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Talah Abu Rahmeh is a Palestinian poet and writer. Originally from Yaffa, she was born in Amman in 1984 and moved to Ramallah ten years later. After graduating from Birzeit University with a degree in English, she pursued an MFA (Master's in Fine Arts) degree in Creative Writing at American University in Washington D.C. In May 2009, she received the Myra Sklarew Award in Poetry for her capstone thesis in creative writing. The award is given by the MFA faculty at American University each year to the graduating MFA students with the most original prose and poetry theses.
Some of you might recall Palestinian-American poet Suhair Hammad's visit to AAUJ last year during the Palestinian Literature Festival (PALFEST). You might be interested to know that she has won the 2009 American Book Award for Breaking Poems, published by Cypher Books.
The following poem by Talah Abu Rahmeh is featured in the upcoming anthology 25 Under 25, which is edited by Naomi Shihab Nye, a Palestinian-American poet and writer. Read the poem and then write a paragraph explicating the poem (that means explaining, interpreting and analyzing it). Here are some questions to help you do that:
1) Who is the speaker?
2) What is the speaker reflecting on?
3) What settings, emotions and values emerge in the poem?
4) In what world is the speaker more comfortable?
5) How do you know any of the above?
If Talah Abu Rahmeh were to add one or two lines to the poem at the end, what do you think she would say?
Upon Arrival
I don't know anymore,
What if I love it more, over there?
What's not to love over here?
Mama says there is nothing like home
Everyone knows you and even if they don't
They still impose.
I used to say take me home
Where everybody can pronounce my name,
roll it off the tongue like sugar, take me
Home.
I shake hands of relatives
I never liked
"Yes, of course I will come back to the country.
If we, the educated, don't come back
Who will?"
I want to scream:
I'm getting too used to having
A dignity. I'm getting used to not crossing
Checkpoints, I'm getting used to staying out
Late without the fear of a tank barging in, I'm getting
used to crying, over little things, like the bus is late,
or the milk has run out.
Upon Arrival
ReplyDeleteIman Shawqi
Upon Arrival is beautiful poem that is written by Palestinian poet who is called Tala Abu Rahme .
-I do not know anymore
What if I love it more, over there?
What is not to love over there?
In this stanza, the speaker who is a refugee is talking about his feeling toward his land and native country( Palestine). He loves his home very much . He explains that there is not anything there, in Palestine , can be hated , everything is popular. Mountains, hills, seas, rivers, smell of oranges , fresh air, stones and everything around him. He wonder what will happen if he love Palestine more. This indicates how much he like it.
-Mama says there is nothing like home
Everyone know you and even if they do not
They still impose
*His mother always says there is not anything can worth or equal home, the place where they were born and grow, where they held dear remembrance. Every person in Palestine know you, you are the refugee who was driven away, and if they do not recognize you well, you impose yourself upon them because they are the people you love and love you.
-I used to say take me home
Where everybody can pronounce my name
Rolette off of tongue like sugar, take me
-Home
The speaker explains his longing to the home, he get used to say reecho me to my home, where people can emit my name correctly m, the pronounce like a piece of sugar that is digested easily in the mouth and this is mark that pronouncing his name is easy in his native home, but in the foreign countries people may say it in different dialect.
-I shake hands of relatives
I never liked
Yes, of course, I will come back to the country
If we ,educated , do not come back
Who will?
The speaker describes his social life in his native country , he shake hands with his relations . After that, he shows that he will return . If he, learned, intellectual person does not come back who will return to build their land ? She asked in exclamatory way.
-I want to scream: I am getting too used to having
Dignity. I am getting used to not crossing
Checkpoints. I am getting used to staying out
Late without the fear of a tank barging in,
I am getting used to crying , over little things, I like if bus is late, or the milk has run out.
In this stanza, the speaker take about his sufferance in Palestine, he wants to scream because the severity of pain. He used to have her gravity and dignity. He does not use to stay along hours on the checkpoints on the roads , he used to move easily .In his land he is frightened from roar of the tanks. He is very sad up to cry over small things as the bus is late or because she is hungry when the soldiers prevent the milk and other kinds of food.
The speaker in this poem in my opinion is one of the refugees who was threw out of Palestine and live away from his native country. I know that because the speaker concentrated on his longing to his home and he will impose himself on his lovely people. But he returned to his land and describe the hard life they live under the occupation.
The emotions that emerge in the poem are:
1-longing to home.
2-suffering from the occupation.
3-patroiotism.
4-sadness, because of the hard life.
If Tala were to add one or tow lines to the poem at the end, I think she would say:
-Despite all these difficulties, sadness, pain
I still love my country even much more
Because it is my mother that take me in its arms with all of fancy.
"Upon Arrival" is a poem written by Tala Abu Rahmeh and she is the speaker in her poem. She is a Palestinian author, who is living in U.S.A. Tala Abu Rahmeh is in a maze that she can not decide what is better. Is it better to stay in America or to come back to her land, Palestine? In Palestine, every one knows her and even if they do not, people should do. She shakes hands with her family and relatives even if she does not know or like them. Her mother always says "nothing like home" and of course people will come back to there country either today or tomorrow. On the other hand, she wants to scream; she did not use to live in this way. Tala used to wake up at the birds sounds and flowers scenes; not the sound of bombs and blood views. She used to be free with no checkpoints or fear of tanks. The writer used to cry over little things such as the milk has run out; not to cry for children and old people death. In this poem, there are emotions as love, fear and terrible. She loves her land and she hopes it will be free like America, but she preferred the U.S.A life now. Tala Abu Rahmeh is in a storm between two lives whether to stay there or here. She likes her world in America and she said many times "I'm getting used to having dignity" "I want to scream." Tala loves her land and sure she wants it to be the best. Finally, I think if she were to add other lines to the poem she will say:
ReplyDelete"But I hoped to pick up the olive trees. I was getting used to my mother’s coffee and pastry."
