Today was the anniversary of Tupac Shukur's death. He was 25 then; today he would have been 41. The poem we read from Rose looked at solitude. We had an extended conversation about solitude and compared that with loneliness and isolation. We then read the poem, "In the Depths of Solitude, Dedicated to Me" (5). Students reflected on the poem and then were instructed to find supporting evidence for their claim or argument in Holler: Childhood Chains.
Post the freewrite here. Yes, I know it's late, so if you don't get to it until after class that's fine. We spoke about SPHE and most students turned their essays in electronically today. Students gave me the peer review sheets and proofreading sheets as well.
Pidd is review, almost self-paced but not really, since there is a schedule. Nseke and Edwin are available to help students who need it, so don't feel shy ask for help if you need it.
If students want the peer review sheets for the other essays, they will have to request them. Thursdays are a good day to do this, as they are in A-232.
Homework is to continue doing the exercises in Pidd and keep reading Dyson. Tomorrow we'll develop a character profile for Tupac and his mother. In your reading log list references Dyson makes to writers and artists and other people who remind the author of Tupac or people who shaped the young man's life. Test yourself. How many references do you know?
You can ask questions in your log for the class to ponder. We might know the answer, we might not (smile).
Thursday students will write a short essay in class based on a theme taken from Holler. Tomorrow bring in questions, if any from Pidd. We'll go over the answers to some of the exercises. This section is not easy, especially pronoun agreement.
We'll go over the essay on Thursday. I'll give you the quiz Thursday as well. You will have a short cyber-writing assignment this weekend, a three paragraph essay taking its topic from the third chapter in Holler.
Post the freewrite here. Yes, I know it's late, so if you don't get to it until after class that's fine. We spoke about SPHE and most students turned their essays in electronically today. Students gave me the peer review sheets and proofreading sheets as well.
Pidd is review, almost self-paced but not really, since there is a schedule. Nseke and Edwin are available to help students who need it, so don't feel shy ask for help if you need it.
If students want the peer review sheets for the other essays, they will have to request them. Thursdays are a good day to do this, as they are in A-232.
Homework is to continue doing the exercises in Pidd and keep reading Dyson. Tomorrow we'll develop a character profile for Tupac and his mother. In your reading log list references Dyson makes to writers and artists and other people who remind the author of Tupac or people who shaped the young man's life. Test yourself. How many references do you know?
You can ask questions in your log for the class to ponder. We might know the answer, we might not (smile).
Thursday students will write a short essay in class based on a theme taken from Holler. Tomorrow bring in questions, if any from Pidd. We'll go over the answers to some of the exercises. This section is not easy, especially pronoun agreement.
We'll go over the essay on Thursday. I'll give you the quiz Thursday as well. You will have a short cyber-writing assignment this weekend, a three paragraph essay taking its topic from the third chapter in Holler.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 10:42 PM
23 Comments:
Javier Flores
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11-11:50am
14 Wednesday 2011
Solitude free write
In the poem the depths of solitude, there seems to be a theme of dual personality. Tupac writes about the two inside of him. In holler if you hear me by Dyson he states that Pac struggled with the concepts of thug life and revolutionary. Pac was a smart man who wanted change in the world and change in his personal life. I believe this double persona of his caused Pac to sometimes feel alone. This feeling of alone, could be the reason he might have isolated himself at times.
Jessika Highsmith
Professor Wonda Safir
English 1A
13 September 2011
In the Depths of Solitude Free write....
To exist in a state of solitude is to be in a state being alone. In isolation. I feel like he wrote this poem when he felt alone in the world. "trying to find peace of mind,and still preserve my soul", said to me I'm out here in the world and i'm sorrounded by temptation and I'm trying to keep myself at peace.He was in a place an time in his life where there was no peace,no sanity. He felt alone and still was in the presents of other.He was yearning for respect of other for his talents but was never understood. "The duo inside of me", said to me that he was fighting with himself,alternating from the good to the bad. Eventhought his messages wheren't always conducted in an ordinary fashion,"simplicity". The main point of veiw was the message he was relayed
In Dyson's "Holler if you hear me", he reliects some parts of the poem also on page 49 second paragraph.. and also page 51 starting at "Tupac knows that taking critical inventorys...
