrapers. This is where government should come in to manage how much land is used for buildings and how much land being used for agriculture use. The government also needs to consider about the people who live in the area and the carbon output by the area.
ReplyDeleteThe poem tells about the construction of hotels taking over the land of local people and robbing them of their homes, told through the perspective of a hotel owner. The narrator of the poem talks about the locals with minimal pity and superiority, as shown by the lines ‘some foreign coins should raise a smile’ and ‘a fitting end for those stubborn fools’, where the foreign coins shows how wealthier he is than the hotel servants. Each stanza shows the process of how the hotel owner comes to claim the land and win against the protesting locals. The final stanza left the biggest impact on me, where it tells about the protestors in a prison, which is described with the characteristics of a hotel with lines such as ‘there is a wall around this pool, and little iron bars on every room’. The pool is not the swimming pool we imagine to be, but instead is a pool (group) of prisoners, trapped by prison walls and bars. It is truly an interesting read, to read a tale of events from the antagonist’s – which is the hotel owner – perspective, especially about something that is rarely talked about.
ReplyDeleteThe poem depicts the contrast between a life in luxury and life in poverty. It tells us of the services at the hotel and the views around it. It also tells us how the hotel was built and what issues it created, while also telling us the condition of the locals that live nearby the hotel.
ReplyDeleteThis somewhat tells us the suffering behind glamours. Such as the sacrificing of certain aspects to reach a certain goal, or even sacrificing them in vain. I would say this poem also points out a sort of irony. With the juxtaposition of a luxurious and lavish living conditions with actual deathly conditions. It is sadly a consequence of chasing a better life. This also goes hand in hand with the example of a local who works at the hotel who tries to get income to help his family. One more thing i noticed is the name of the hotel: Freedom, while the article paints a picture of being trapped.
Some people say; it is easy to be a decent person. But, does that really our concern to be a better person? There are so many reasons to make this world a better place to live. I am not a good person though, but I believe that all of us are trying to be the better version of us in any aspect of life. I want to put some quotes here, the first one is a quote from Lady Diana who once said, “I think the biggest disease the world suffers from in this day and age is the disease of people feeling unloved.” I am not sure about the poem’s actual meaning but my interpretation is about the social issue in society. We need to give our hand to others, not because power or someone is better than someone else. But, I think, we need to do something because we are all human.
ReplyDeleteEven though the poem is simple and short, the idea of the content is very deep indeed. Usually, I used to get bored on reading poems, but this time, this poem has caught my eyes and sparks on my heart. I can really feel what the author is trying to say inside the poem. Beside, I also had this one experience that relatable to this poem. I used to live in an apartment; and right beside the apartment it is pretty much alike on the picture, which is the existence of a slum area. Honestly, I don’t bother their existence at all. Instead, I was inspired by them. Everyday, when I woke up and look at the views, they always caught my eyes right in front of me. Deep inside, I wish I could wreck the boundaries, the giant-tall wall that were build around us, so that those people can also have or feel what I can feel and vice versa. Since then, I realize, that everyone deserve equality. And whenever we get to the top, don’t ever feel like you’re the one, because earth is spinning, we can even get fall to the rock bottom in one second; so we’ll never know what’s going to happen in our future. Just be ready for everything.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, this poem describes the rapid growth of big building such as a hotel or apartment, which distract the latitude of people surrounding. Like when the poem said, ”there is a wall around this pool and little iron bars on every room” they want to express about their disappointment of that kind of things which really interferes the scenery in our surrounding. Moreover, when before we can see a beautiful garden, with a lot of bird and butterfly, but suddenly we just see big tools around our vision with a lot of dust as though we bereaved our latitude to relish a good nature there. Actually, I feel the same situation with people who face that fact. Before, when there was a magnificent garden behind my house, I always sat in the terrace near that garden and relax my mind by felt a really fresh nature there. And unexpectedly, 3 months after, that beautiful garden has changed with a big building. I greatly disappointed of that big blocks, forfeit a fresh and cozy place that I felt before. Thus, I think our next generation can’t felt that fineness again, yet they just see big blocks with lacks of natural atmosphere there.
ReplyDeleteI think the poem above is trying to describe the situation in urban area and the contrast life between rich people and poor people and the poem also describe the growth of a skyscrapers based on poem line, “then all the cranes block out the sun”. The poem above is really meaningful by describing our life situation right now in urban area with many problems. The writer also express about the difference between rich people and poor people in many aspects such as, condition, lifestyle, places to stay and many more. Apparently it all seems very normal to us who live in urban city area. But if we try to compare these two classes of rich people and poor people, we get to know about those petty things which a poor misses in his life while rich people don’t and those tiring nights which rich people don’t get to spend.
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