I showed y'all this full page add that I found in The Citizen that was produced by Enbridge but I wanted to share it blog style as well. It is an interesting tactic use by large corporations to use marketing gimmicks such as this to appeal to the ignorant. I don't mean ignorant in a rude way, I mean it in it's literal sense (to people that just don't know). For anyone that doesn't understand the complexities of the potential negative effects of the Enbridge pipeline, they would not know the hypocrisy of this ad. This ad precisely describes the beauty of the ocean that this pipeline would potentially destroy and odds are that it will one day. This could be one of those pieces that could be used to teach students to look and think critically about what media portrays. These ads must be effective because a full-page spread in a newspaper is not cheap!
Emma found a counter-poem to this one and sent it to me:
The Ocean --
Vast. Dying.
We thought it was limitless.Deceiving
The life that dwells there is not on vacation,
Has no other home.
No gateway to swim to greener waters.
Is an ocean without life an ocean
Always?
Wow, I love the juxtaposition of those two pieces. The first calls for a beautiful ocean used as a gateway, while the second reminds us that the ocean is not just a gateway. Oh, and I love that the second poem actually uses the term gateway, as though it is referring specifically to the pipeline (which it may be?... Is it a rebuttal poem?)
ReplyDeleteI also like your point about ignorance and how you clarified it not to be an insult. My sister and I use to debate the pipeline, I was against it, and she thought it was alright. However, after a year and a half of university (studying biochemistry), she no longer supported it. It is important to be informed in order to make sound decisions about Canada's future!
Can I ask if you wrote the second poem? You don't have to answer, but if you did, it's really impressive. It reminds me of a poem I wrote a couple years ago about my frustrations with our society. I think it's about time I posted it.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your bringing this use of art to persuade to our attention in class. Now, looking back, I am intrigued with the justaposition of the two poems, as Michael is. I've been looking at books and websites about poems for two voices. Wouldn't it be neat to arrange these into a poem for two voices, that could be read or performed dramatically? It would be a great way to introduce the whole idea of point of view, and how different experiences bring people to different viewpoints.
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