Halloween growls, grows so near and near
Masses gathered so anxious to fear
Insanity's up again back in hype
Demons and dwarves all in different type
Vicious vampires or devilish witch
Scaring children, scar face and the stitch
So party down and smoke, get drunk like dogs
Go savage in gowns, like Gogs and Magogs
Everyone ready, rumble in the ring
All ready to get high, but have no wing
Dark Ages again repeated in time
Vikings horning with a different rhyme
Celebrating the dead, now called zombies
Glorified are the ghosts, yet no trophies
Shame is on us, we've fallen back so deep
Following fashion, trend like mindless sheep
The age of spiders, web's tangled our feet
Chained by cell phones, our selves we only meet
Wisdom has gone dry, skin deep in disguise
We know everything, yet know none but lies
So it seems likely, we worship wizards of Oz
Religion be medicine, sorcery and SARS
Dropouts make money, make virus that kills
Frankensteins are the docs, making those pills
Africa central lab, locals for test
Ball is on charity, gamer's the west
Freak show is on, cyborgs are seen as cool
Losing arms, legs, omg! you're a fool
Red curtains are up, let the shows begin
Throw masses in madness, soak them in sin
Creatures of the night are now free, let loose
Man is no more, just dumb donkeys and moose
Halloween approaching, let circus come
Put on your masks, now you can act so dumb
Drip of dusk falling, the night is still young
Spell out the curse, with or without a tongue
Hope tomorrow, sleeping be's wake up, rise
Break n' burn the made masks, tear all the ties
15.10.2015
In the line, "Halloween night growls, grows near and near", the writer uses the literary device of personification to personify Halloween with canine attributes to show that Halloween is a rabid event. Moving on, the specific phrase: "Masses have gathered again so excited to fear" implies ironically that fear used to be a humane reaction to keep themselves safe from potential danger, but in these "dark ages" fear excites. "Go savage in gowns, like Gogs and Magogs" is an example of allegory used to portray the image of evil emerging from underground. This is extremely effective considering the fact that Halloween seems to be a celebration of the evil dead coming to life. The symbolism of Halloween and its ongoing popularity with the masses connect to theories such as 'judgement day', 'rise of the dead', 'the apocalypse' etc. as if the celebrators are welcoming doomsday and associating it with festivity and ritualism.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think that this poem is too based on symbolism.
In this poem, you had strongly describe your feelings towards the event of Halloween. In my opinion, ‘the age of webs and spiders has tangled our feet’ is one of the best phrase of mine as it is trying to describe that the ‘the age of webs and spiders’ as if it is like the internet nowadays. It is the fact that internet had became one of the most important in our life, specially teenagers. It is metaphor as you had used the word ‘age of webs and spiders’ instead of using the word of internet in this poem. Internet is like the webs of the spiders as once we are addicted to the internet, it is hard for us to stop using it, as if it is like the spiders webs. If we accidentally get trapped in the spider webs one day, it will definitely be hard for us to run away from the tangle of the spider webs.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of this poem reflects how Mr.Ali holds a strong perspective towards the event Halloween, using this theme, he extended it to a view to how our society is fooled in this age of digital that had blinded us into the thinking the true events happening around us as we are so chained with social networks as he stated ‘The age of webs and spiders has tangled our feet.Chained down by cell phones, our selves we only meet.’ Here, web is metaphorically referring to the internet, chaining our feet as to stop us from seeing the real situation around us, spider is used to build up the main theme of the poem, Halloween. Writer Ali Manzour brought up a few social events such as Bill’s lab in Africa, said to invent pills for the cure of diseases, but directing us into deep doubt into the real reality.
ReplyDeleteIdeas expressed by writer was interesting, bringing us a different view into Halloween, while he questions why are we excited to be feared, to put on masks, and ready to act as dumbs.Ali Manzour successfully brought us to a deep view into our world, a step ahead our blinded eyes by the invention and addiction of internet, which now are more like a well-spread virus.
Very well analyzed Jeanne, I'm impressed. I can see you are beginning to appreciate the hidden messages in the lines. Looking forward to reading your poems in the future. I know you have it in you.
