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PERFORMANCE TASK IN ENGLISH 10

ESSAYS ON “THE COURAGE THAT MY MOTHER HAD” AND

“FOR THE 4TH GRADE, PROSPECT SCHOOL: HOW I BECAME

A POET”

Submitted by:

Lance Andrei S. Campano

Submitted to:

Ms. Jolissa Santos

Ms. April Kristelle Tecson

February 20, 2020

“THE COURAGE THAT MY MOTHER HAD”

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The poem unveils the persona’s mother as an epitome of courage.

Despite the troubles that come her way, such courage was manifested in

her actions. It has persisted on burning even until she met her demise.

Hence, her child admired and envied this exemplary courage that she

even wrote a poem about it.

Significantly, life is a challenging journey where we encounter

thousands of obstacles. Trials and problems are the stumbling blocks in

our paths but if we have the courage to push through, we can surely turn

them into the stepping stones towards accomplishments and triumph.

Likewise, the persona in the poem knew this reality, a reason why she

wished to inherit her mother’s virtues rather than material possessions.

Notably, her mother’s death is one of the greatest setbacks that she

needed to face with courage.

Moreover, emotional stability in women is illustrated by the mother

in the poem. In fact, women have edges over men in terms of emotional

quotient which consists of self-awareness, emotions management,

empathy, and social skill. In the same way, they are regarded as more

emotionally expressive than their opposite sex. A study also suggests that

women are mentally tougher than men and they are stronger in terms of
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coping from stress and pressure. Thus, their emotional and mental

strength enables them to confront the mishaps and difficulties of life.

In general, the poet in awe dedicated a poem to her mother, who

demonstrated exceptional courage. That courage is an exemplar of

women’s emotional intelligence. Through it, they are capable of

surpassing the storms that strike their lives.

“FOR THE 4TH GRADE, PROSPECT SCHOOL:

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HOW I BECAME A POET”

Poetry is both a literature and an art. Literature is defined as the

record of man’s significant experience and art is defined as the creative

expression of humanity. Thus, poems reflect the feelings, beliefs, and

values of their writers. In the poem “For the 4 th Grade, Prospect School:

How I Became a Poet”, the author reveals to the readers his significant

experience that led him to hold his pen and write poems.

From his childhood, James Emanuel traced back his inspiration in

writing poetry. He recounted the three strings in his early life: the string

from his kite that broke loose, the string that he used to reach his top, and

the string around the neck of his pet dog. These strings stirred a

fascinating impression upon the poet’s young mind that even in his mature

years, he never forgot them. Like how they bound things, he made

connection across his knowledge and ideas to compose poems.

In addition, activities that are usually associated with boys can be

gleaned from the text. In their young age, boys typically play tops as well

as transportation toys, weapons, and building materials. In contrast, girls

play dolls, household objects, and dress-up clothes. When boys grow

older, they tend to “engage in large group competitive games such as

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sports” (Edwards, Knoche, Kumru, 2001). Flying kites, playing tops, and

other rough-and-tumble plays are the typical pastime of boys while verbal

games and domestic-related games are the common pastime in girls. In

other words, boys in play are more physically active than girls.

Furthermore, James Emanuel refrained to explicitly state any of his

emotions instead he narrated his life experiences, which is sufficient to

draw imagery to the readers. The poem is written in a less expressive

manner but is capable of setting the mood to the readers. Conversely, the

poem “The Courage that My Mother Had” expressed intense feelings and

emotions from its first stanza to its last stanza. The readers can easily

identify the author’s tone, which are admiration and feebleness.

On the whole, the persona related his life encounters with strings

that served as his motivation and inspiration in composing poems. In the

said poem, the poet enshrouded his tone like how masculinity includes

concealing one’s strong feelings. In some stanzas, the poem also alluded

to masculine toys and pastimes.