Inglês: Interpretação – Past in poetry
Observe different uses for past tenses in these two poems
Forgotten Language
Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings, And shared a conversation with the housefly in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers…
How did it go?
How did it go?
(Shel Silverstein, https://www.poemhunter, acesso em: 29 ago. 2006, usado em UFG 2007)
The Frog Prince, Continued
The Princess kissed the frog.
He turned into a prince. And they lived happily ever after…
Well, let’s just say they lived sort of happily for a long time.
Okay, so they weren’t so happy. In fact, they were miserable.
“Stop sticking your tongue out like that,” nagged the Princess.
“How come you never want to go down to the pond anymore?” whined the Prince.
The Prince and Princess were so unhappy.
They didn’t know what to do. […]
The Prince kissed the Princess.
They both turned into frogs.
And they hopped off happily ever after.
The End.
(SCIESZKA, J. The Frog Prince, Continued. New York: Penguin Books, 1994) (Vestibular UFG 2007)
EXERCÍCIOS – UFG 2007 (adaptado)
1. About the poem “Forgotten Language”, the narrator:
a) Thinks he should have appreciated better the language of nature.
b) Used to have a relationship with nature which he does not anymore.
c) Misses the countryside where people had time even to talk to plants.
d) Regrets the time he used to spend speaking to animals and plants.
e) Could speak a special language which is now spread all over the world.
2. Qual frase descreve a comunicação do narrador como linguagem não verbal em “Forgotten Language”?
a) Once I spoke the language of the flowers…
b) Once I understood each word the caterpillar said …
c) Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings…
d) And shared a conversation with the housefly in my bed.
e) Once I heard and answered all the questions of the crickets…
3. As frases introduzidas pelos termos And, Well, Okay e In fact (linhas de 3 a 7 do poema The Frog Prince, Continued) indicam:
a) Gradação que estabelece uma interação bem-humorada com o leitor.
b) Apelo emotivo, resultante da sonoridade, que aproxima o leitor.
c) Passagem temporal, típica da linguagem dos contos de fada.
d) Oralidade que caracteriza socialmente as personagens.
e) Coloquialidade que transporta o leitor para a ordem do maravilhoso.
RESPOSTAS
1. Used to have a relationship with nature which he does not anymore (tinha uma relação com a natureza que não tem mais). A resposta está disseminada no poema, nas relações que o poeta estabelece entre os verbos mais concretos de comunicação com a natureza (“spoke” – “understood” – “smiled”). Resposta: b
2. Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings… (Uma vez eu sorri em segredo com as fofocas dos passarinhos…). Na frase, é preciso compreender as palavras-chave “smiled” (passado do verbo sorrir), “secret” (segredo) e “gossip” (fofoca). Resposta: c
3. Gradação que estabelece uma interação bem-humorada com o leitor. O leitor compreende que a intensidade da relação entre o príncipe e a princesa vai diminuindo, o que não é natural nos contos de fada, daí o humor: “Well, let’s just say they lived sort of happily for a long time” (Bem, vamos dizer que eles viveram mais ou menos felizes por muito tempo)/“Okay, so they weren’t so happy” (Tudo bem, eles não eram tão felizes assim)/“In fact, they were miserable”. (Na verdade, eles estavam muito infelizes).Resposta: a