Melody Webster
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A
14 September 2011
Response to "In the Depths of Solitude."
Solitude is the state of being alone. Tupac feels that he is in "the depths of solitude" because of his inner struggles, and the duality that conflicted him. He does not know how to balance himself, being a "young heart" and an "old soul." His view on his duality is expressed, "Two learn and live twice as fast as those who accept simplicity." He cannot lead a simple life, because he challenges everything he is exposed to or observes. The nature of how Afeni raised him, as Dyson comments on in the chapter "Dear Mama," gives him the innate ability to challenge what he sees right. This inability to accept simplicity is apart of what brings him to solitude.
Kyle Tay
Professor Sabir
English 1A
14 September 2011
"In the Depths of Solitude" Freewrite
Tupac sits in confinement as he thinks ponders about his life and goals. He wants to achieve enlightenment and acceptance. Could this be from a personal perspective or from a social and mainstream standpoint? Possibly both, do to his dual nature. Tupac suggest that he is "a young heart with an old soul." Perhaps he identifies himself as an experienced idealist and philosopher, yet is romantically unexperienced. Tupac makes referance to his dual personality and percieves it to be an advantage and disadvantage over his peers. He also makes an ironic statement, "How can I be in the depths of solitude when there are two inside me", referring to the fact that he feels mentally confined, yet is constantly accompanied by his dual train of thoughts.
Quincy Taylor
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11- 11:50 am
13 September 2011
In the Depths of Solitude
This poem is so great. Off the bat I loved the way he drew an eye, instead of using the word “I”. metaphorically speaking about him. One thing that stuck out to me is where he writes “from all receive respect never comprising but sometimes risky”. What that is saying to me is that through his music he trying to get respect for him and all the people that he cares about; and it’s hard trying to get respect when you don’t know how are you have tried everything you possibly can.
Stephanie Kiick
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11:00-11:50AM
14 September 2011
Free write for “A Rose That Grew From Concrete” With Michael Dyson Support
“In the Depths pf Solitude”: (09/13/2011)
The poem “In the Depths of Solitude Dedicated to Me” written by Tupac Shakur, embraces a struggle that most people address in their young-adult life. Shakur analyzes the honest feeling of maturity. The poem potently explains the lost feeling and contradictions that challenge most young-adults. Skakur states, “...Trying 2 find peace of mind and still preserve my soul/CONSTANTLY yearning to 2 be accepted...” (5).He bluntly addresses the confusion and ignorance of people finding who they really are in a chaotic world. A section of the poem “In the Depths of Solitude” that really portrayed the contradictions that represented Shakur was the last section. He states, “This Duo within me causes/the perfect opportunity 2 learn and live twice as fast/as those who accept simplicity,” (5).This section of the poem completely captures Shakur's awareness to me. Tupac Shakur embraces and sometimes despised the contradictions that define and built him. He is sure of who he is himself, but still trying to find himself in the world around him. The dual outlook Shakur gained was both an advantage and disadvantage to him. One part of him was constantly gaining knowledge and addressing issues, while the other part was “yearning 2 be accepted,” (5). Tupac Shakur scholar, Michael Eric Dyson, PhD, says: “To borrow W.E.B. DuBois's notion of dual consciousness, in Tupac two warring ideals were (w)rapped in one dark body,” (49).
