Gabriel Dias
Educator | EFL teacher currently working in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Avid to learn more!
Location Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I remember that Rupi Kaur, who has an Indian descent, once said that poetry is an everyday text in her culture; it is close to common readers. This thought not only agrees with her poetry, but it also does with this lesson. Her writing style isn't far from a Ghazal - it is generally short and it uses prosaic language.
Based on what I noticed, Ghazals will...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
There is tradition in form. As we can see in sonnets, a poetic shape can go through time to translate different feelings and episodes. This takes us back to Week 1 because that's what we've been discussing: poetry and tradition.
Sonnets are commonly associated with love, but it doesn't always have to be love between a male writer and his muse. Like in Gunn's... -
Gabriel Dias made a comment
A sonnet is a very rich form. Amazing! I wish we could hear from translators that have the task to translate sonnets. That must be a very difficult task!
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
# Which type of ‘form’ interests you most:- the shape of poems on the page, or types of poem, like the ‘sonnet’?
Both, I guess.# Is it right to separate these two types of form? Are they interchangeable?
How many different types of form can you name?
I don't think it is right to separate them, but I don't see them as interchangeable. Hmm... I can think... -
Gabriel Dias made a comment
Excited to know more. I had never heard of "ghazal" before.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Excited to know more about poetic form!
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
My favorite part when I look back at this 1st week of learning is how I got to read "Psychology of a Loser," by Augusto dos Anjos, in English for the first time.
Every choice encompasses exclusion. Tradition is a chosen literary form and, consequently, it overlooks other forms and contexts.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
# Do traditions exclude writers?
Yes, they do. I agree with the following lines: "The historical problem is that contemporary women poets do not have a long and powerful female formal tradition to rebel against."
The canon is predominantly male, white and heteronormative...
# What does it mean to belong to a tradition?
It may mean different things -... -
Gabriel Dias made a comment
It has definitely changed over time. Although it may bring some people a lot of money and "save their lives," it is not so how it used to be. To say the very least, now poetry has to compete with globalization (movies, social media, etc.). It is true that globalization can contribute to the spread of poetry, but it wasn't all positive for Literature as a...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Wow... So many things to unravel. So many references it is hard to keep up.
# What traditions is Dr Clarke discussing in this video?
He mentioned the repetition of "sing" in the start of the poem, which is a reference to "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad." Also, the word "descend" in the second line opens a number of other references to the journey to the...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I would say that refashioning form is completely okay.
"Psychology of a Loser" by Augusto dos Anjos is one of my favorite sonnets and because of this course I had the chance to read it in English for the first time! https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/157740/psychology-of-a-loser
The translated version of this poem changed the form,...
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I think that an important question to have in mind is: how can form be translated into meaning? A specific form is chosen for a reason. What purpose lies behind that form?
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I was waiting for this moment in the course. Can't wait to know more about poetic tradition. To my knowledge, "poetic tradition" means a very specific use of language when writing a poem. A use that takes us back to how the first poems were written.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I will share two poems instead of just one if that's okay. They're both by Rupi Kaur - an amazing contemporary poet.
#1 - https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8105938-did-you-think-i-was-a-city-big-enough-for
I connect to this poem because I see it as a love letter to yourself. Sometimes the obvious thing needs to be said: you matter. I like how this poem...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
This was a bit harder for me to understand at first than "Two Trees." I had to read the poem myself and watch Dr. Shazia Jargot's video again. Then, I started to like it.
What stood out to me was how the private life of the persona in this poem can mirror or bear the consequences of what goes on in the public eye. I think that in a way this poem can be an... -
I don't believe this poem is only about trees. Instead, it can be an allegory to how humans can navigate life.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Is it even possible to disassociate these two? What a poem says takes us to how it is said and vice-versa, I guess.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I think it all comes down to the type of poem we are trying to read. There are poems that are a bit difficult to understand because of how they use language. Others are more prosaic and, therefore, closer to how we speak and easier to understand (or apparently easier to understand).
I would say that when reading a poem thinking about how form and content are... -
Gabriel Dias made a comment
I am hoping to get an overview of poetry through the centuries across Europe - especially in England. I am curious to find out how it has changed with time and why, which, I believe, fosters a debate on how historical events can shape, and are somewhat shaped by, what people write.
I am currently in São Paulo, Brazil, where I work as an EFL teacher. A fun... -
Gabriel Dias made a comment
I am most looking forward to hearing from lecturers, because I am interested in knowing what they have to say about poetry writing.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Hello!
I am not new to poetry, but it's been some time since I last studied it properly. Hoping to change this sad reality with this course.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Thank for a wonderful course!