"I want to scream again:
I hope to get Palestine back and I'm sure, Abu Ata’s milk
The narrator is the poet herself, and she is talking about the coming back.
ReplyDeleteIn the first stanza she is wondering which is better to be in your home or to be away from it. In these lines it is obvious that she is living in a very comfortable place that has all the advantages to stay in, but at the same time she is wondering that maybe she may love being in her home more than the place she is living in right now. So she is thinking about home because she is away.
In the second stanza she is explaining why she may love home more. She is remembering what her mother said about home “Mam says there is nothing like home, everyone knows you, and even if they do not, they still impose.” In these lines, there is a kind of irony; her mother says that there is no place like home, and she puts “impose” at the end; however, her mother is talking about the positive impose, that is, how the family members care, help, and love each other or impose on each other because there is nobody else to impose on.
In the third stanza she is remembering how nice when she said” Take me home,” it was like the taste of sugar, and everyone was pronouncing her name, but now it is obvious that she no longer hears her name pronounced in the same way, or feel the same taste when she says “home”, and I believe this is why she put “Home” in a special stanza alone.
In the fifth stanza she is hoping to get back to her home and be with her relatives even though she does not like all of them. And she believes that the educated people should be the first to return home, I think she said so because the educated people play a very important role in building the society. Then she wants to scream on things in the next stanza:
I think she wants to scream because she is getting used to live a normal, safety life in another country while she should live this life in her own country.
If Talah would write another two lines, I think she would say:
I am getting used,
To forgetting my home,
Take me home.
UPON ARRIVAL is a poem by the palestinian Tala Abo Rahmeh. She lived in Jordan, then she came to Ramallah to study, then she travelled to the U.S. to cantinue her education.
ReplyDeleteA poem has always a speaker, and in this one the speaker is thne auther herself. She said '' I used to: say take me home, having adignity, not crossing checpoints, late without fear from the tank, to crying'', these words are pointed to childhood, as she suffered from the occupation, now she wants to live in home, in her country. If we look to the tittle (Upon Arrival), we will find that it has mwaning, wich is the time and the place that she will arrive to her country. As this arrival is her dream since long ago.
There are some emotions that controls the story. First, homesick, as she said '' take me home.....tak me home'', she repeated it to emphasis and to show how much she hopes to come back to the home. The other emotion is the borness from the life which is far from the home, the occupation, and the refugee's camps. The poem also have values like patrioty, the indignity, the freedom, and the importance of the education.
The auther hopes to come back to her country, inspite of the happeness outside. This when she said '' mama says there is nathing like home, '' also '' take me home''.
"Up on Arrival" it's a poem by Tala Abu Rahmeh who is a Palestinian poet.In the poem she is inquiry which better the place where she live "US"or her home land"Palestine" . She is adhering to her home land .Her mother said "nothing like home" where everybody knows her because they have the same culture and the same language .She have relatives to visit and shaking hands with ,although she don't like them,also she used to say "take me home" she wants to come back to Palestine.She feels more comfortable in US because she can travel free without checkpoints.She used to wake up on the sounds of birds instead of bombs and missiles sounds.She used to stay out late with no fear of tanks or invasions.she used to cry over little things not because she scared of death or something like that.
ReplyDeleteTake me home
Where is my house and friends
where is my memories and dreams
The poet strongly expresses her emotions toward and longing for coming back home(Palestine). She says that she was raised on the love of Palestine; her mother was always saying that nothing dear like home. This makes the poet eager to go home where every body knows her. After expressing her love to go home, the tone of the poem changes as if the poet has doubts in the possibility of coming back home. Therefore, in the lines 13, 14, 15, she assures herself that the educated themselves are the ones who will come back to Palestine.( I think that the poet says this because she is aware that it is the responsibility of the educated not to abandon their right to return.) This can be supported from the following lines. In these lines, the poet is afraid from submitting to her doubts in not being able to come back home, and she does not want to get used to the mild way of life outside Palestine. So she screams rejecting to forget the Palestinian right to return, and to accept safety outside it.
ReplyDeleteThe two lines Talah might add to the poem if she were to could be the following:
Yet I will not sink in this sea of delusion;
Always I will know this is nothing but a mirage;
I will come back home,
I will comeback home.
The poem "Upon Arrival" is written by a Palestinian woman named Talah Rahmeh who is also the speaker in the poem. In the poem Talah is contemplating with herself on which country she enjoys better. In the first stanza she is indecisive on her feelings about going back home. She appears to be unsure what to do or what to think when she says "I don't know anymore, What if I love it more, over there? What's not to love over here?" By “there” Tala is referring to Palestine and by “here” she is referring to America.