“Life Through My Eyes” : (09/14/2011)
Anyone who has heard a little of Tupac Shakur's music or learned a little about Tupac Shakur himself obviously knows he went through tremendous amounts of pain. His pain broke him down sometimes but built him up most times. In the poem “Life Through My Eyes” he reflects on the types of surroundings he lived in, the pain it brought, and the positives it would being him.Anyone who has lived a very rough childhood and came out a better person because of it, still has moments of utter pain because of their past. The talent that separates Tupac from everyone else is his ability to announce his struggles in order to address societies issues. Take for instance this line: “[I live in] poverty, murder, violence/and never a moment 2 rest”(11). This gives us a glimpse into the huge amounts of negatives Shakur watched and experienced in his life. He refers to the fun times as “gold”(11). Shakur, no doubt, went through an indescribable amount of pain in his twenty-five years, but expresses the outcome as a positive. Shakur was aware of what a tough life was like; his purpose was then to use it positively and try to make others aware. He finishes the poem “Life Through My Eyes” with this: “my heart will not exist/unless my destiny comes through/and puts an end 2 all of this”(11). Tupac Shakur scholar, Michael Eric Dyson, PhD, says: “As it turns out, this story is vintage Tupac: glossing his personal story as a reflection of social injustice; showing an impeccable sense of vocational priority; drawing on the stylish machismo of pop culture to make a point; countering authority with dramatic gestures of defiance; linking the question of respect to morality; highlighting, perhaps even exaggerating, the degree of emotional injury to justify rebellion; and transfiguring a blasé occurrence into charged theater through superb thespian instincts. Even here Tupac sees the advantage of his mother's political experience”(52).
Jonathan Swan
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11-11:50am
14 Wednesday 2011
"In the Depths of Solitude, Dedicated 2 Me" freewrite
In Tupac Shakur's "In the Depths of Solitude, Dedicated 2 Me" he discusses his conflicting life, with one part of him searching for something and the other searching for something else. He "exist[s] in the depths of solitude" but this doesn't seem to be a detriment to him, since he is "pondering [his] true goal" (5). His conflicting sides are keeping him from finding his "peace of mind" since he is also trying to preserve [his] soul" (5). He seems to be trying to be accepted, and respected for simply being himself, and thus he never compromises. But, perhaps that's exactly what his dilemma is, people won't accept him as is, but he won't change so he is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Dyson supports this claim when he "[borrows] W.E.B. DuBois's notion of dual consciousness, [Tupac's] two warring ideals were (w)rapped in one dark body" (49).
***
"Sometimes I Cry" freewrite
Another testament to Tupac Shakur's emotional distress, his poem "Sometimes I Cry" illustrates the pain that he feels, as well as additional pain that he felt because no one cared about his initial pain. In this poem, I see someone who is lost and confused, almost as if he didn't know how to trust his emotions with other people, since "when [he is] alone" he cries "because [he's] on his own" (5). Although from the poem alone, I cannot tell what the source of his pain is, a large portion of his pain is simply because "no one cares why" (5).
Sean Newton
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11:00-11:50AM
14 September 2011
Tupac Shakur's "In the depths of Solitude" is very deep and confusing poem. Tupac talks about two conflicting sides withinhim self, one a "young heart" and one an "old soul". He compares these two and comes to the conclusion that it's better to have two lives, two sets of minds, rather than one. By having two sides within him, he can fortify and strengthen himself in both body and mind. I can understand where he's coming from because once in high school I had two sides to myself. No I wasn't crazy, just an act I'd perform all the time and then the real me. I won't go into detail about all of that, but after I was through with that I felt like I did learn and grow faster as opposed to if I didn't put on this act I did. Yes, I can definitely see where Shakur is coming from in his poem.
Marena Perez
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11 –11:50AM
14 September 2011
“In the Depths of Solitude, Dedicate to me” Freewrite
In Tupac Shakur’s poem he acknowledges his choice of isolation and reflects on his ambition to find inner peace but keep his passion. So quoted on the first two lines, “I exist in the depths of solitude/pondering my true goal/trying to find peace of mind/and still preserve my soul.” He reveals that he is in constant need of recognition and admiration. He divulges that he has a dual personality and there seems to be a constant battle within himself. He values this “duo” but finds no harmony with the two. Though the ferocity of both gives him life and knowledge it is still hard to grasp tranquility.
