Journal Prompts, Week 7

Hey Guys,

Here are your journal prompts for week seven. We're working up to writing our research paper, so they're mostly related to invention for that. Enjoy--you guys are doing a great job on your journals! Thanks for all your hard work.

All the best,
Elliot

Monday, 3/10
Read this poem:

To be of use
by Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who stand in the line and haul in their places,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

This poem talks about digging in, and really working towards resolution of a problem. A person longs for "work that is real" as a "pitcher cries for water to carry." What work matters to you? If you were to roll up your sleeves and dig in, what would you do?

Wednesday 3/12
Write about a time that someone convinced you or changed your mind about an issue. How did they do it? What type of evidence was credible? How did they speak to you?

Friday 3/14
Is there a particular issue or problem that you really "dork out" on? That is, what issue, interest, or problem do you devote a lot of time or thought to? Why do you do it?

That's it for this week, see you in class!

Elliot