Notes 2 & 3

Note #2

In Cassavete’s The Notebook, pauses of apparent unease and nervousness ripple through Noah and Allie’s last conversation. A twinge of fear and discomfort wrinkle on Noah’s face when he thinks he may be losing his love, Allie. Allie’s half distant mind still remembers her true love, asking “do you think our love can take us away together?” The coming-to of Allie’s memories makes Noah stick around, longing for his love to come back to full awareness. The twinkle in Allie’s eye show apprehension, and Noah addresses her concerns with a soft, gentle kiss. Noah’s kiss acts a symbol of promises and faithfulness to the one he loves. His last words are half cheesy and half hopeful, when he tells his love “I’ll be seeing ya.” Although the lovers are aware of their old age, their ever lasting admiration for one another portrays the feeling of comfort as they prepare to take on a new life.  

Note #3 

  

They Don't Understand

© Emily J. Taylor

I'm confused about life
it seems like no one understands me
especially my parents
they try to run my life
but they don't understand
my life's my own to run
they can't run it
it seems we live in two different worlds
at two different times
they should know no matter how much
they try to control my life
I'll always rebel
I don't care about the punishment
because they can't take away my
freedom, hope, dreams, memories 
and people I love ever.
I wish they would understand
they never had to go through
the problems us teens are going through now
they would never understand
back then there weren't so many problems us
teens face now
they just simply don't understand
us teens

The informal, straightforward diction used in Emily J. Taylor’s poem They Don’t Understand depicts the average teenager’s struggle for independence. The matter-of-factness, to-the-point articulation the writer uses sends off a common feeing of aloneness in a way that “no one understands me/Especially my parents.” The writer argues “no matter how much/They try to control my life/I’ll always rebel” explaining “I don’t care about the punishment/ Because they can’t take away my/ freedom, hope, dreams, memories/ and people I ever love.” The drive to be an individual is shown throughout the poem, especially when the speaker explains “the problems us teens are going through now/they would ever understand/back then there weren’t so many problems us/ teens face now.” The ever-revolving cycle of growing up with feelings of seclusion and stubbornness create a mood that any teenager can relate to.