Tupac Shakur scholar Dr. Michael Eric Dyson supports Tupac’s duality. Chapter 2 has many verifications of the subject. The most poignant I find are on pages 49, 62, and 64. Page 49 was quoted previously during our lecture but 62 and 64 shall be highlighted.
Block Quote: Dyson quotes Al Sharpton p. 62
“’Tupac was very conflicted,’ Sharpton told me. He wanted to be honest to his radical past, but ‘at the same time, he wanted to be commercially successful.’”
Block Quote: p 64
“It cannot be said that Tupac bore the burden of his heritage with grace. He sported his pedigree in reckless pride. At the same time, he claimed his place in hip-hop in a fashion that seemed to reject the political utility of revolution.”
“Sometimes I cry” Freewrite
In Tupac Shakur’s poem “Sometimes I cry” he contemplates on his tears of loneliness. He explains that when he is alone he weeps for he has no one. His tears are vital but are not a refuge. They are only remnants of his despair as quoted, “The tears I cry are bitter and warm/they flow with life but take no form.” He weighs on the fact that not only is he in pain and if he had a confidant it would not be so distressing. However, bitterly he adds that there is no one to share his pain. Individuals are moving constantly with the world and have no time to even acknowledge his agony. No one stops to ask him why he is in pain.
Block Quote: Tupac Shakur scholar MED, PHD. Says p.40
“It was an abandonment that deeply affected Tupac, spurring him to create brilliant art and to cry out for attention with his own brand of chaotic, self-destructive behavior. “
Block Quote: Tupac Shakur scholar MED, PHD. Says p.75
“By his own admission, he was an outsider, especially since he couldn’t play basketball, he dressed like a hippie, he was a target of street gangs, he wrote poetry, and he secretly loathed himself.”
Marena Perez
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11 –11:50AM
14 September 2011
“In the Depths of Solitude, Dedicate to me” Freewrite
In Tupac Shakur’s poem he acknowledges his choice of isolation and reflects on his ambition to find inner peace but keep his passion. So quoted on the first two lines, “I exist in the depths of solitude/pondering my true goal/trying to find peace of mind/and still preserve my soul.” He reveals that he is in constant need of recognition and admiration. He divulges that he has a dual personality and there seems to be a constant battle within himself. He values this “duo” but finds no harmony with the two. Though the ferocity of both gives him life and knowledge it is still hard to grasp tranquility.
Tupac Shakur scholar Dr. Michael Eric Dyson supports Tupac’s duality. Chapter 2 has many verifications of the subject. The most poignant I find are on pages 49, 62, and 64. Page 49 was quoted previously during our lecture but 62 and 64 shall be highlighted.
Block Quote: Dyson quotes Al Sharpton p. 62
“’Tupac was very conflicted,’ Sharpton told me. He wanted to be honest to his radical past, but ‘at the same time, he wanted to be commercially successful.’”
Block Quote: p 64
“It cannot be said that Tupac bore the burden of his heritage with grace. He sported his pedigree in reckless pride. At the same time, he claimed his place in hip-hop in a fashion that seemed to reject the political utility of revolution.”
“Sometimes I cry” Freewrite
In Tupac Shakur’s poem “Sometimes I cry” he contemplates on his tears of loneliness. He explains that when he is alone he weeps for he has no one. His tears are vital but are not a refuge. They are only remnants of his despair as quoted, “The tears I cry are bitter and warm/they flow with life but take no form.” He weighs on the fact that not only is he in pain and if he had a confidant it would not be so distressing. However, bitterly he adds that there is no one to share his pain. Individuals are moving constantly with the world and have no time to even acknowledge his agony. No one stops to ask him why he is in pain.
Block Quote: Tupac Shakur scholar MED, PHD. Says p.40
“It was an abandonment that deeply affected Tupac, spurring him to create brilliant art and to cry out for attention with his own brand of chaotic, self-destructive behavior. “
Block Quote: Tupac Shakur scholar MED, PHD. Says p.75
“By his own admission, he was an outsider, especially since he couldn’t play basketball, he dressed like a hippie, he was a target of street gangs, he wrote poetry, and he secretly loathed himself.”
