Before our discussion in class I never really thought of the different tools I could use to interpret some go the readings we do for class. Never before have I drawn what I was reading to help get a better picture of the setting that is being drawn out in my head in a story. Also I usually don't prefer to have things read out loud to me, such as audio books. Though this was a different case because the voices chose for each reading was very powerful and helped voiced the emotion in them.
There were very noticeable differences from reading “Kubla Khan” on my own and listening to someone read it. Some of these were the tone, setting, and even the plot. The tone is easily mistakes when you are reading something on your own because on your own you can just use a muted tone. Then when Benedict Cumberbatch read the the piece you can hear what emotion should be felt in certain places throughout the story, also while he is reading it you can her some music in the back ground. The music can also help you see the mood that is being set in that particular instance, especially when it will get louder or even get more distant. I felt when he read it I got a better understanding about what exactly was happening in the story and what the author was intending for the readers to see.
The story of “Ozymandias” was definitely better when read by Bryan Cranston. He has such a powerful voice that helps the reader or listener in this case get a better image of what is trying to be shown. He projects his voice very well while reading it. Especially in certain places when his voice will get louder or even when he will have longer pauses throughout the story for more of a dramatic effect. Another noticeable thing when he is reading are the drums being played in the background. I definitely got a much better understanding of what was trying to be said in the story after he read it, because when reading it on my own I thought it was very short and that there wasn't much going on. Then when listening I almost got goosebumps because his voice was so powerful and I felt like I could perfectly picture the sands being discussed and the idea of the lifeless things.
Overall I think the different tools of reading these kinds of story is beneficiary. Without them I don't feel that I would have quite gotten the full understanding of what was trying to be said in these two stories.
It was definitely refreshing drawing what we heard and listening to the different actors read the poems. I also never thought to draw out what I was reading (mostly because I am not an artist-or creative for that matter) but it was so helpful to have a visual-even if it was vague-of what I was reading. While I was reading “Kubla Khan” I just thought I was reading nonsense; I thought it was just a bunch of incoherent thoughts. However, hearing Cumberbatch’s voice made the poem fantastical and it was pleasing to my ears.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked Bryan Cranston’s reading of the poem “Ozymandias” along with the bass drums in the background. Because of the exercises we did in class I have now decided to search other mediums to help me gain a deeper connection with the poems and to understand them better. I don’t really like having things read to me either, mostly because I like reading to myself, but I do always google pictures to have some sort of a visual. Do you guys ever google pictures or youtube other clips? Have you been drawing for other poems lately? Just wondering if you have thought about or kept trying it lately! I hope you all enjoyed this response!
I agree with all that you said, Mikayla, and also clarkanddavis. You can get goosebumps by listening to a skilled reader interpret a poem, and freeing your associations from the printed page gives you a different sense of the poem.
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