ReplyDeleteThe next four stanzas the narrator administers positive aspects about her home country (Palestine) that America lacks. “Everyone knows you and even if they don’t they still impose.” This is a positive aspect because in Palestinian culture people are always there to care. Talah wants to go home to a country where she is not a foreigner. A country where “everybody can pronounce [her] name.” Her name is part of her identity and when she is in place where people cannot pronounce it she might feel like an outsider or that she does not belong. The next stanza is “Home” which is very effective because the word home has many connotations and denotations that readers can interpret. When Talah placed this word in one stanza, it emphasizes how important her home country is to her. It also shows that she misses Palestine and values her culture as well as her people because she has made one stanza especially for them. One part of her might have believed that she might not come back home but she has a strong bond to her country. She believes that as an educated woman she needs to come back, therefore society will benefit from her knowledge. This is apparent in the poem when she said “Yes, of course I will come back to the country. If we, the educated, don't come back, who will?"
In the last stanza she says “I want to scream:” which I believe is out of frustration and mixed emotions she is experiencing. Talah feels split between two countries that she loves where each country has something the other deprives. She is screaming because she feels helpless to the occupational situation in Palestine. She is living in better conditions where there are no checkpoints and she can stay out “Late without the fear of a tank barging in.” The following illustrates that she is more comfortable in the western country she currently resides in. In addition, she is screaming to be heard from the western world so they can see that there are bigger problems in life than “the bus [being] late or the milk [running] out.” By discussing the Palestinian situation in the last stanza, Talah shows the readers that she will never forget her home and the struggles she endured and her people are still experiencing.
The following lines I believe could be added to Talah Rahmeh’s poem:
A piece of home will always be in my heart.
The desire to return,
To a free land is like a fire that will never be silent.
The speaker in this poem is the writer Tala Abu Rahmeh;we can notice that from her life. She is a Palestinian citizen,she went to US to complete her education. She chose to express her feeling through this poem "Upon Arrival". Tala said everything in her mind.
ReplyDeleteFrom the poem we notice that she is confused to choose the better world, Palestine her home land, with occupation and hard life or US with peace and easy life.We notice that from the first stanza when she said"I don't know anymore,
What if I love it more, over there?
What's not to love over here?" She mean Palestine by there, and US by here.
The author chose the narrative poetry to tell us about her story in two sections.
The first one, when she arrived to US, she faced suffering because she is away from her home where everyone know her, and everyone can spill her name correctly. These thing about her home country (Palestine) that America lacks. As a result, she feel homesick, and she hope to return to her town as she says"Take me home," and she remembers her mother when she said_"her mother "_ "there is nothing like home
Everyone knows you and even if they don't
They still impose." so she agrees with her mother that Palestine is the better world, and she believes that she should return to Palestine to learn her people.
The second section, when Tala arrive to Palestine everything change. At first, she lost her dignity, she is suffering in the checkpoints, and she can not stay out late because the fear of tank barging in.
As a conclusion, Tala is more comfortable in US than Palestine. She said" I used to having a dignity. I used to not crossing checkpoints," but when she return to Palestine she lost these things. So she is afraid these things will forgive her her land Palestine.
In this poem, the writer has many
values,such as,
Freedom and dignity these things she foun in US and Palestine lakes.
Finally, I think if she were to add other lines to the poem she will say:
"There is nothing in the world worth our land
If we the educators don't return who will built Palestine
I will stay at my home
I will stay in Palestine"
First of all, the writer started to say she loves her country. She told us what if she liked her home their in her real place. Also why she should live their , and she has a nice home.
ReplyDeleteThen she removed us to know that no place like home. Every one knows you. In the past every one in her country impose themselves at her. She always hated that. Now she missed their imposing.
Imposing is coming from the people who cares about you, and you cares about them.
In the third stanza she want to return to her home where every one knows her name.
Then in the fourth stanza she went to tell us that she is educated person.
Finally, all the pain she has faced make her very weak, so she is crying on simple thing.
In "Upon Arrival" by Talah Abu-Rahmeh the speaker is a persona created by the author. The poem doesn't make it clear whether it is a man or woman, unless you believe only women cry over the milk running out or the bus being late, but we know he/she is an adult from the line "If we the educated, don’t come back, Who?" Being "educated" translates to having finished school or a degree. We also know the author isn't the speaker since Talah Abu-Rahmeh was born and raised in Amman and Ramallah only having gone to America after finishing her bachelor's degree, while the speaker compares two places with different cultures and languages from her youth. One is where "Everyone knows you" and "Everybody can pronounce my name" and the other is where "I'm getting used to having a dignity…not crossing check points."
ReplyDeleteIn the first stanza the speaker is conflicted "I don't know anymore" about where she likes to live more; her home country "over here" or the new country she lives in "over there." In stanza two the speaker describes a benefit her mother told her about which is that everyone cares enough about each other to feel as though they need to impose. From the verse we can't tell if she actually sees this as a benefit or not; she is only stating her mother's opinion. The speaker tells how she used to feel when she was young in the third stanza. She felt different in the new country because people couldn't pronounce her name; this surely singled her out in school. She wanted to go "home" where people could say her name "Roll it off the tongue like sugar." The fourth verse is the word "Home." This emphasizes that the speaker is strongly attached to Ramallah, her past residence. Home is where a person feels safe, wanted, and confident. She missed "home" and liked it more, so she wanted to go back. In the fifth stanza the speaker is back in her country and "I will come back to the country" plans on returning. She is likely questioning whether what her mother said in the second verse is a good thing or not, that it is a nice thing to have family impose on you "I shake hands of relatives I never liked." She feels frustrated "I want to scream." In the final stanza the speaker talks about perks of the new country but in a negative way like they're undesirable "I am getting to used to having a dignity… not crossing checkpoints… staying out late... crying over little things." She doesn't want to get used to these things. She is attached to her country and believes she shouldn't be comfortable that she should be suffering with the people of her home.