Tori Coleman
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11:00-11:50
13 September 2011
Free Write: “In the Depth of Solitude, Dedicated to me”
In the Depth of Solitude, Dedicated to me, by Tupac Shakur is a heartfelt poem that connects the ideas of solitude and loneliness. The poem speaks of striving to be accepted and to reach peace with one self and yet constantly struggling with two separate feelings. Tupac feels as if he is two different people trapped in one body. Tupac is a Gemini the twin. Meaning there are split people within himself. He tries to live just one and find peace but both lives are shining through. He wants to be in solitude but can’t seem to ever be alone even when he is by himself.
Tupac Shakur scholar, Michael Eric Dyson has many examples in his book “Holler if You Hear Me” that relates to Tupac’s thoughts of dual personalities. . “The two men who were candidates for fatherhood embodied the choices that Tupac would confront in deciding what image would shape his life and career. Billy Garland was a Black Panther whereas local hood “Legs” was a disciple of Notorious Harlem Gangster Nicky Barnes.” (Dyson 24) These two roles may be interpreted as the two parts or personality Tupac has in his mind. One side of him was a black activist fighting for the good and the other half was a street thug. Both lives and personalities lived within him. He was both people in one body. He could be in solitude and yet never feel alone because within himself he saw the world in both ways.
Free write: “Life through my eyes”
“Life through my eyes by Tupac Shakur is a poem that speaks of the disheartened reality that is Tupac’s life. Tupac speaks about his world as being hard. There are moments that occur spontaneously of happy moments. The moments of happiness and serenity are rare and cherished. However, when those great moments are over, reality hits again. Tupac however would not accept that his reality would stay a constant struggle. He swore that in order to be happy, his reality would be his moments of happiness all the time.
Tupac scholar, Michael Eric Dyson wrote evidence of this in book “Holler if you Hear Me.” In an interview with Big boy. Big boy says, “You know what I like about the dude. He loved everyone, but he always knew he was a strong black man. And he wasn’t afraid to say a lot of stuff that other people wouldn’t say. Others would say ‘I can’t say that’. Not Pac. If you want to get some ones attention you have to say HEY…” “Sometimes you’ve got to scream. You’ve got to snatch their attention. And that’s why his music lives on, that’s why people care- because he made such an impact. It wasn’t that Pac became a star after he passed. Pac was a star from my first hand shake with him; he was a star from the get go. He always commanded attention.” (Dyson 2) These two quotes show evidence that Tupac understood where he started off in life but if given more time he would have excelled to bigger and better places. Tupac was a man before his time and was willing to work hard to get to a place he believed he deserved in order to be happy and satisfied.
Lena Chhit
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11am- 1150am
14 September 2011
Free write Tupac Shakur “In the Depths of Solitude, dedicated to me”
In Tupac Shakur’s poem “In the depths of solitude, dedicated to me” he speaks about the conflicting “duo”(5) personality inside of him. He reflects on the meaning of his purpose while trying to maintain a sense of peace within himself. In the line “pondering my true goal, trying to find peace of mind and still preserve my soul”(5), it suggests he was going through an emotional struggle within and just wants to find a solution without compromising his beliefs. He didn’t want to pick and choose between his “duo”(5) sides. He embraces both as it implies in the line, “this duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to learn and live twice as fast as those who accept simplicity”(5).
Block Quote: Tupac Shakur Scholar, M. E. Dyson PhD interviews Reverend Al Sharpton who says in the book Holler if you Hear me, ““Tupac was very conflicted,” Sharpton told me. He wanted to be honest to his radical past, “but at the same time he wanted to be commercially successful.” Sharpton says that Tupac “never got far away from his commitment because he grew up where people looked at the way [Afeni] had struggled” and reminded him. “ So there was always this balance between thug life and revolutionary life”” (Dyson 62).