DeleteThe entire poem has assonance, creating rhymes. It is so rhythmic that it makes me feel like rapping while I recite this amazingly musical poem. The main theme of this poem suggests how dumb are the people celebrating Halloween Day so meaningless, disguising in the bloody zombies and ghosts. Begin with the sentence, "Masses have gathered again so excited to fear." Here, Mr Ali uses situational irony to show the typical humans psyche that they are fluttered to fear. There is a little sarcasm to emphasise how odd the people's mind is. Mr.Ali uses allegory by stating the words "Gogs and Magogs" related to the Bible. It is actually called the war of Gogs and Magogs. Gog was expected to be the leader of a great army that attacks land of Israel which was called "Magog" in Ezekiel's prophecy. Here, celebrating Halloween Day is compared to the war suggesting how aggressive the people are. I agree with your idea how insane the people who celebrate Halloween Day are. I also think Halloween Day is such a meaningless day but ironically, at the same time, alike the other people, I enjoy seeing people on Halloween day. Anyway, I really do enjoy reading this poem. You are such a marvellous poet!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ailee, and you're such a 'marvelous' critic. You did a fine job in analyzing the poem and its devices. Just one point, according to scripture, Gog and Magog are two tribes in the East that would rise one day and cause havoc and chaos in the land. They will be unstoppable and at the end, nearing judgement day, they will be vanished b the will of God. Whether we believe it or not is another story.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehe entire poem is something like a rhymes.It is so Rhythmic it makes someone fell rapping.The poem is seems like a scary poem or a halloween poem but not scary at all. The main thing in this poem is all about halloween and dumb people just celebrating a meaningless day. ''Masses Have Gathered In Bloody Zombies and Ghost here the writer is using situational ironic that says the typical human are fluttered to fear. This poem also shows that the poem is saying how aggressive the people. Oscar :)
ReplyDeleteWell I'm glad you like rapping Oscar, but one question... What do you mean by 'aggressive'? I don't think that was my intention.
DeleteThis poem tells me, Mr Ali sees Halloween as a lively- wait... deadly day, and really enjoys it. Although I haven't really experienced Halloween, after reading this, I'm looking forward to celebrate this event in the future. Mr Ali's poem grapples an exciting and compelling event, that makes the poem come alive. Poems have a lot of ways to be written, and Mr Ali chose to rhyme the poem, which is the perfect way to write this specific poem. Mr Ali also, surely, used the perfect words to fit this poem. Once you close your eyes and imagine this event really happening, the image will stay in your head for some time, since the image is really memorable. Each and every one of the punctuations used in this poem are absolutely necessary to make it right, and not a single space wasted. This poem also has an quality to it, it evoke ideas and emotions that can’t precisely be pinned down, and all of these factors make this poem a complete and perfect poem.
ReplyDeleteThis poem has many hidden messages that you can only realise by really reading and understanding the poem. It shows the emotion that he has towards halloween. He is telling us how blinded people can be and not realise that the internet is basically trapping the society these days as he said "The age of webs and spiders has tangled our feet". I was planning to go to a halloween party soon, but now er..... yea. I really liked this poem. It makes you think about what is going on in society and life. - SH
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing poem. Mr Ali sees Halloween as a weird and yet deadly day and really likes it. He rhymes the poem so well that it has a devastating effect on the reader that it is so powerful that it had give me a scary feeling of halloween. Also, the line "the age of webs and spiders" means that how the internet is now a very deadly place that whatever you type or do or post people can see it and misuse it very badly. Also it manages to put you as a reader into the scene of what happening it is a very intuitive poem. I like it very much.
ReplyDeleteit me by the way Amos
DeleteWell I'm glad you liked the poem Amos and I appreciate your analysis. However, I wanted to ask you about my poem being 'intuitive', what do you mean by that?
DeleteOn the outside, this poem may seem like a typical halloween poetry that makes absolutely no sense; but in all actuality, this poem not only makes sense, it also is a marvellous piece by (Mr) Ali Manzour. I find this poem very meaningful, for it is rich in language, and it tells us about the problems in our society. You go, Mr Ali!
ReplyDeleteThanks Joan, but tell me about the part that 'did' make sense? and tell me about the 'problems' in our society because I think my intention was focused on somewhere else, if you know what I mean.
DeleteIn this poem, the writer talks about how the human race, with Halloween and the Internet. In the first few stanzas the writer talks about how Halloween is just a way of companies to make more sales and how we are just like a bunch of sheep following everything they tell us to buy or do. The writer also expresses how we are stuck to the Internet like glue to the wall and we are unable to live without it.