The value of loyalty is shown in the poem, loyalty to ones country. The speaker feels she has a responsibility to go back "If we, the educated, don't come back Who?" As a child she thought it wouldn't be right to like the new country more "What if I love it more over there?" People are loyal to the country they come from because it gives them a physical thing to show who they are. It gives them identity and connects them to all the others from that country. This connection is what makes the speaker believe she shouldn't be getting used to "a dignity" or "staying out late without fear of tanks barging in." If those related to her by land are miserable, she should be too. Family is another value presented in the poem. The speaker is close to her mother caring about what she says "Mama says." Using the word "Mama" instead of mom or mother shows innocence, reverence, and love.
The speaker is more comfortable in the second world because she isn't being oppressed and has gotten used to everything it offers, but that doesn't necessarily mean she wants to continue residing there. She is still strongly connected to her place of birth. She belongs there and has a duty to return.
If Talah Abu-Rahmeh were to add two more lines to the poem, I believe it would be suitable for them to be something like:
"Yes, of course I will comeback," I repeat to myself
They can keep their milk and dignities; I belong at Home.
IT'S a beautiful poem written by Palestinian poet who is called TALA ABU RAHMEH
ReplyDeleteI don't know anymore,
What if I love it more, over there?
What's not to love over here?
in this stanza the writer talking about her feeling as any person live far to his native country or land all thing familiar in Palestinian :mountain hills ....an every thing surrounded him and nothing there can be hated .there are a conflict in this stanza when the speaker says'(I don't know any more')
Mama says there is nothing like home
Everyone knows you and even if they don't
They still impose.
his mother always says nothing can same or equal home .the place where re born and grow up so, this thing are familiar for every person that have a right to their land. so she talks about benefit.
I used to say take me home
Where everybody can pronounce my name,
Roll it off the tongue like sugar, take me.
in third stanza the writer explain that there is psychological pressure suffered because she feel some thing strange or uncomfortable because the people couldn't pronounce her name so, she want to go home where people Gould say her name.
'home'
its a small word in a big feelings an expression its a place where the people feel happy safe so, the she want to go back to his home.
I shake hands of relatives
I never liked
"Yes, of course I will come back to the country.
in the fifth stanza the speaker is plane in returning .in her land there is a relative waiting for their return .the writer confirmed the right of return and says if we will not go back so how is returning back???
If we, the educated, don't come back
Who will?"
I want to scream:
here the writer talk about her suffering in Palestine and talk about occupation .so she want to scream to express all thing that she feel in here mind that she want to take the right of dignity as the same dignity that was felt by the Diaspora and also, she didn't want to stay along time in a checkpoints she want to move without it and hear the roar of the tank or crying over little thing if the soldier prevent the arrival of the milk and the bus.
tala love her land but she is more comfortable in the other but that didn't mean that she love it more than her land she is still strongly connected to her place
If tala were to add two more lines to the poem
I want to come back
Give me my right
The speaker in this poem is Tala Abu Rahma. She is explain in the first stanza that she love her home Palestine while she lived in "other country" America. She had strong emotion and feelings toward her home in this stanza: I don’t know any more , over there?.....what s not to love over there.
ReplyDeleteThen the poet told the readers the interesting and pleasure to be in your country and every one knows each other and if they don’t, they try to inter and share your own life that what her mother told …in this stanza Tala had big stimulus to return to her home Palestine and live with its people.
In the third stanza the speaker remember her pain in America Where its people Couldn’t pronounce her name correctly. So she always asked her mother to take her where people can pronounce her name like a sugar roll in their tongue.
In the forth stanza Tala emphases the important of return where shake hand of relative and coherence between palestinian. This part of the poem show patriotism as she said: (yes, of course ..I will come back to the country) . she loyal and love her country.
The next part, the poet wonder and amazed when she wrote “If we the educated don’t come back “who will ?”. Talla Abu Rahma still assure that she want to come back to her home.
But when she arrived to her home Palestine, her feelings and responses became different. when she described the suffer and difficulties that she faced that Tala not used to it. For example, she not used to crossing check points…fear of tanks. She used to live peacefully without any confusions. She used to crying over little thing like if the bus late, or the milk has run out !!!! as I think Tala Abu Rahma confused the readers. so I want to ask Tala this question”If she want to live and come back to Palestine where check points, tanks and Killing or America where calm, peace and birds twitter????.
If Tala would add one or two stanzas maybe she would say:
Although all of that, I will live where shake hands of relatives.
I will live where every body can pronounce my name.
Upon Arrival is a poem that is written by a Palestinian poet who is called Tala Abu Rahme. The speaker is Tala herself.
ReplyDeleteIn the first stanza, Tala looks confused and she explained that through her questions:
(What if I love it more, over here?)
(What is not to love, over there?)
