The beginning of an annotated bibliography

Experiment 3: Poem

Clark, John Lee. “Melodies Unheard.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry

Foundation, 30 Oct. 2005, www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/articles/68287/melodies-unheard.

In this article, John Lee Clark dives into deaf poets and deaf poetry. In the beginning, Clark discusses the history of deafness in poetry. In the early days, deaf poets were discouraged and discriminated against. Clark uses Laura C. Redden’s analogy of a bird with a broken wing to explain the ridiculousness of such discrimination. A bird with a crippled wing can still sing just as sweetly as one with working wings, and it is the same for a hearing poet and a deaf poet. The article then explores just how important deafness is to deaf poets’ work- “a prism through which those who have never imagined life without sound can see the world in a whole new light.”

I was really inspired by this article; it really warmed my heart to read John Lee Clark’s impassioned writing that spoke on behalf of deaf people. Not only that, but I was in awe of the poems that were included that were written by deaf poets. After reading the article, I quickly linked it to my own work and my experiment because, like Clark, I want to speak on behalf of a group of people with which I don’t personally identify but truly care about. I am so encouraged by Clark’s words and loving tone, along with extensive research about the topic.

Bible: New International Version. Hodder & Stoughton, 2011.

In a recent bible study, I read a bible verse- Proverbs 31:8-10. It reads: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

I love this verse, and I love that I read it while I was working on this experiment. I have never been highly involved in politics or current issues, but when I started working with people with special needs, I knew that I found a topic I was passionate about. Not only have I found friendships and heroes, but I have also found people that I want to pour my heart and soul into protecting and loving and motivating. This verse reminds me just how important my work is. It is especially encouraging because my experiment specifically is working to provide a voice for the three year olds with autism that I spent time with in my psychology class, and the bible tells me specifically to speak up for them. I couldn’t imagine doing anything more important.

“Boy with Autism's Beautiful and Personal Poem Goes Viral.” Autism Speaks, Autism Speaks

Inc, 13 Apr. 2016, www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2016/04/13/boy-autisms-beautiful-and- personal-poem-goes-viral.

This article from autismspeaks.org depicts the poem written by a 10 year old boy with high functioning autism. His poem discusses his feelings toward life and toward other people as he experiences the daily struggles and joys of living with autism.

This was such a cool poem for me to read because I used to work with a student with autism in her english class. Reading this young man’s poem took me back to that year and how challenging it was to get her to do her work, but how satisfying it was to watch her succeed and find joy in school. Unfortunately, living with autism means dealing with a lot of challenges, many of them related to other people. Reading this poem gave me a direct look inside the mind of a child with autism and helped me understand what it might be like for people on the spectrum to live.