We+Are+More

=Assignment: Describe what the poem means to you. Discuss the use of metaphor to create analogies in the mind of the listener. How does the impact of this poem change when you hear it as apposed to reading it? Use specific examples from the text. =

The poem "We Are More" by Shane Koyczan was a very powerful piece of work. It impacted millions of people around the world, and most likely changed the way they viewed Canada as a country. It started off by listing various "Canada' stereotypes; for example hockey, fishing, and being polite ("And some say what defines us, is as simple as 'please' and 'thank-you'") and then going on to say how Canadians are really more than that. He says that we are ambitious, ("Some call our ambition an industry") multicultural ("We are cultures strung together then woven into a tapestry"), and "An experiment going right for a change". The poem was very powerful in the way it was written- Koyczan used many metaphors comparing Canada to all of our greatest aspects ("We are the true North strong and free"). Because of the way it drew people in, it was perfect for the opening of the olympic games. I think it probably changed the way many people think of Canadians because of the powerful way in which he presented it. Myself, I am not at all a fan of slam poetry, so it didn't impact me as much hearing it as it did reading it, which I think is different from many other people. What it means to me is purely a justification of my country- if it gets the United States to shut up about how pathetic we are, then that's great. I appreciated the words, and found most of them intriguing (even though I originally thought that ''the little No. 9" was a new type of pencil...). I liked the comparisons Koyczan made about Canada- "We are the brightness of Chinatown and the laughter of Little Italy" and "We are first rate greasy-spoon diners and healthy living cafés". I think for many people the impact of the poem would be magnified hearing it, because of the dominance with which he performs it.

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