Commentary to script on “disabled” and “The Bright Lights of Sarajevo”

I've explored various topics in these texts such as war, freedom, fears, and confidence. However, I
tend to focus on hope more than the others. I observed many writers use many different way showing
hopes to create an impact on the reader. For example, in “still I rise” the images of punishment and
killing shows how they used to be mistreated by the society, but there is still an optimistic idea
throughout the poem to cheer up the audience no matter how hard it is “I rise”. In contrast with “Out,
out-“, the writer describes how the boy loses his hand and he is crying for help ruefully, leading him to a
tragic death ending without any hope left.

For my assignment on the topic of hope, I selected “Disabled”: the story of a young man who is
physically damaged from the war. Before the war he hoped that he could enlist to impress women, but
now they are repulsed by him. It’s very interesting how just a simple carefree decision just like a “hope”
to increase his reputation causes him to his downfall. I could see a big contrast between his lively youth
with a bright future and now him with legless and no arms, desperately neglected and forgotten by
everyone., whereas in the “The Bright Light of Sarajevo” even though within a chaotic situation there is
still a hidden hope of love is occurring in the poem. I like the fact that the destruction and difficulty of
surviving is shown in the morning but in the evening, everything is stopped, and a couple meet up and
hold hands like they want to cure each other in this dangerous situation.

The reason why I chose these poems is because both of them are in war setting there is still hope
occurs in the situation but in different ways. In my opinion “Disabled” shows how something a man
desires to be and then it brought him to a loss of his future. The ending is showing him as a powerless
and hopeless man which is very shocking image compares from what he used to be. In the other hand,
“The Bright Light of Sarajevo” no one would expect romantic imagery during the war, I admired this
couple as although in this situation, they still have a strong belief and love to keep them together, also
without hope they won’t be able to maintain this relationship.