In the second stanza, her mother explains that there is nothing like the native home, so Tala used to say takes me home where people can pronounce her name easily. She said”rollet off of tongue like sugar, take me”. This indicates how it easy to pronounce her name which is like chewing sugar.
Tala said in her poem that she always has dignity and honor in the second world where she was raised as we know in Amman. She did not use to stand at the checkpoints or be scared because the roar of the tanks, she cries over small things like running out the milk or if the bus is late. For these reasons, Tala is confused. She love Palestine but she hate these hard life.
Tala will be more comfortable in the second world, where she was raised in Amman. There, she has all what she needs easily without any difficulties. However, in Palestine she faces a lot of troubles so she wants to live outside.
There are many emotions that emerge in the poem;
1-Longing to home, on the other hand complaint of the difficulties in Palestine.
2-Suffering from the occupation.
If Tala were told to add one or two lines to the poem at the end, I think she will say:
-Although all these difficulties, sadness
I still love my home even much more.
"Upon Arrival" is a pome written by Tala Abu Rahmeh who is the speaker in this pome. We can notice that from her biography.
ReplyDeleteTala is Palestinian author and poet. When she graduated from Birzait University, she went to America to take "Master's in Fine Arts" degree.
In this pome."Upon Arrival" Tala doesn't know whether to live in her home Palestine under the occupation or to live peaceful life with different culture as America. So she is asking the reader to decide instead of her.
"I don't know any more.
What if I love it more over there?"
The author starts tell the reader about her own story when she leave Palestine and go to America. Tala starts remembering her mother's words that wherever the person go he will not find any thing like his home .In Palestine every one know you and if they don't they still want to know you, we can notice that in the seconds stanza. However in America no one know the others every one lives his own life without any connection with the others more over she has Arabic name this mean that it is difficult for the Americans to pronounce it and it's difficult for her to deal with the people so now she discovers how her life in Palestine is better than America and she is feeling homesick to Palestine. She says: "take me home". She also wants to come back to learn Palestinian people because she is an educated girl.
When Tala returned to Palestine she lose her dignity crossing checkpoints listening to the fear of a tank which she doesn't hear before "I am getting used to not crossing checkpoints I am getting too used to having a dignity". So she prefers to live in America rather than in Palestine because it's easy and comfortable.
The emotions in this pome are :
1- Love to Palestine.
2- Home sick.
3- Suffering from living in America.
4- sadness about what happens to Palestine.
If the writer wants to add tow lines she will says:
Sooner or later
I will comeback
I will comeback
UPON ARRIVAL
ReplyDeleteUpon arrival is a poem, which was written by a Palestinian young writer, who called Talah Abu Rahmeh, she was born in Jordan and lived there her childhood, then she returned back to Ramallah, for the homeland.
Honestly this was the first time that I loved and enjoyed in reading a poem like this one. First of all, really I was confused about who is the real speaker, who is the person who is taking in this poem? But I found that the speaker wasn’t the poet her self, but it was a sound for a Palestinian immigrant, doesn’t matter this person was a boy or a girl. But the most important thing that she/ he became tiered from being away from the home land and felt homesick. So he/ she had the desire to return back, to the home which they loved and missed a lot.
This decision was because of some words that the poet used in her poem like: "I used to say take me home", and as I think if she ( Talah) was really the speaker she wouldn’t say take me home, because no one force her to leave Palestine, but she went by her desire, to continue her studying. So she chooses leaving not forcing on her and that was clear in her biography. So the real speaker was forced to go there by his/ her parents, and he/ she asked her family several times to return back. Beside that, if Talah was the real speaker she wouldn’t say" Where everybody can pronounce my name", because I didn’t find any difficulty in her name, so why could a foreign person pronounce her name in a wrong or incorrect way! So, the real speaker had an Arabic name, was in some way difficult to pronounce. And surely he/ she was not Talah.
In the first stanza I found that the speaker had an eternal conflict, about who is the place who loved it more. But I found the speaker used "here" to indicate to the U.S.A, otherwise he/ she used "there" to indicate to Palestine. And as we know that in Arabic we use there to indicate the thing which is far, or hidden from us. So I think that she felt homesick, and missed her far away home. But being far away from her home land didn’t prevent her of thinking about it, and she really missed it.
In the second stanza, I can hear the same words that my grandfather used to say, like her mama, which was:" there is nothing like home
Everyone knows you", and this is remembered us of our goodness and originality, because we always took care about others, who we loved or admired, so we imposed and asked about them, to make sure that they are in a good condition.
In the third stanza the speakers feeling were greatly appeared to her/his dear and valued home, and her homesick to return back to the place, where she/ he leaved not in her/ his desire. And return back to the place were every one can pronounce her/ his name easily, like she/ he said: "like sugar", and that show us how easily they can pronounce it, and sweetly exactly like sugar.
In the forth stanza the word "home" was enough to abbreviated the emotions, how home is affecting us, and how it is valued and worthy for us. And that was especially for one who leaved it. And felt as a strange person in a strange country.
CONT"D in next post
Cont'd from previous post
ReplyDeleteIn the fifth stanza, she/ he told us about her/ his plan, when he/ she will return back to Palestine. and having the meeting with the relatives: "I shake hands of relatives" . And she/ he emphasis his / she desire to return back and having this strong emotion about pure love and life there.