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Great course with a lot of takeaways. I guess a better understanding of Charles Perrault, who I knew very little about, is a standout for me. I started this course because of Beauty and the Beast, though. This is one of my favorite fairy tales. I was suprised to find out how different, different versions of the same story can be.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I would say that because the wife received said inheritance Blue Beard's death went as unnoticed as his previous wives'. That's something considering he was a white male individual. My interpretation is closer to outing misogynistic husbands, which could be related to the moral that puts a curious wife under a positive light.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I feel that this is a happy ending given the circumstances. This is not the usual sense for happy ending because it seems that the wife made due with what she had in her hands.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
"The sister gets a name. The wife never does." So true and I hadn't realized it. I felt at odds. The narrative makes it logical that the wife should be punished, but what for? The rule is set in the beginning of their wedding, but it is absurd. I think this could be a GREAT story to discuss misogyny.
I would say that I felt anxious and irritated. Anxious...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
The moment I heard "psychoanalytic" I knew what was coming and I wasn't disappointed. My new self after 2 weeks into this course! In a sense, there are grounds for us to say that her innocence was killed after marriage because they had sex?
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Clearly we, readers, need to let go of some conceptions to appreciate the story as it is set forth. The smell of decaying bodies, for example, would definitely not go unnoticed by the staff members living in Blue Beard's house and certainly not by his new wife either. This fact isn't mentioned in the fairy tale. Now why he developed this habit must go far in a...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I'm a bit surprised that "go for the money" is the lowest as I genuinely thought that it was the obvious answer. LoL
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
The little key is the element that fuels the narrative. I believe that she was excited because of the curiosity that she felt.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
She has some agency, but still relied on men to save her life. She chose to marry Blue Beard, unlock the door and peak inside. She also outsmarted Blue Beard.
I appreciate the fact she decided to marry Blue Beard despite his awful looks and dark past, but... It is no coincidence that she decided to do so only after visiting his house. Back then a lord's...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Before I read anything, just based on the video I've just watched: what my friends and I said about "Blue Beard" has NOTHING to do with the real story, apparently.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I asked around and the 5 people I asked knew very little about "Blue Beard." Those who dared to answer connected the title to pirates and sea bandits. I, personally, think of Jack Sparrow movies - specially that one with Black Beard.
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@EstherHutchinson Fair enough. I hadn't thought of that.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I know most of them. Probably not how Perrault wrote them, but some earlier versions. It's hard not think of the figure of a male savior, like the woodcutter in "Little Red Riding Hood" or the prince in "Sleeping Beauty" or "Cinderella." I am well aware that these are Disney constructions!
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
The name "Andersen" rang a bell so I googled the author of "The Ugly Duckling" and it's him. Generally speaking, I would say that these later tales are softer and more Disney friendly, which makes sense once we stop to consider how they were written behind a nationalist ideal. Why would a nationalist write a children's story that kills its protagonist?
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I don't think it is a mere coincidence that these publications precede the rise of the novel in the 18th century. Writing fairy tales, and novels for this matter, demanded the level of education that some women had at the time. This is partly why they devoted their time to writing. They had the means and the time to write so, long story short, one thing led to...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
That Psyche and Eros and Beauty and the Beast can share the same creative core.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
The idea behind a reward is: you've done something right and for that reason you're getting something.
The Fairy's reward highlights that choices based on virtue are the right ones and make you eligible for compensation.
As for not mentioning the Beast's fate... A wild thought: to show that there can't be cracks in a fortress. Beauty was virtuous... -
Gabriel Dias replied to Gabriel Dias
@AdrianaRofrano Yes!!!
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
In a sense this inclusion is more aggressive because we get to witness what happens when one overvalues exterior things. In the Disney version we see the Beast's redemption instead. The end that Gaston met, though, would be as sad as what happened to the sisters. In a way it could be there to replace the sisters' fate. What do you all think?
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Today's lesson made me think that... Could Beuamont be writing a critique to what would later become the "Belle Époque?" All these societal norms to construe a wise and pretty façade disguised a rotten core. Again, the real "belle" came from within and that would surface not through your looks or your alleged wit, but through your character. Any thoughts on...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I like to perceive Gaston as the literary antonym of the Beast. However extremely good-looking on the outside, he is rotten on the inside. I think his character adds to the message of the story rather than change it.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Maybe a display of emotions is undesirable as one would be more prudent to conceal it.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
It is true that the merchant shouldn't have taken the rose, but asking for his life or his daughter's in exchange is extreme. Thus, they're both in error in my opinion.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I think that her behavior is definitely admirable as she chooses to do whatever she will instead of abiding to social norms and what is expected from her. This way of life reminded me of "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. Coincidentally enough, they're set in the same time period, aren't they?