Lena Chhit
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1a 11am-1150am
14 September 2011
Response to Free write “In the Depths of Solitude, dedicated to me”
In Marena Perez’s response to Tupac Shakur’s poem “In the Depths of solitude, dedicated to me” she explains how in the poem Tupac accepts his choice to be alone and his struggle stay true to himself. I agree with when she says “He divulges that he has a dual personality and there seems to be a constant battle within himself”. She includes a good reference to the text in Dyson on page 62.
Lena Chhit
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1a 11am-1150am
14 September 2011
Free write, Tupac Shakur’s poem “Sometimes I Cry”
In Tupac Shakur’s poem “Sometimes I cry” he explains how when he is alone he cries. The sadness he feels make it hard for him to continue on. His sadness also makes him lonely because he has no one to turn to. Even though he has friends he feels that they are not going to help him. As it suggest in the line “and I find it difficult to carry on. If I had an ear to confide in I would cry among my treasured friends, but who do you know stops that long to help another carry on”(7) he feels as if people are too caught up or busy with their own lives to worry about anyone other than their selves. In Holler if you hear me, Dyson says “Still, Tupac spies advantage in his mother’s insistence that he shoulder his own load in life”(Dyson 38); he grew up learning that everyone deals with his or her own problems on their own. The belief that we all should carry “our own load” is definitely a sad and lonely feeling.
Lena Chhit
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1a 11am-1150am
14 September 2011
Response to Classmate’s Free write, “Sometimes I Cry”
In response to Tupac Shakur’s poem “Sometimes I Cry”, Jonathan Swan writes that Tupac feels alone and is suffering from an internal pain. I definitely agree with him on this. He also mentions how it isn’t easy to pin point exactly what Tupac’s pain is, but that part of it is because “no one cares why”. Swan says that its “almost as if he didn't know how to trust his emotions with other people” which I think contributes to his own loneliness.
Melody Webster
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A
15 September 2011
"Sometimes I cry" freewrite
In Tupac Shakur's poem, "Sometimes I Cry," he reflects on his poverty-stricken life and inner struggles. "I cry because I'm on my own" (7) this line touches upon his home and life, and his mother's continual absence. Moreover, his inner struggles like the duality of his personality, affect him equally as much. For example "I cry because my heart is torn, and I find it difficult to carry on" (7). Tupac feels that those closest to him cannot even help him with this, nor anyone around him, "I would cry among my treasured friends, but who do you know that stops that long," (7). Furthermore, Tupac discusses that not only who he knows, but the world, is to busy to stop and see what is troubling one's peers, everyone is caught up with themselves. The 12th and 13th line display that, "The world moves fast and it would rather pass you by than to stop and see what makes you cry" (7). As Dyson mentions, "...his mother's insistence that he shoulder his own load of life. 'I'm going to be a little more ready than someone who's grown up in Disney World" (Dyson, 38). However, the burden of completely carrying one's "load" alone can feel depressing and lonely, which is where Tupac's attitude in this song may come from.
Response to Lena Chitt:
In Lena Chitt's "Sometimes I cry" freewrite, I noticed similarities we shared. She writes about how Tupac felt that he was alone in the world, and that many were too busy to be concerned about anyone else. I agree with that statement, and wrote about the same theme in my freewrite. Moreover, when she mentions that the way Afeni raised Tupac to carry his own load in life, I feel that it is one of the best citations in the chapters we have read to capture why he would feel so alone in this world. I also thought her mentioning "the sadness he feels makes it hard for him to continue on," was a good way to describe the emotion that Tupac was trying to convey.
Jesse Pinkney
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11:00AM-11:50AM
15 September 2011
In The Depth of Solitude -Freewrite
Tupac Shakur wrote about being mentally in a space where he felt alone. In this solitude he could think and plan out his future. Shakur writes about his ego and how hard it is to balance his thoughts by never compromising but sometimes being too risky. I believe if it weren’t for his solitude he wouldn’t be sane. He seems to appreciate this space because he doesn’t write about being in fear.
Dyson asked the question: Could Tupac’s dogged strength alone have kept him from being torn asunder? Dyson also wrote that Tupac’s dilemmas, and his failures and triumphs, too, rests in probing the ideals with which he was reared and that shaped his life for better and for worse.