In the sixth stanza, she/ he talked about a great responsibility, to return back to home land and helped our people there to develop; especially this responsibility is for the educated persons. Then she is wondering if the people of this land didn’t help their land, "Who will?"
In the last two stanzas she/ he talked about, the suffering of the people here. Also their fears from the things, which is surrounded them. But she/ he has her/his dignity, so that doesn’t matter how was the depth of the suffering, and the loosing of the necessary and none necessary things " I'm getting used to crying, over little things, like the bus is late,
or the milk has run out", but the important thing is to stay here. And to scream to get rid from the fears and the wrong or the thoughts that lived inside us and make us tired.
I think that the speaker preferring Palestine rather than the U.S.A, although she/ he lived there in "U.S.A" comfortable and had what he/ she want. But his real identity is completed in his/ her own land. However, he/ she lived the horror, the panic, and the frightened from the coming. But the endurance is the thing that keep us her, and keep the speaker desire to stay here, where every body know him, and so he/ she wouldn’t be strangers. and this is remembered me of a saying that I liked, which is " we make what we hate to have what we love", however, I think we loose our way, but in the end we will reach the correct one. Whatever we late, we will reach it finally.
If she will add some thing I think that it would be:
"I will be from this land
I will be this land
Palestine!
I will be yours, and you will be mine".
Upon arrival
ReplyDeleteThe speaker in this poem is the writer. It is appear from the first 3 lines that the writer feels uncomfortable, confused, suffering from an internal conflict. I don't know any more, what if love it more, what to love, over here?
But about what and why she feels like that?
The answer exists in second and third stanza. The writer discusses the idea, if she was willing to stay in her home, or in other country in which she went to learn. The depth of this conflict started when she began compared between the two countries. She began to remember her mother words when she said that wherever you go you will remain in need to return to your home because, you will not find like your country ,where everyone is able to utter your name correctly.
She talked about another subject shows the superiority of Palestine on the foreign country is that Palestine, interests in social relations more than foreign country.
She also spoke about an important issue it is called "brain drain"
If we, the educator, don’t come back who will?
In the sixth verse the writer said also just as there are good aspects of her country. There is also a positive sides in the other country where she accustomed to, becomes part of it, used to be free isn’t restricted by something, used to be back to her house in late time without fear of things may object her way especially "occupation"
I'm getting used to not crossing
Checkpoint, I'm getting used to staying out late
In the end she showed a beautiful matter ,is that by the cruelty of the life taught her and her people how to become more serious, and isn’t longer care about simple and foolish things in front of sense of murder, torture, destruction make her and her people lost the features of simplicity which we have.
The speaker is the poet “Talah Abu Rahmah.” I know that from her Autobiography. She is a Palestinian poet, who traveled to U.S to complete her study there. She tried to describe the emotion of Palestinian who lives outside Palestine. She used her experience and feelings toward her country. The speaker is more comfortable in her country, although the difficult situation there. We can understand that from her emotions when she spoke. There are some places in the poem, which shows that she will return to Palestine these means she loves her homeland and feel comfortable there.
ReplyDeleteIn the first stanza, she said that she doesn’t know her feelings. She doesn’t Know if she loves her country or not. So she used over there instead Palestine. She also doesn’t know if she loves U.S or not, so she used over here instead U.S. Tala’s mother told her nothing is better than her country. Where everybody knows her and can pronounce her name. She wants to go back to her homeland, where everyone needs her knowledge. Tala described the bad life in Palestine, which the occupation affected.
There are many emotions covered the poem like:
1) sadness
2) missing the homeland
3) loving Palestine
4) scared and frightened
The speaker in this poem is the writer Tala Abu Rahmeh.She is a Palestinian citizen,she lives in USA with her family.
ReplyDeleteShe is confused a bout what she must love more the countruy where she grew up and have all the advanteges like the peace and the comfortable and happy life which is USA or the country where she come from and her mother grew up and have the hard and the dangrous life which is Palestine.We can see that from the first three lines where she says
I don't know anymore,
What if I love it more, over there?
What's not to love over here?
Mama says there is nothing like home
That a proof that her mother is missing her country where she grew up. Home here refers to Palestine where she grew up and have all her memories of her life before she went to USA. Everyone know you and even if they do not
They still impose. They know you because in Palestine people feel that all of them is one family they always togather with sadness and happiness they help each other and stand side by side with each other and if they don't know you they still impose and here this word have a positive meaning,although it always holds a negative meanging. They impose because they don't want you to feel that you are a strang person and you are member of this big and happy family. Here in Palestine wher everybody can prounce your name and it will be easy and beautiful like the tongue like sugar.
When Tala arrived Palestine, the story of suffering started. She lost her dignity and she does not used to cross the check points and wait for a long time as the palestian people do. Also she used to stay out for a long time without fear of the sounds of bombs. Also she used to cry over the little things like the bus is late,
or the milk has run out. And this is a proof that she has an easy life in USA.
This poem holds many beautiful values and emotions such as dignity, happiness freedom,and family. And Tala is more comfortable in USA
I think if she wants to add one or two lines to the poem at the end, I think she would say
Whatever they did and whatever they will do
They can not take palestine from my heart
And I will comeback
And stand in front of anyone trys to damage and destroy her heart
The poem "Upon Arrival" is written by Tala Abu Rahmeh.
