About the writer Shel Silver
Shel
Silver (1930-1999) was
born in America. He is one of the influential poets. Besides, he is also known
as a musician, screenwriter, and author of children's books. He claims that his
styles of poems are his own creation.
Summary of the poem Invitation
In this poem Invitation, the poet as a speaker invites people to come to his house. The reason for inviting people is that he has got 'Flax Golden Tales' to share with them. He particularly invites a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, and a pretender to come in, sit beside his fire, and spin "Flax Golden Tales". The poem appeals to us for reading and telling stories in particular. Thus, the poet believes that storytelling entertains people of different types like a dreamer, a pretender, and a wisher.
Application of the poem Invitation in Four Levels
i. Literal Comprehension
Shel
Silverstein is an American poet, born in 1930. The poem 'Invitation' is one of
the popular and influential works by Silverstein. The poet assumes that
everybody is gifted with imagination so that they can join the poet near the
fire of creativity. Then, they can spin/make the 'Flax Golden Tales' being
together. However, the poet invites all people without considering their
interests, attitudes, qualification, and behaviors just for making the 'Flax
Golden Tales’.
ii. Interpretation
The
poem highlights people's imagination to carry out any action in day-to-day
life. Similarly, it encourages its readers to use their imagination for
building up Flax-Golden Tales without considering their wishing and even
hoping. So, the right use of imagination with creativity makes everyone
cheerful, peaceful, and progressive improving their weaknesses or wrong
assumptions in each action. This poem tries to make all people united for the
new action to perform too.
iii. Critical Thinking
The
poem is very much interesting. It teaches us to explore our imagination being
all people together. It also motivates all readers to use their imagination.
Those are the positive points of the poem consists of. However, the poem does
have some weak points, too. It means the poet does not consider the fact that
if Flax- Golden Tales were made by liars and pretenders, then, it would
misguide or cheat the readers. Therefore, it would be better if the tales are
made by the right people in terms of behavior, attitudes, and manners to guide
the readers/people in the right way.
iv. Assimilation
I
am highly impressed by this poem. It has touched my earlier life. This poem
makes me remember the pastness of my life when I used to tell and listen to the
tales with my close friends. In fact, the formation of 'Flax Golden Tales' as a
literary creation is a wonderful work that pleases everyone's mind and heart.
The poem and its title are so persuasive that it always invites all people to
be together and weave the tales using their creative imagination.
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5. About the Four Levels of Application in Literary Text
i. Literal Comprehension
Literal comprehension is one of
the significant levels readers make the interaction with the text they consult.
At this level, proficient readers are supposed to consider the following points:
Context:- It
is good, to begin with, the contextual framework of the text; for example;
social, historical, political, religious, educational, etc.
Writer:- Along
with the context, readers should consider the writer of the text. It is said
that a writer lives forever by writing the text and readers always keep on
interacting with the writer even in his/her absence.
Setting:- Good
readers are supposed to have the crystal information of the setting. It means setting
tells them the place and time of the events happened."
Plot:- Plot
provides the information of the description of, events. Therefore, readers are
required to retell the plot in their own words as far as possible in novels,
short stories, poems, and dramas. In addition, literal comprehension often
implies the ability of the readers to restate the argument in an essay.
ii. Interpretation
Interpretation
is the matter of understanding the text by the reader. Since the understanding
of the text differs from individual to individual, so is the interpretation.
However, at this level, readers are supposed to express the central ideas
indirectly in both literary and non-literary texts like stories, poems, dramas,
essays, etc. In addition, they need to go beyond the context that the writer
has addressed in the text.
iii. Critical Thinking
At
this level, the reader tries to be clear and objective in each and every text
so that he/she can establish a good interaction with the text. He/she is to
distinguish the particular issues and make criticism with weak and good
aspects. Similarly, readers are required to use their creative minds to
question those controversial subject matters with their logic. In short,
objective evaluation and fair criticism of each aspect of the text, both
literary and non-literary, by the reader is preferred.
iii. Assimilation
Assimilation
means to take information or ideas from the text that the reader has gone with.
At this level, the reader supplies the ideas that he learns from the text into
his own life. Furthermore, the text might influence, affect and touch to change
the reader's ways of looking at the world. Therefore, every reader should try
to answer the following questions while making interaction with the text:
• What is the significance of
this text for me?
• What is the meaning of the
text for me?
• Can text help me understand
anything I didn't understand before?
• Is there any significance and
difference between the present text with other texts that I have already read?
• Does this text suggest some
connections that I have never perceived before?
In
conclusion, reading well is an art. Good readers always read the texts, explore
the horizons of their minds, and use their potential. Similarly, they are
encouraged to apply the four levels mentioned above simultaneously, interwoven,
and spontaneously.