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Gabriel Dias replied to Gabriel Dias
Bravery, I guess, would be the most important quality to me.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Maybe she is a little too naive for me to find her attractive in the early stages of the story. Things changed the moment she showed how brave she could be in order to defend her old father.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
My takeaway message is that the beauty from within will always prevail.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I don't think I know any version of Beauty and the Beast. Maybe "Shrek," but the other way around? hmmm...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
On a different note... I was surprised by this portrayal of Beauty and the Beast: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Woolson_Spice_Co._%283093810738%29.jpg
I was taken aback by how young Beauty seems to be.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
To me the Beast bears devilish features. His oversized goat horns grow from a very tangled mane that is supposed to be around his face. His deformed facial expression is highlighted by a snout with sharp teeth beside noticeably big fangs. A horrible bad breath would make people look away from his limp in disgust. His broad hairy shoulders look even bigger on...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I hadn't made the connection to the story of Cupid and Psyche until you said it. Wow... I love this story too. Beauty and the Beast is, by far, one of my favorite fairy tales. That is partially why I decided to start the present course.
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Gabriel Dias replied to hannah fearon
I noticed it too! There is nothing subtle about the story.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I liked it. It has the same moral as the Disney version and it is stronger, more potent. Honestly, I like the Disney version better, but still... Great story!
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
She was too receptive to what the Wolf was telling her. She followed his words without giving much thought to what her mother had told her.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I'm really happy with the first week of the course in terms of content and material made available online. I wish I had had more interaction in the chat section below, though.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I haven't heard of these stories... I don't fully agree that Red Cap was her own hero. It is true that she executed her grandma's plans and killed the wolf on the roof, but why was that possible? She was granted a second chance at life by a male character - the woodcutter. It is possible to argue that a man allowed her the chance to save herself and that would...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Magic is everything in many fairy-tales. Impossible based on what exactly? Magic is very much possible in the realm of fairy-tales, especially once the narrator deems it plausible. I believe this story will work for a child who can't accept the impossible as long as it is presented as a different perspective on reality. Imagination can make the impossible...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Assuming the girl's perspective, the Grimms' wolf was more threatening and might have left her with life traumas. Probably she will never forget how dark it was inside the wolf. How frightened she was was the first thing she expressed when back to safety.
Unlike the Grimm's wolf, Perrault's isn't defeated. He succeeded in his quest to eat the girl and her... -
Gabriel Dias made a comment
This came to mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMoY1Ra_wyg
Very teen-friendly where a feared wolf is absorbed into a love story full of danger and suspicions.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
This version is a little more innocent (not as laden with sex innuendoes), but why replace a pot of butter with a bottle of wine, which is an alcoholic beverage and, thus, more conducive to inappropriate behavior? Also the part where the wolf was cut open was strong!
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Gabriel Dias replied to John Silvester
I believe so - at least there is room to say so.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I don't think I consider that scene as disturbing as Bettleheim did, but it does make sense when we stop to think that this story was written/told in the 17th century.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I don't think there is a way to know for sure why he employed said repetitions. It is hard to refute, though, that these repetitions add to the story we see with our mind's eyes. In an oral traditional, that is fundamental to keep readers engaged. This technique builds up tension that adds to the ending of the tale.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
It depends.
Is she being taken as a toddler (in between 3 and 4 years old)? If that's the case, I don't think so. She's learning (and teaching readers that they should listen to their parents).
Is she in her early teens? Maybe, she is giving vent to sexual desires that were so suppressed by her society. Then, was she being foolish or daring? Was she...
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Gabriel Dias replied to Sylvia Gamal
This article was a game changer for me!
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I think this is DEFINITELY open to interpretation, so she is just as old as I choose her to be. When reading to toddlers she could be 3 or 4 because this age would be more suiting for my listeners. It would add to a moral that highlights how children should listen to their parents to avoid danger.
On the other hand, she could be in her teens when reading to... -
Gabriel Dias made a comment
The woods - or the Moors as in "Maleficent" - are uncharted territory, where mysterious creatures live and inexplicable phenomena happen. Likewise, there is the Dark Forest in the Harry Potter Saga. However next to Hogwarts, that's where You-Know-Who took refuge in the first movie - like the outlaws our Professor explained in the video above.
Thus, the... -
Gabriel Dias replied to Amy Rowe
@MiriamYunis ... and as she enters maturity she needs to learn how to dodge wolves (male predators) for the sake of her safety/well-being. It CAN'T GET more real life than this!!!!
