Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Delving Deeper into Metaphor


Shayna: I am really active at night but I can't fall asleep at night so I would rather be nocturnal. I would like to fly. I am falling and getting ready to catch a branch . So the sun is at the top of the paper. 

After the death of the baby squirrels, the children often considered the feelings and thinking of the babies and their family.  They seemed to easily embody these animals and imagine what life was like as a squirrel living in our garden. 

The next few quotes originate from the book I have been referring to recently called A Country Called Childhood  by Jay Griffiths.

"Playing different roles by pretending to be different animals, children are nurturing their own animated selves. They are also practicing  the realization that there are other minds."

We have been thinking about metaphor and the innate ability of  children  to consider the similarities that exit between two unrelated things. They are able to access language in a poetic way that accurately defines the  relationship.

Why the allure of a metaphor?

"Metaphors are prowling round the mind. Wanting to be free of the prosaic single-reference of factual speech and wanting the sheer adventure, the glee of the unfenced world of metaphor, where things are set free of their single meanings, to fly like birds, to skiff like a water boatman."

Why  do children have such an aptitude for metaphors?

"When meeting something new children carry its meaning across from something they already know."

The Provocation

We asked the children to think of a problem that they currently experience. What animal might you become to help you solve this problem or "bump".




 Kate: I would be a butterfly because they are so beautiful and they fly. I like to fly better than walking. Plus my sister always has to make all of the rules and I would just make my own butterfly rules.   Kate the Butterfly soars over Nada's car. Zack: You have to be a caterpillar first Kate and live in a cocoon.

Samuel: I always want to go to Fox and play on the playground but it is locked. If I was a cat I could climb the fence and jump over and play. 




Cal: I am a wildcat and can jump really high and catch some wind.



Bryce: I am a werewolf. I would howl so I could not hear my sister scream and I would scare her when she was screaming at me. But I sorta don't want to be werewolf because they are bald.




Syd: I am a unicorn. I can fly because they have wings. I don't like it when my dad drives to school and I have to listen to my Dad's music and just stare at a seat. If  I could fly to school and land at McDonalds I would land and eat.


Caroline: I am a dolphin and I just swim all day. I wouldn't have to go to school and wear clothes. I would just play with my friends.



Avery: Bats don't have to go to bed and they don't have to get dressed in the morning. I would happy as a bat.




Eve: I would like to be a cat because they can twist their legs and land on their feet. I would never fall if I was a cat. They can jump really high and run really fast.



Charlie: One time I saw a cat video and a cat slid under the cat door. I would like to do that. When I climb trees I don't have to use branches.  I would use claws.


Kenny: I would be a spider because I could spin a big web and capture bees. I was stung by two bees this year.  (perhaps some revenge)
Annabel: You could suck their blood.
Kenny: Spiders dont suck blood they such the insides out of the insects. 


Julia: I don't like to pick up my room. If I had tentacles it would be easy to pick up my room.

Zoey: Yeah but if you had tentacles all your stuff would stick to the suction cups and your mom would have to pull it off.

Later Julia said: If I was an octopus I could use my suction cups to climb up our refrigerator and eat the cookies at the top of the refrigerator.



Zack: I would be a black bat and I would fly and be awake at night and eat flies unless I was a fruit bat. I could hang upside down from the top of trees.  I have a hard time going to sleep


Scarlett: I am a dragon and I would swish my tail and whoosh down on my enemies. I would always be safe.



Zoey: I want to be a kitty. I like to cuddle and I could just rub myself whenever I want. I would be cute, defenseless and fuzzy and soft. 


Penelope: Dolphins jump and drink and swim and eat. They go in the sea and never go to school or wear clothes. This would be great to be a dolphin.


Annabel: I want to fly up into the clouds. I don't like to walk because it is so tiring. I would play in the clouds. I would want to be either a falcon or a bald eagle.

Lorelai: I could run faster than I run now and get things that I want to eat. I can't eat when I want to now.


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