Task 4 - Listen to the poem again. How does starting with the last line change the meaning? Which version of the poem do you agree with more? - SHS Friends Global 11 page 87

1. Nội dung câu hỏi

The Lost Generation

by Jonathan Reed

I am part of a lost generation.

And I refuse to believe that

I can change the world.

I realize this may be a shock, but

'Happiness comes from within'

Is a lie, and

'Money will make me happy'

So in 30 years, I will tell my children

They are not the most important thing in my life.

My employer will know that

I have my priorities straight because

Work

Is more important than

Family

I tell you this:

Once upon a time

Families stayed together

But this will not be true in my era.

This is a quick fix society

Experts tell me

Thirty years from now, I will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of my divorce.

I do not concede that

I will live in a country of my own making.

In the future,

Environmental destruction will be the norm.

No longer can it be said that

My peers and I care about this Earth.

It will be evident that

My generation is apathetic and lethargic.

It is foolish to presume that

There is hope.

And all of this will come true unless we reverse it.

2. Phương pháp giải

Nghe lại bài thơ. Bắt đầu với dòng cuối cùng thay đổi ý nghĩa như thế nào? Bạn đồng ý với phiên bản nào của bài thơ hơn?

3. Lời giải chi tiết

Starting the poem with the last line, "And all of this will come true unless we reverse it," changes the meaning of the poem in a few ways. First, it makes the poem more urgent and cautionary. The poet is no longer simply describing a possible future, but warning the reader that this future will become

reality if we do not take action.

Second, starting with the last line also makes the poem more hopeful. It suggests that the poet believes that we can change our future if we try. The poem is not a prophecy of doom, but a call to action.

I agree with the version of the poem that starts with the last line more. I think it is a more powerful and effective poem. It is more likely to stay with the reader and make them think about the future of our world.