ReplyDeleteThe speaker is someone creatd by Tala Abu Rahmeh that because of some words which the poet used in her poem such as: "I used to say take me home," this sentance show us that Tala Abo Rahmeh doesn't force to leave her mother country (Palestine) so the speaker was forced and she doesn't make the speaker clear if it is a woman or man.
In the first stanza "I don't know any more," the speaker has an enternal coflict, "when if I love it more,over there?" if the speaker love to live there in her/his real country, or "over here" in the new country.
In the second staza... her/his mother always says home is everything, because his/her family in that home, everyone take care about other, they love each other, therefor, they imposed and asked about them to be sure that all they love are OK and in good condition.
In stanza three. The speaker strongly wants to return back to her/his home, because everybody in her/his country can pronounce and spell her/his name easily without any difficulty like the sugar melting, because the name is a part of her/himself or idintity, "when everybody can pronounce my name, roll it off the tongue like suger,"
Home, the fourth verse, the poeter confirms that the speaker has a desire to back to her/his place where she/he feels comfortable, safe and quietism.
In the fifth stanza the speaker hopes to come back to her/his home and be with relatives, even though she/he doesn't like them "I never liked."
In the next stanza the speaker is educated, and she/he has a big responsiblity to back home, because the society needs to the educated people to build thier country by knowledge, and as the poeter said: "if we, the educated, don't come back, who will?"
Finally, Tala Abo Rahmeh tell in her poem about difficulties in home country and she wants to scream why there are so many difficulties in her country, and why she does not feel comfortable over there, people do not have a dignity, also they suffer from checkpoints, moreover they usually fear, so the poeter prefer to stay out without all fears. And the writer is more comfortable in USA.
If Tala Abu Rahmeh were to add lines to the poem at the end, I belive she would say:
The life is hard.
There is nothing like land.
The time will come to back to our land.
Eman Najem
ReplyDelete(20810781)
section:2
"Upon Arrival" is a poem written by a Palestinian poet called Tala Abu Rahme, who finished her education in Ramalla then move to America.
In the first stanza I think that the author is the speaker, and we know that from her biography, she is a Palestinian and she leave her country to live in America. The speaker doesn't have a clear decision about her best place to live" I don't know any more" and she is confused between her real country "over there", or in America " over here".
In the second stanza the speaker tell us what her mother was saying about their country "there is nothing like home" and the mother consider this as a good thing, but we don't know if the speaker carry the same feeling or not. The mother give a reason for her feeling "Every one knows you".
But in the third stanza she tell us about her childhood, and how she was saying "take me home" and she make a reason for that "where every body can pronounce my name" and she describe ease pronouncing her name "roll it off the tongue like sugar". She say finally "take me" then she put the world " home" in a separated stanza, in order to emphasize her longing to her country.
In the fourth stanza she describe how she greet her relatives, by shaking hands "I shake hands of relatives", and she make that, even though she doesn't like that habit " I never liked". Then she say "Yes, of course I will come back to the country". That mean she determined to return to her land.
In the fifth stanza the author say that every one must return to his real country, and the educated people must begin "If we, the educated, don't come back, who will?". The speaker want to scream, but doesn't told us what she want to scream in this stanza, and put it in a separated stanza.
In the sixth stanza she put what she want to scream, because it talk about the Dignity and to show us the importance of it, especially for the Palestinian. Then she tell us about her hate toward crossing the check points" I'm getting used to not crossing check points". The author distinguishes between the life in her real country and the new country, by saying she used to stay out for late time, but in Palestine you can't do that, because of the occupation, and she add another difference, that she was crying over little things like bus lateness or milk running out.
I think if Tala want to add lines at the poem, she would say:
"Palestine, I will return
With my mom and relatives".
'Upon Arrival' is a poem written by a Palestinian poet called Tallah Abu Rahmah, and she lives in U.S.A. In this poem the narrator is the poet because she said,"I,Me,My"
ReplyDeleteIn the first stanza the poet is confused to decide which is better to stay in the place she is or to go back to the home and that appears whes she says"I don't know any more, what if I love it more,over there?what's not to love over here?" and she means by saying "there" and "here" Palestine and America.
In the second stanza she talked about the opinion of her mother and her mother thinks that the home is the best place in the world when she says " Mama says there is nothing like home"
In the next three stanzas she explains that she feels homesick and want to go back to her home, to the place the people can pronounce her name and that make us know that her name id strange from anther names in America and its a native name, and she tell us that she want to shak hands with her relatives and feel the loves of them, also she talked about the duty of the educated people to copme back to build their home
In the last two stanzas the poet says that she feels safe in the place she lives without checkpoints and she stays outside for along time without fear from the tanks and that when she says "I'm getting too used to having
A dignity. I'm getting used to not crossing
Checkpoints, I'm getting used to staying out
Late without the fear of a tank barging in, I'm getting"and she used to crying and screaming for stupid and frivolous things such as when the bus late and the milk run out"used to crying, over little things, like the bus is late,
or the milk has run out. "
There are many emotions in the poem first of all the Homesick, also the fear from the occupation,the confuse and the hardness of making decisions.In the end I see that the poet is more comfortable in the place where she lives now, but she also feels homesick and want to go back to her home by repeated "I will come back to the country ,
I used to say take me home"
"Upon arrival" is a poem written Talah Rahmeh who is Palestinian and the speaker in the poem. Tala Rahmeh rose up in Palestine and went to America to continue her studying.
