Slam+Poetry

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 * Totally like whatever you know**

In case you hadn't noticed, it has somehow become uncool to sound like you know what you're talking about? Or believe strongly in what you're saying? Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know?)'s have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences? Even when those sentences aren't, like, questions? You know?

Declarative sentences — so-called because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true as opposed to other things which were, like, not - have been infected by a totally hip and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know? Like, don't think I'm uncool just because I've noticed this; this is just like the word on the street, you know? It's like what I've heard? I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay? <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">I'm just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">What has happened to our conviction? <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">Where are the limbs out on which we once walked? <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">Have they been, like, chopped down <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">with the rest of the rain forest? <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">Or do we have, like, nothing to say? <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">Has society become so, like, totally... <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">I mean absolutely... You know? <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">That we've just gotten to the point where it's just, like... <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">whatever!

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">And so actually our disarticulation... ness <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">is just a clever sort of... thing <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">to disguise the fact that we've become <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">the most aggressively inarticulate generation <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">to come along since... <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">you know, a long, long time ago!

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you, <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">I challenge you: To speak with conviction. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">the determination with which you believe it. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker, <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">it is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 0.85em;">You have to speak with it, too.

The first thing that had gotten my attention about this poem was the title. Totally, like, whatever, you know are slang words often used by teenagers, which made me wonder why such words would be used in a poem. As I listened to Taylor Mali reciting the poem, I became even more interesting in it. I've noticed the poem not only contains humor but also a deep meaning within it .The poem makes people think back and realize how careless they had been with words and how the society has affected them to be that way. The poem was very special to me and it really moved my heart because I am also one of the teenagers who use the meaningless words a lot. The poem taught me a great lesson of the use of words and these are the reasons why I picked this poem.

**<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">1) Identify key words & phrases (poem analysis) **

__The key words are__: Totally, like, whatever, you know, conviction, question, uncertainty, inarticulate, disarticulation...ness

__The key phrases are__: - It has somehow become uncool to sound like you know what you're talking about? or believe strongly in what you're saying? - What has happened to our conviction? Where are the limbs out on which we once walked ? - I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you, I challenge you: To speak with conviction. - And so actually our disarticulation...ness is just a clever sort of... thing to disguise the fact that we've become the most aggressively inarticulate generation

**<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">2) Poetic Devices **

Rhyme & Rhythm :- Mali ends most of the stanzas with question marks. - //" I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you, I challenge you"// ( there is a sense of rhythm in this phrase)

Metaphor: - "Where are the limbs out on which we once walked?" ( limbs are being compared to the numerous processes we once went through to be able to speak in conviction)

Simile: -//"This is just **like** the word on the street"// (This is a simile because the word "like" is being used to relate two things)

Repetition: //-a long, long time ago// ( word "long" is being repeated.) -"you know" is used numerous times. ( "//<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Even when those sentences aren't, like, questions? **You know?** "/ "and tragically cool interrogative tone? **You know?** "/ // //<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"> " I mean absolutely... **You know?** // ") - //" **I** entreat **you**, **I** implore **you**, **I** exhort **you**, **I** challenge **you**"// (the word "I" and "you" are being repeated.)

Personification: //-" Invisible question marks and parenthetical have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences."// ( This is a personification because question marks and parenthetical can't actually attach themselves to to the ends of sentences.) //-"...wisdom of the bumper sticker..."// ( Bumper sticker does not actually have wisdom)

<span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Oxymoron : //<span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">"...tragically cool..." //( tragic means mournful, distressing, unfortunate... whereas cool means awesome, great, fabulous...)

**<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">3) Theme **

The overall theme of the poem is to speak with conviction. Mali thinks, people these days use meaningless words that do not clear up or speak out our thoughts. He blames the society for it had influenced us to become that way; we are unsure and uncertain of what we say and what we do.