Jesse Pinkney
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1a 11:00AM-11:50AM
15 September 2011
Sometimes I Cry- Free write
Tupac writes about the pain of feeling lonely and not having anyone to turn too to discuss or hear his true feelings. In this poem he writes how he wishes he could confide in someone and how selfish the world is by not having the time or patience to stop and listen to others pain. Tupac writes “The world moves fast and it would rather pass u by than to stop and see what made you cry”. Here he clearly admits to the lack of compassion the world has for those who are in pain. Feeling sad and not having someone ask you what’s wrong or care is what Tupac is writing about.
Javier Flores
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11:00AM-11:50AM
15 September 2011
Sometims I Cry Free Write
Tupac writes about the feeling of being alone and feeling like he cant handle the world at times. He believes he cannot turn to any of his friends.Dyson writes in page 65 of holler if you hear me how being a second generation panther was a burden for Tupac.Tupac obviously had a lot of pressure from poverty, racism and revolutionary thinking which caused him to feel isolated.
Marcel Rollock
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 11 –11:50AM
15 September 2011
“In the Depths of Solitude, Dedicate to me” Free write
It is obvious Tupac Shakur felt isolated from others both physically and mentally. I believe Tupac seeks peace and finds conflict in that goal, because peace is not something that came naturally to him. He wants respect, and likes to live on the edge, this is not peace. Tupac’s mom Afeni was a black revolutionary and the pressure to follow in her footsteps was something that came up often in his youth. Tupac Shakur scholar, Michael Eric Dyson and author of “Holler If You Hear Me”, writes, “That birthright of black nationalism hung over Tupac’s head as both promise and judgment. Some saw him as the benighted successor to Huey, Eldridge, Bobby, and other bright stars of the black subversion (P. 48). “In the Depths of Solitude, Dedicated to me”, the solitude and loneliness Tupac speaks of may be attributed to the pressure he felt from others.
Edwin Peabody
Professor Sabir
English 1A
September 17 2001
In Tupac Shakurs poem, In The Depths Of Solitude, he reflects on his life’s goals as he steps outside of himself. For instance, Tupac writes, “Im trying to find peace of mind and still preserve my soul”. Tupac also states in his poem, “He has a young heart with an old soul”. In this line it seem as though Tupac has a conflict between his protagonist young heart and his old soul. Tupac stands out in this poem as a young black male who has grown up too fast and has experienced more struggles than what the average young male has experienced. On page 38 of Holler If You Hear Me, Dyson mentions that Tupac believed that his upbringing would prepare him to cope with life far better than the pampered youth who were spared hardship and struggle.
Daniel Gargantilla
Professor Sabir
English 1A 11-11:50
18 September 2011
"In the Depths of Solitude"
Tupac's poem "In the Depths of Solitude" is about how he percieves himself as a person. Tupac admits that he has a dual persona, and with that he can live twice as fast. I noticed that he uses the number 2 to represent every "to". I found that interesting because it follows the theme of the poem. I feel that this poem describes Tupac perfectly because he was multi-dimensional and having these different personalities is what made Tupac so unique. On page 49 of Holler if You Hear Me Dyson mentions that, "In Tupac two warring ideals were (w)rapped in one darkbody." The connection between how Tupac viewed himself and how dyson viewed Tupac was parellel.
Joe Kempel
Professor Sabir
English 1A
19 September 2011
In the Depths of Solitude
Tupac uses his time in solitude to think about his life and goals. He realizes he wants to first be accepted and the be respected. However, he doesn't want it to come at the cost of his soul. This likely means he doesn't want to be forced to make any immoral decisions in his professional career. His refusal to cut corners might have slowed down his message getting out and that is his only regret. His true goal persists as his soul remains uncompromisable.
He also feels that he has something others don't. He has something in him that makes him seek out more knowledge. To Tupac, simplicity is like settling for less. This carries over into his lyrics where he references both current and past events.
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