ReplyDeleteIn the first stanza I fell that she was very confused because the way of her writing the stanza she use word that made me fell confused and unsure "I don't know anymore,
What if I love it more, over there? What's not to love over here?' in this stanza when she said "her" she meant Palestine, and when she used there she meant America.
In the second stanza, her mother make sure that is there where ever you go there is nothing like the home where you grow up, everybody know who are you, and if the do not they will be still trying to find out who you are, by knowing who I am we can communicate easily with each other, and help each other.
In the third stanza, Tala confirm that she want back to her home where she fell comfortable, because everybody can pronounce her name, by that she really fells comfortable and not confused.
In the forth stanza there is one word that is "Home", she put it in one stanza to emphasizes the importance of home country, also this is show me that she love her home land "Palestine" so much, and want to return back to it as soon as she could.
The fifth stanza contains one of the habits that she did not like which is "shaking relative's hands". Also in this stanza she confirm that she will come back to her home land "Palestine", and this is came from her love to her home land, her family and every thing in her home land.
In the sex stanza when Tala said "if we the educated people" she meant the Palestinian educated people did not back to our home land and help our country by our knowledge who will do. When she said "I want to scream", that made me fell that she had many complex bad felling such as: anger, depressed, sad …, also that appears to me that she was very very confused.
In the last two stanzas Tala show us habits in America that did not like and concerned them as trivial matters comparing what is happening in Palestine.
In Palestine we face "Checkpoints, Tank barging in", and these a serious thing and not trivial matters such as "crying, over little things, like the bus is late,
or the milk has run out" that what Tala consider on her poem.
If Talah Abu Rahmeh were to add one or two lines to the poem at the end, I think she would say:
Sooner or later
We will come back,
All of us will come back
Upon Arrival is a poem which written by Tala Abu Rahmeh, she is a Palestinian author lives in USA, and she is the speaker, she can not decide which life is better, USA or Palestine, she think people must return to their land soon or later, she wants to come back with them, where the people know her, with her family and relatives, shake hands with them, even she does not like them, but she wants to wake up hearing the sound of the bird, not bombs, she wants to live in peace, and freedom, no checkpoints, to cry over little thing, not over the killed of someone, but her mother always says “nothing like home”. The emotions in the poem is love, fear, confusion, she wants her land to be like America, with freedom, but now she will live in America, by saying: “I'm getting too used to having A dignity”.
ReplyDelete"Upon Arrival"
ReplyDeleteThis poem is written by Tala Abu Rahmeh and she is the speaker and the author at the same time. She is a Palestinian girl who lives in USA. This girl, as many Palestinian expatriates, faces the self-conflict between living in Palestine and facing lots of problems from the Israeli occupation Army such as checkpoints, killing, arresting, seizing, jailing, destroying homes, confisticating land, and so on and so forth, and the ideal, perfect, comfortable, easy life in the USA. The poet compares between the two ways of life and her emotions, passions, patriotic feelings, homesickness, coexistence with various cultures. So she has a big confusion how to coincide between all these things at one time. In Palestine, life is different and every one recognizes her and knows how to pronounce even her name correctly. People here, in Palestine shake hands with her either she knows them or not, relatives or not, but On the other hand, she wants to scream; she did not use to live in this way in USA.
Tala used to wake up at the birds sounds and flowers scenes; not the sound of bullets, bombs and blood shield views. She used to be free with no checkpoints or fear of tanks. The writer used to cry over little things such as the milk has run out; not to cry for children and old people death. In this poem, there are emotions as love, fear and terrible. She loves her land and she hopes that one day Palestine will be free and children of Palestine will live their life as American children with no fear, no checkpoints, no hate, no conflict, no walls, no social , cultural , ethnic discrimination that being build and created by the Israeli occupation. People in Palestine have a Palestinian dream just like the American dream and they hope a day will come soon to see their country free and having an independence state in which she could live and raise her children safety and with open mind and heart and with the most salient thing , dignity.
Finally, I think if she opts to add other lines to the poem she will say:
East or West…
Home is Best…..
1) Who is the speaker?
ReplyDeleteThe speaker is Tala Abu Rahmeh and she is the author in the same time
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2) What is the speaker reflecting on?
she is reflect on was that she wants to return to home , to live among her family and relatives of people who knew her, and speak the dialect which she is speaks ...
She wanted to tell people that everyone has dignity should think of returning to Palestine
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3) What settings, emotions and values emerge in the poem?
Feelings of patriotism and belonging,and feelings of longing for the homeland and to talk about the right of return , but overcome the feelings of hesitation at the end of the poem .
mixed emotions fear,love,longing.
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4) In what world is the speaker more comfortable?
The world who used to live in it is the country that have migrated to it, which she used to be sad of a small and trivial things, not the grief that she feel it if she lived in her native (Palestine)
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5) How do you know any of the above?
Through my reading of the poem:
when she said:
I'm getting too used to having
A dignity. I'm getting used to not crossing
Checkpoints, I'm getting used to staying out
Late without the fear of a tank barging in, I'm getting used to crying, over little things, like the bus is late,
or the milk has run out.
============================
If Talah Abu Rahmeh were to add one or two lines to the poem at the end, what do you think she would say?
I think she would say :
So do not make me used to be pampered girl
Take me home
Where I should be
Where I must feel as others feel there
Please take me home !