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Persepolis Poem
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Persepolis Poem
Persepolis Poem
I was unsure the best place to put this, since I don't post much poetry. But I decided here would work good. So for English I had to write a poem on the graphic novel, Persepolis. Basically, the book is from the perspective of a 10 year old Iranian girl (10 at the start) during the Iranian Revolution. The poem is from her perspective, really going over the theme of the story. Have any of you read the book, and can you guess what each part of the poem kind of represents? Also, how did I do writing it? I get kind of nervous writing poetry as assignments.
Oh yeah, and can you guys guess why I titled the poem as it is? As in, what does it mean in your mind? Thanks, you guys are the best!
Death of the Dove
Fall back, fly back
Time of 1979
Your hands to our words
Like whips across our existence
Force your pathetic modernity
Religious falsehood
Down the throats of my people
Centuries of human dreams
Down the River of Styx
Your lies made you silent
Until you rose once again
Women made to ghosts
Men monsters of the night
Hunters, gatherers
You brought my people back
To our ancient times
Ancestors
Fools
You cage us now like psychopaths
Miserable western circus animals
Forced to fall into bidding
Kissing your feet
Disgusting, rotten with tyranny
Blade to one’s throat
Blackmailed into submission
The unborn cry
For futures, fates stolen
Their mothers chained in a cloak
Of impenetrable darkness
Who is to stop your insane madness?
Is it safe to come out?
Your bombs held above our heads
Our spirits cry
Fire licks the walls of every home
Within ourselves
Held tightly, cannot be set free
Do not let me go
I sit here, crying
Following your footsteps without purpose
Children, so simple, we do not know
As one, I pulled strings of others
Why? To satisfy hunger
A country of a thirty-nine million
Raise their hands in everlasting joy
Sixty thousand under our feet
Yet you, my terrible
Heartless friend
Has been found ostracized
Cut off from a seemingly
Eternal stronghold
Rejoice for the king is gone
One shall live
Without the darkness of your power
Families in peace
Homes restored
Our men, now free from fighting
Women without veils
Yet
The death of the dove
Has come
submitted by Ashlee G., age 15, The Future
(January 1, 2017 - 5:36 pm)
(January 1, 2017 - 5:36 pm)
I think "the death of the dove" means that peace and love are shattered. This doesn't really fit.. Hmmm...
(January 1, 2017 - 9:37 pm)
Actually, to be honest, you are kind of correct. So at the end of Persepolis, the war's at an end. But as we know, Iran's peace never fully returns. And since a dove usually represents, as you said, peace and love, it's symbolism. Sadly, a lot of Iran's peace - not necessarily the love, though - never truly returned. They were still a major target for political reasons and modernization. The biggest being for oil, sadly.
(January 1, 2017 - 11:00 pm)
:( We need to be grateful for what we have.
(January 2, 2017 - 1:27 am)
Indeed, I agree... For English I also had to write an essay explaining the theme of Persepolis, and in my conclusion, I stated basically that we need to just make peace within our country, with our own people, or else we'll lose everything we've ever known, for it somewhat falls in a pattern like Iran in the 1980s.
(January 2, 2017 - 12:45 pm)
Huh. I feel like organizing my thoughts into numbers. I'll type as I read.
1. I want to read this graphic novel. It sounds good.
2. Well that's an easy one. The dove is symbol of peace. (Did you know it was Pablo Picasso who actually made it hate symbol of peace, the first to use it to symbolize that?) So the title is basically the Death of Peace. Now I'll actually read the poem....
3. First thought: this makes me think of I Am Malala. I highly recommend it to everyone. There's a Young Reader's Edition if you want to read that.
4. This is a very good poem, Ashlee! I can tell a lot about...well, everything, just by reading this free verse poem.
5. The title makes sense now, and the last line. Death of Peace. Because the kinks gone, and maybe they won their freedom...but it's not the end of the struggle. And the war was the Death of peace...so I'm assuming it had been relatively peaceful. The war leaves the country shaky. Shook from the shattering of peace, the devestation which still remains.
Thanks for sharing you poem with us, Ashlee.
(January 2, 2017 - 2:35 pm)
That's great that you separated into thoughts. Therefore I will do the same in response. :D
1. You should read the novel! If you can't find it at a library or somewhere like that, there are a ton of online pdf versions for free, that's where I read it.
2. And yep, you got the title meaning right. And I had no idea, that's a cool fact to know.
3. I have never heard of I am Malala, so I'll have to check it out. It sounds really good.
4. And thank you! There are a lot of... shall I say hidden meanings, within the poem. But I'm glad you could figure out so much by reading it.
5. That summarizes the basis of the poem's meaning perfectly! As well as the story's theme. It was actually fairly peaceful before the Shah and the war, so it was all taken away. And even after they regained their deserved freedom, all that ever made them a peaceful country was gone. Their religion, culture, government, beliefs. That's what left them so broken, therefore lacking peace. I also love those last two lines you put, it sounds like a poem almost!
Thank you for all your input! You really should read Persepolis, it's an awesome novel, and there is a second one too.
(January 2, 2017 - 6:11 pm)
I'm glad that you had interesting input on my analysis. I'll definitely read Persepolis.
(January 2, 2017 - 7:26 pm)
OHMYGOSH I READ THAT BOOK! It was really, really, good, but also super sad! There's a second book too but I haven't read it since my mom says it's more... adult, but!
Your poem is really good, by the way! I like it a lot! It does capture the book well!
(January 2, 2017 - 5:26 pm)
Awesome! I loved that book, and I want to read the second one once I get time. Maybe once I do I can give you a rundown of it if you wish. And thank you! The poem had to be thirty lines or more, but I felt you can't capture the whole story in only thirty lines.
(January 2, 2017 - 6:00 pm)
I love I am Malala! I stayed up really late reading it in bed with a flash light and my mom was mad at me. It is kinda sad...
(January 2, 2017 - 6:10 pm)
Well, the whole Taliban occupation is very sad, but Malala's story is an extremely inspiring story, ending with great positivity and hope. Once again, I recommend it to all. Her story is proof that things can be done. Malala's a terrific person. I was so moved by her story, I donated some money to her organization (which helps refugee and poor girls get education). Not much, but I felt happy.
(January 2, 2017 - 7:24 pm)
Wow, that sounds like an inspiring story. I can probably find it online since my library kinda... well, it has nothing in it, pretty much. It's awesome that you donated, as well. I love donating to things that I feel are important, even if it's only a little bit.
(January 2, 2017 - 11:30 pm)
It's a memoir/autobiography. I actually haven't read the regular version, only the young reader's one, because that's the one I have to read for a book club. Supposedly it's shorter than the regular one. It's still very good though.
(January 3, 2017 - 1:03 pm)