Slam+Poetry

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"An Apple a Day is Not Enough" - a Poem by Taylor Mali

An apple a day is not enough. Don't let me start preaching, But shouldn't the children of the country that's the wealthiest, Also be the children of the country that's the healthiest?

That makes sense, you'd think that would be true, I know I would. I'm just saying. Wouldn't you? But that's not the case with our kids these days. Kids' health is declining in all kinds of ways.

We need to improve it. We can and we will. But it starts with thinking of health as a skill. A 21st century skill that you practice. Practice makes perfect. The unhealthy can't hack this.

We've got to teach our kids by example every day, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And it's tough because people stop listening when they think they know what you're going to say. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Like, drink more water. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Eat more vegetables (especially the dark leafy green ones). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Eat less sugar. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don't drink soda (especially the sugary caffeine ones). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Stop watching TV. Go play outside. Go for a run, or a walk, or a bike ride. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Get your heart rate up every day of the week. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chew your food more, eat slower, meditate, sit still, get your heart rate lower.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Set yourself a health goal. It doesn't have to be wild. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It takes a lot of things to raise a healthy child. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And healthy kids do better in school. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They have better jobs. They lead better lives. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They marry healthier husbands and healthier wives.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Good health is a skill and teachers need to teach it. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now you've got me preaching so I might as well preach it. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Health is not a one-semester class you take in middle school. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It should be a part of every subject, not the exception but the rule.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Learn about good health in math, in english, and in social studies. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Work on a project about nutrition in science with your buddies. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And parents need to be involved too. Teachers can't do this alone. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Good health starts at home.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We need to own this issue because the stakes are high. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What does it matter if we try to increase our scores in math and reading, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If scores are dying before their time because they got fatter and fatter. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Healthy students make wealthy earners not to mention better learners.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The choices you make every day have the biggest impact in the biggest of ways. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Check it: why else would they say -- an apple a day keeps the doctor away. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But new solutions to old problems: that's the American way! <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Who cares about keeping the water clean and pure? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There isn't a problem if they can't sell you the cure.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don't keep looking for new technology to be your medical savior. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course it's easier to be saved by a miracle than it is to change your behavior. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So we need to value health education the way we value math and reading. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We can't keep feeding our children the same old lessons like junk food full of saturated fat, and sugar and chemicals. We can do better than that.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We can and we will and that's the truth. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Because the future... the future belongs to the healthy youth. Amen.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Strange how I pick this poem because of how much it does not relate to me. Whether you are aware or not, I do focus much more on education than health, and, overall, health is not a top priority for me. That is the exact opposite mindset that this poem is in; because I cannot make any substantial connections with it, it actually compels me towards it. The exposure to an opposite perspective that is well-presented and informative justifies my choice in picking this poem. There are several key phrases and words in this poem. We have:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But shouldn't the children of the country that's the wealthiest, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Also be the children of the country that's the healthiest?”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The opening evidence, it’s a strong piece of evidence and really sticks in your head because of the use of rhythm and rhyme.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We can and we will.” as well as “We can't keep feeding our children the same old lessons like junk food full of saturated fat, and sugar and chemicals. We can do better than that.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We can and we will.” is repeated a fair amount of times throughout this poem, it gives the reader(or listener) more hope. “We can't keep feeding our children the same old lessons like junk food full of saturated fat, and sugar and chemicals. We can do better than that.” conveys the same message, except the execution makes a greater connection to the average Joe. These negative messages do not kick the dog when he’s down, but instead teach the dog to fend for himself.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Health is not a one-semester class you take in middle school. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It should be a part of every subject, not the exception but the rule.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A strong statement, especially since Mali raises his voice on “exception” but then turns his voice into a sincere, hopeful voice on “rule”.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The unhealthy can't hack this.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Another powerful phrase, unhealthy people cannot find a way to cheat health. The usage of the word “hack” makes this statement so much better.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The choices you make every day have the biggest impact in the biggest of ways.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A bold statement which has significant meaning not only for health, but for life in general.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But new solutions to old problems: that's the American way! <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Who cares about keeping the water clean and pure? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There isn't a problem if they can't sell you the cure.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don't keep looking for new technology to be your medical savior. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course it's easier to be saved by a miracle than it is to change your behavior.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This explains the error in American health philosophy. Instead of prevention, we’ll just fix it once the damage has been done! The line “There isn't a problem if they can't sell you the cure.” sticks out, the way Taylor says it really just sticks into your mind.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We can and we will and that's the truth. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Because the future... the future belongs to the healthy youth. Amen.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Back to the “We can and we will”. The last word “Amen” is a very strong lasting thought, throughout the whole poem, there are references to preaching about health and by the end, that’s what happens. Oh and of course, “preaching” is a big keyword.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The theme of the poem (if you haven’t guessed it already) is about improving health for this generation, the children of the western world (i.e. my generation, probably not last generation, unless there is some secret message in this poem which, if read backwards and then held in a mirror, reveals that this poem is about preserving health for those in the 28-48 age range). If you look at the key phrases, a lot of it has something to do with youth and hope for a healthier future; the overall feel of the poem heavily suggests the improvement of health for the youth of today.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“An Apple a Day is Not Enough” is more of a literal poem, therefore, it’s not filled with a lot of figurative speech. However, there are quite a few poetic devices in this poem every now and then, the more important ones include:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rhythm and Rhyme - This one is very easy to see, the whole poem is based around rhythm and rhyme, in fact the first stanza already has this poetic device in it.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But shouldn't the children of the country that's the wealthiest, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Also be the children of the country that's the healthiest?”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Symbolism - the Apple in the title represents health in general.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Alliteration - Taylor has a habit in alliterating words like “We”, “Kids”, “Children/Child”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We need to improve it. We can and we will”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hyperbole - Lots of hyperbole usage in this poem, mainly to emphasize the message.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We need to own this issue because the stakes are high. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What does it matter if we try to increase our scores in math and reading, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If scores are dying before their time because they got fatter and fatter.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is an exaggerated statement, but it does create a bigger impact.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Metaphor- Like most poems, this poem has metaphors. An example would be:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” A single apple cannot protect you against the trillions of dangerous bacterium out there. The phrase means that eating healthy will keep you healthy (therefore, preventing unnecessary visits to the doctor).

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Repetition - “If scores are dying before their time because they got fatter and fatter.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Personification- “children of the country” This is debatable, but countries cannot have children, people part of the country can, but not the actual country.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Allusion - References to the Bible with the nice little “Amen” at the end.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Imagery - “Who cares about keeping the water clean and pure? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There isn't a problem if they can't sell you the cure.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don't keep looking for new technology to be your medical savior. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course it's easier to be saved by a miracle than it is to change your behavior. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So we need to value health education the way we value math and reading. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We can't keep feeding our children the same old lessons like junk food full of saturated fat, and sugar and chemicals. We can do better than that.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This along with the video above creates a powerful image.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Satire/Sarcasm- In this context “Who cares about keeping the water clean and pure? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There isn't a problem if they can't sell you the cure.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Irony - “Get your heart rate up every day of the week. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chew your food more, eat slower, meditate, sit still, get your heart rate lower.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yo Taylor, I know you make some pretty rad poems, but you got nothing on this kid.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">media type="youtube" key="212iH9jckT8" height="480" width="640" <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh and Def Poetry is the best show on HBO, it is quite obvious that shows like "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" are much more inferior to it.