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Gabriel Dias replied to Pat Squires
@MisakiS Nice to think that this word-meaning relation is kept across languages like that.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
The Big Bad Wolf in "The Three Little Pigs" came to mind. He was very mischievous, too.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I was ready to comment before the question (haha): I was surprised by the end. I didn't know that the wolf went as far as eating LRRH. Also, I was waiting for a woodcutter to come to the rescue. This version has a much darker end. I liked it!
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Gabriel Dias replied to Sharon C
"All the better to eat you"
I was trying to remember this punch line! So iconic!!!
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
In my version...
Little Red Riding Hood was a smart girl who went to visit her grandma that lived on the other side of the woods. However her mother warned her to take the path that goes around the woods because of the Big Bad Wolf that lurked in there, she decided on the shortcut through the forest.
The basket full of goodies she was taking to her grandma... -
Gabriel Dias made a comment
However I voted for "a woodcutter," following what I believe to be a more traditional plot, I know that there are versions where she saves herself, excluding the imagery of a male savior!
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Gabriel Dias replied to Caitlin F
I like how knowledge is associated with a skull in this tale. This reminded me of Hamlet of course!
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Gabriel Dias replied to Bonnie Durtnall
I have NEVER heard of this tale before. Nice!
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Gabriel Dias replied to Juliana Muñoz Toro
@JulianaMuñozToro so well observed. Thank you for sharing. I had never noticed it before. But... hmmm... why?
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Krampus!
A very spooky tale that, from what I can remember, is about an evil deity that gives coal to naughty children during Christmas. Please, everyone, add to this as I know very little about this tale. -
Gabriel Dias made a comment
I automatically want to connect fairy tales to children's stories, however I know that this is not entirely true.
These assumptions can reveal a lot about our times, though. Why are fairy tales frequently associated with children? How can adult readers profit from them? Love this #FoodForThought
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Hello to all! It's a pleasure to be back on FutureLearn after a couple of years. I was away studying for a postgraduate course that took all my spare time. I've decided to take this course to further my studies in literature. I have a special interest in gothic literature and I know how dark some fairy tales can turn out to be. Let's see!!! Very excited for...
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
"My town" is remembering a particular past nostalgically. I noticed how it includes a number os parallelisms, in-line and verse rhymes to create the tune.
I drafted my song bearing in mind where I feel home and tried to use the same techniques used in "My Town" as I went through with it.
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I was asking myself the same question.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I wrote the lyrics of my song, but can neither sing, nor play an instrument. :( I'll see if a friend can sing what I created.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I would love to write about my home away from home
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Excited to start drafting... I'm interested in musicals and, maybe, take the perspective of the villain?
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I like what that lady said about thinking of the plotline first.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Hello! I'm Gabriel and however new to music, I'm not that new to writing. I've joined this course to literally write my first song and feed my writing blog: https://gabeldias.wordpress.com
This is a new creation of mine and I'm excited to see where this is going.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Hello!!! I've joined this course because I've recently created a writing blog to showcase my pieces and my progress over time: https://gabeldias.wordpress.com
I think this couse can help me better my writing and help me create more content for my blog.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Thank you for this course!
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I chose "no" only because of the word "predominately".
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I approach physical contact in class with caution, especially if it's between teacher and student because of social biases.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
Instead of learning new things how about learning new ways to do or see what we already know? This may boost students' self-esteem and open the gates to new content input.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
There's a "what" and a "how" that coexist. The "what" is the content input students are recipients and the "how" is the manner in which students are being taught. Learning best occurs in a safe environment that caters to academic and emotional needs.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
I think technology can be very destructive and educational. What matters most is how it is being used. Long hours of unassisted internet use by an 8-year-old, for example, seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
6. The brain has a short attention span and needs repetition and multiple-channel processing for deeper learning to occur.
All 9 insights are very helpful to teaching and learning processes, but number 6 (above) stroke a chord in me. Harder teaching topics demand longer exposures to new content. By harder I mean more distant from what learners already know....
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
It guarantees the social and emotional well-being of our brains, which can regulate our lives as a whole. This video attests to why building a good rapport with our group of leaners is so important. This will bring about a suitable environment for positive cognitive development.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
It was thought provoking to see the brain as a social organ after Cozolino mentioned how its formations allow for different interactions.
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Gabriel Dias made a comment
The brain is crucial for learning and developing. Refuting that is just unthinkable. Studying how our brain works seems then to be a valid way to facilitate teaching and learning in class. As an EFL teacher I am interested in exploring neuroscience in the educational field. Hopefully, this course will bring me answers and debates that will shed light on my...