ReplyDeleteAbinash
I think the writer is expressing what he thinks about Halloween and how stupid he thinks it is, with the help of many literary devices, like comparing people to sheep. He writes about how the people follow around like sheep and how society is so drawn to trends and follow things that are 'in' with a great example, Halloween. And I think he is writing about how Halloween is a day where people just dress up as anything they want and by the next day, everything goes back to normal. So, by using a day where everyone is not themselves, the writer uses that particular day to talk about the every day of people on the internet these days or just a day in general and how the world is just so trap into the stereotypes of society and the world and are just putting on masks to hide how they really are. However, the writer just doesn't like Halloween. xD I think it is a great poem overall. Hi Mr Ali!!!
ReplyDelete- K
The Author was great as it sent chills down my spine and told me the through meaning of halloween all in one single peace of poetry. I have read his other poems and were very astonished but this one had Definitely CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON HALLOWEEN! Can't wait to see the next poem ~ RAUL DYLAN SANJAY
ReplyDeleteWell the next time comes at 'God knows when' Raul, and I appreciate the kind words but how did it change your perspective? I'm eager to know.
DeleteIn the starting stanzas the writer( the great Mr Ali) perfectly describes what happens during Halloween. But, as the poem continued, he began to describe the irony that is in this world. For example, how we are like sheep, constantly following the latest trends, and how we are trapped in the virtual worlds of cell phones. And the writer uses metaphor to describe how dumb we are, as we think that we know everything, but all we know are lies. In the last stanza, the writer conveys that he hopes that we will rise and see through those lies that we have be told all this time. I think that its a really nice poem. Great job Mr. Ali!!! :3
ReplyDeleteJee Jun
Thanks Jee jun, I'm glad you liked it. Your reflection was well expressed, but I never meant to say 'we' are dumb, but only those who follow trends mindlessly rather than having a sense of discretion.
Deletei thought that this poem was very interesting because the it says the dark ages is back.but my favourite line was about the cyborg
ReplyDeleteThanks Jaevan. I'm glad you like the line about cyborgs even though my intention was the contrary.
DeleteI think this poem is very effective, as it mentions how Halloween is fun when it is foolish and stupid when it is foolish. This also tells us that we have to enjoy ourselves and also don't act too foolish at the same time. This poem is somehow a little different from the others, as it tells us the positive point as well as the negative point when enjoying halloween. My favourite line is 'Halloween is approaching let the circus come
ReplyDeletePut on your masks and begin acting so dumb' This line tells us that halloween is dumb, while people still enjoy it. This poem is also very effective if we analyse it properly. We can see that the writer uses assonance to make the words' pronounciation more interesting and many other literary devices such as peradox and oxymoron to compare the time being of enjoying halloween and being foolish. I shall rate this poem INFINITY AND BEYOND if there is a rating like that. I know I won't get extra marks for praising you, but this poem is REALly INTERESTING. You make a good writer MR ALI!
The author also creates tension. I like the phrase 'near and near', as it creates tension and it made me have goosebumps. I forgot to include this point, but the writer also emphasizes on halloween is stupid by not just wearing costumes, but also scaring people. He also refers to wearing costumes, getting drunk, and scaring people is somehow categorized as fun. Celebrating the fictional characters is also one thing people do in halloween. The writer also mentions that people also celebrate halloween, because they are superstitious.
ReplyDeleteI think that this poem is incredibly well written, and the writer expresses strongly about his feelings on Halloween. He has said that he thinks this generation is blind, following the trends around like blind sheep when they hear that something is considered "cool". The writer says that this generation is stupid, and he mentions it is "insanity". We are so heavily influenced and desperate to be accepted by society that we don't question, don't look into or try and search, just think inside the box and follow around. We are influence by social media and celebrities, as said here "The age of webs and spiders has tangled our feet".
ReplyDeleteI think this poem is very intresting. I agree with the writer cause he strongly shows feelings that he hates Halloween. Halloween is such a foolish time of year because they always dress up in stupid outfits. Not only wearing costumes but also scaring people. People do all these including getting drunk for fun. Celebrating for nothing. As I was reading through the poem, The poem gave me goosebumps, as the writer said some creepy words that you yourself can feel it. - Elysya Zaini
ReplyDeleteI really like this poem, BUT I disagree. It's a really awesome poem but I love halloween. I like scaring people... The look on their face are really funny... Halloween really makes me happy. And also because my birthday is near halloween. My all time favourite line is 'Man is no more, just dumb donkeys and moose though'...
ReplyDeleteToo long, very lazy to read
ReplyDeleteI really love this poem, although I do not agree. It's a really good poem but I like halloween. I like scaring people... The expressions their face are really funny... Halloween makes me happy. It is sad my birthday is not near halloween. My all time most loved line is 'Man is no more, just dumb donkeys and moose though'...
ReplyDelete