Project II : Analyzing Perspective on the Moon
The thinking skill assigned for Project II was analyzing perspective. I chose to put my focus on how the moon plays a part in different people's lives. I specifically researched the Mid-Autumn Festival, the significance of the moon to Indigenous Peoples of America, and the story of Ganesha and the moon. For my products, I decided to work with clay for Art and write poems for English. Through this project, I ultimately discovered that the moon holds great significance to many people in many different ways.
English
This poem is written from the perspective of a woman, born in China but now living overseas. She feels lonely, missing her family and home in China. The woman recalls the story of 嫦娥 (cháng'é) and her companion the noble moon rabbit. She knows 嫦娥 is not alone on the moon for she has the company of the rabbit. The woman thinks of how her family admires the same moon as her. Even if they are a part psychically, she can be reminded that they are still with her through the moon.
This poem is inspired by Thoughts in the Silent Night by Li Bai. The English translation of this poem is as so:
This poem is inspired by Thoughts in the Silent Night by Li Bai. The English translation of this poem is as so:
Before my bed, the moon is shining bright,
I thought that it is frost upon the ground.
I raise my head and look at the bright moon,
I lower my head and think of home.
I thought that it is frost upon the ground.
I raise my head and look at the bright moon,
I lower my head and think of home.
This poem is from a perspective of an Indigenous person of America. The full moon in June is called the “Strawberry Moon” (also called the rose or hot moon). This full moon gets its name from strawberry harvests that occur during this time. Strawberries are ripe and provide an easy food to feast upon.
In this poem, I tried to utilize rhyme and alliteration to allow for the poem to feel more lively. The person’s feelings about the upcoming Strawberry Moon are grateful and excited because they know the moon will give them the perfect time to harvest strawberries that are plump, sweet, juicy, and just a tad bit tangy.
In this poem, I tried to utilize rhyme and alliteration to allow for the poem to feel more lively. The person’s feelings about the upcoming Strawberry Moon are grateful and excited because they know the moon will give them the perfect time to harvest strawberries that are plump, sweet, juicy, and just a tad bit tangy.
Lord Ganesha’s Sweets
The son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, Lord Ganesha enamored of sweets. Devotees, much like me offer treats. Sweet treats, concocked of coconut, dry fruits, and nuts. The spherical shape reminds me of the moon above and why the moon transitions as it does. The moon is in waning tonight, thanks to Lord Ganesha. |
The perspective in the poem is coming from a person who is Hindu. In this poem, they recall the story of Ganesha and the moon:
Lord Ganesha ate many, many sweets while visiting the houses of a devotee. He had his favorites: ladoo and modak. When night had arrived, Lord Ganesha took the sweets that were leftover and began walking home. When he was walking, he fell and his sweets were scattered on the ground. Lord Ganesha was very embarrassed and he looked around to see if anyone had seen him fall. Chandra, the god of the moon, saw everything and laughed at Lord Ganesha. This made Lord Ganesha very upset. Lord Ganesha cursed Chandra, declaring no one would ever see the moon in the sky again. Chandra begged for the curse to be lifted. Lord Ganesha, always being quick to forgive, knew he could not take back his words, so instead, he lessened the curse. Thus creating the waxing and waning moon phases.
Ladoos are said to be one of Lord Ganesha’s favorite and they are described above in the poem. Ladoos have a sweet flavor and consist of things like coconut, nuts, dry fruit, etc. They have a spherical shape. There are various kinds of ladoos that you may find. are said to be one of Lord Ganesha’s favorite and they are described above in the poem.
Lord Ganesha ate many, many sweets while visiting the houses of a devotee. He had his favorites: ladoo and modak. When night had arrived, Lord Ganesha took the sweets that were leftover and began walking home. When he was walking, he fell and his sweets were scattered on the ground. Lord Ganesha was very embarrassed and he looked around to see if anyone had seen him fall. Chandra, the god of the moon, saw everything and laughed at Lord Ganesha. This made Lord Ganesha very upset. Lord Ganesha cursed Chandra, declaring no one would ever see the moon in the sky again. Chandra begged for the curse to be lifted. Lord Ganesha, always being quick to forgive, knew he could not take back his words, so instead, he lessened the curse. Thus creating the waxing and waning moon phases.
Ladoos are said to be one of Lord Ganesha’s favorite and they are described above in the poem. Ladoos have a sweet flavor and consist of things like coconut, nuts, dry fruit, etc. They have a spherical shape. There are various kinds of ladoos that you may find. are said to be one of Lord Ganesha’s favorite and they are described above in the poem.
Art
For the Art portion of my project, I created three clay pieces. Each piece reflected three different perspectives on the moon.
The piece resembling corn in a circular shape represents the Indigenous Peoples of Americas' perspective on the moon. September's full moon, the "Corn Moon," gets its name from the gathering of crops in the end of summer. This time is important to farmers because they could harvest crops through the night since the sun was especially bright.
The two smaller pieces resemble ladoo and modak. These are foods significant to the Hindu religion. These treats are Lord Ganesha's favorite. The story of Lord Ganesha (explained above) shows how the moon is a part of Hinduism. The piece resembling a mooncake represents China's perspective on the moon. Mooncakes are enjoyed in the Mid-Autumn Festival. As said above, the story of 嫦娥 includes the white rabbit. The white rabbit can be seen in the festivities of the Mid-Autumn festival. I included a rabbit on top of the mooncake to incorporate two of the significant perspectives on the moon in China. |
The pieces have not been glazed, but have been fired in the kiln. If I had more time to glaze the pieces, I would show more reasoning through the colors of the glazes.
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