2022 Language Arts: Individual Oral Presentation Presented by Kayden Tok Table of contents Visual Poem Brief introduction + Visual Poem Video Analysis Literary devices and their effect How do literary devices bring out the theme? Sound effects and music Use of sound effects and music in the video + its impact Conclusion Thanks + Bibliography QnA session Visual Poem Birds in the Cage See the Bigger Picture Video ● https://www.powtoon.com/c/fILewTro8M W/1/m Introduction The poem is a reverse poem, meaning it can be read left to right both forward and backward. It is about the discrimination of racial minorities which are represented by the crows. The people who abuse these people are represented by the masters. Themes • • Alienation and Discrimination Courage Sound effects and music Music ● The song chosen is sad and solemn ● As such creates the same mood ● The mood makes the reader feel pity and sorriness for the racial minorities ● The music also builds up at the climax, emphasising the abuse of the racial minorities Literary Analysis ❧ Irony “Birds in the Cage See the Bigger Picture” ● Less privileged racial minorities → more exposed to the ● ● ● world through abuse and hate More privileged → less mature due to lack of exposure The imprisonment of the birds contrast with the change they seek Brings out the theme of courage Perspective ● Use of reverse poem creates two perspectives ● Readers see the contrast ● Used to bring out the themes Perspective “a precious gem of no value” When read downwards: • • Symbolises the racial minorities The masters do not see their humanity When read upwards: • • Symbolises the masters Look nice on the outside, no values on the inside How themes are brought out through contrast? ● Contrast between perspectives → void ● ● between masters and crows Further divides the crows and masters in terms of their social status Develops the theme of alienation Perspective “Their white shell falls, black ensues” When read downwards • • • The “white shell” represents a dove, a crow with white feathers When the “white shell falls”, it shows how the crows lose hope The coming of blackness shows the discrimination of their skin When read upwards • • The “white shell” represents the white man’s power The crows are winning, and their “black ensues” How are the themes brought out? ● The contrast between the crows losing ● hope and their eventual victory against the masters show their courage The crows required a lot of strength and bravery to recover their hope and rebel Imagery “The color of their skin, mixing with the concrete and dirt” ● ● ● ● ● When read downwards The “mixing” symbolizes the loss of freedom and their rights Paints an image of the crows fading away They are reduced to “concrete and dirt”, unimportant Shows how they are discriminated Imagery “The color of their skin, mixing with the concrete and dirt” “The crows bleed their pride” ● When read upwards, the crows mixing with the concrete and ● ● dirt symbolizes their acceptance into society Them “[bleeding] their pride” symbolizes the sacrifices they make for freedom Develops the theme of courage as the crows seek change Imagery “working tirelessly, back breaking, bones aching, wings broken” ● When read downwards: ● Kinesthetic imagery is used to highlight the abuse the ● crows are put through “wings broken” symbolizes how the crows are unable to fly, no longer free Imagery “They fight, balled up fists, jabs caught, livid” “Working tirelessly, back breaking, bones aching, wings broken” ● When read upwards ● The imagery sculpts the image of the crows fighting back ● “wings broken” symbolizes the sacrifices the crows make, putting their bodies on the line “It’s bigger than black and white, it’s a problem with the whole way of life. It can’t change overnight, but we gotta start somewhere” —Dominique Armani Jones Thanks ❧ CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon and infographics & images by Freepik Please keep this slide for attribution Questions? Bibliography https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apa.org%2Ftopics%2Fracism-bias-discrimination%2Ftypes-stress&psig=AOvVaw0fzwlW3YSgi96W77k1Z-0&ust=1648295065629000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLinpOOX4fYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kindpng.com%2Fimgv%2FhohwooR_transparent-flying-crows-png-cage-pngdownload%2F&psig=AOvVaw1G3o7AfP5GFzYey0KrX8JF&ust=1648451821495000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCOjrkd7f5fYCFQAAAAAd AAAAABAD https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.istockphoto.com%2Fillustrations%2Fdifferentperspective&psig=AOvVaw2vNSB7MSeNVY_CiLSDPM0g&ust=1648451896625000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCICfvIHg5fYCFQAAAAAd AAAAABAU https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychology.iresearchnet.com%2Fsocial-psychology%2Fsocial-cognition%2Fcontrasteffects%2F&psig=AOvVaw3oMiPeFnZIS2Aol5kwxE6n&ust=1648452112088000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCPjxgujg5fYCFQAAAAAdAA AAABAD https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fdebate%2Farticle-3626638%2FHe-taught-black-men-like-meaningcourage-Former-head-Equality-Commission-joins-tributes-Muhammad-Ali.html&psig=AOvVaw1rKS4O3azasDzcfaxqD5W&ust=1648452185264000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLDMzo3h5fYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsociety6.com%2Fproduct%2Fwe-all-bleed-the-same-color-black-livesmatter_print&psig=AOvVaw3J9HXkmViKjsAW7PToCsSD&ust=1648452317411000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCNCo8rh5fYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAH https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwallhere.com%2Fen%2Fwallpaper%2F521694&psig=AOvVaw3Hg544fUuY3vzSQHWkmX3W&ust =1648452425023000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCMCj9vzh5fYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD Music taken from Chalet by Meydän | https://linktr.ee/meydan Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Birds in the Cage See The Bigger Picture Working tirelessly, back breaking, bones aching, wings broken Their white shell falls, black ensues The world will not change They fight, balled up fists, jabs caught, livid It is foolish to think that There is hope of equality The crows screech in the night Like sharpening a knife Another one, fallen, a precious gem of no value Of despair, alienation, discrimination Metal gears and robotic hearts, machinal, empty Pent-up emotions No one can deny that Does the master control them? They were stepped on, freedom taken and sold Questions unanswered The crows bleed their pride It only takes a spark to ignite a flame The color of their skin, mixing with the concrete and dirt The crows believe that They blend into society, melting The world will change Birds in the cage see The Bigger Picture
