We+are+more

=Assignment: Describe what the poem means to you. Discuss the use of metaphor to create analogies in the mind of the listener. How does the impact of this poem change when you hear it as apposed to reading it? Use specific examples from the text. =

When I was listening to Shane Koyczan, I was deeply moved. Although I am not exactly a Canadian, I have been here long enough to experience and feel the same as a Canadian. This poem tells the rest of the world what Canada truly is and what it is like to be a true Canadian. There are a lot of stereotypes of Canadians and Shane tells the world that we are something more than just those stereotypes. For example, he says, "but we are more than genteel or civilized" and "But we're more than just hockey and fishing lines". Like many other poems, this one also consists of powerful metaphorts which have deep meanings and create great analogies in the mind of the listener. The use of metaphors enable the readers/listeners to understand fully what the poem's literal meaning is. An example of a very meaningful metaphor used in //"We Are More"// is "So don't let your luggage define your travels". This means that one's past and stereotypes should not define who one is now and his or her future. One should be able to decide one's future. When the poem is heard rather than read, the impact of the poem dramatically changes. When the poem is read, listeners become allured to the reader's words and have a greater impact on the listeners. On the other hand, reading the poem is not the same, for the readers simply read over the words and is more unlikely to understand the meaning. Shane Koyczan did very well in influencing the listeners by simple methods: he frequently paused to let the meaning sink in to the mind of others and changed tones to give more enthusiasm. Through this one poem, he moved billions of people and changed the way others looked toward us, Canadians.

6/6