ASLHS poems gloss (PDF)

ASL 1 & 2 Poetry
• Invictus by William Ernest Henley
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9GbDuYoSkg
ASL Gloss:
NIGHT OVER-HEAD DARK SAME-AS MOON
DEEP FOCUS DOWN
APPEAR I UP THERE THANK THANK
WHATEVER GODS HAVE UP-THERE
THINK SOUL MY NOT BEAT CAN CAN
SINCE DIFFERENT x3 AWFUL x3 PUNCH FACE x2
I WHAT SUFFER QUIET
DOESN’T MATTER AWFUL HAPPEN x2 PUNCH FACE x2
BLOOD HEAD DOWN HOLD HEAD UP STAND
WHAT AREA WHAT ANGRY x3 CRY x3
AREA WIGGLE FINGER POINT
DARK SHADE COME CLOSE
I DOESN’T MATTER
TIME NEAR DARK END AFRAID ZERO SINCE
GATE x3 HARD DOESN’T MATTER
UNROLL SCROLL LIST POINT-LIST PUNISH x3 DOESN’T MATTER
I CONTROL MY FUTURE
I GUIDE MY SOUL
English meaning:
This poem was written while Henley was in the hospital being treated for
tuberculosis of the bone. He had the disease since he was young and his foot
had been amputated right before he wrote the poem. It’s about courage in the
face of death and holding on to one’s dignity despite the trials of life.
• True Story by Shel Silverstein
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir4SwB0_ois
ASL Gloss:
TRUE STORY
THIS MORNING I GET ON MY HORSE RIDE RIDE RIDE RIDE GALLUP
HAPPEN TRUE
SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT AHH
CHASE
GALLUP GALLUP GALLUP POINT ( Look behind )
SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT BULLET x4
HIT SIDE BLOOD SQUIRT AHHHH
FALL DOWN
SPOT CAVE THERE
BIG CAT LIVE THERE
I CRAWL IN
TRY HIDE
BUT PIRATE SPY FIND ME SLEEP LAY DOWN
GRAB POLE ( downwards v ) TIE AROUND ( act tied up and grab finger )

LIGHT FIRE ( under finger ) FIRE FIRE FIRE
TRUE OPEN SHIRT
HONEST PULL HAIR CRY
BUT HAPPEN WOMAN MERMAID CURVY APPEARED
UNTIE RELEASE
PRAY MARRY GO AHEAD
I UHHH FINE
I COME BACK WEDNESDAY
BUT LET YOU KNOW ( cover mouth ) LIE SHHH
I RAN ENTER TREE WET AREA
I FORGET MY GUIDE TAP TAP TAP
WALK INTO SINK ( swimming drown )
SWIM SWIM SWIM SWIM ( frantically )
I SPIN I CAN’T OUT
THERE SNAKE NAMED CLYDE CRAWL OVER
GRAB PULL FORWARD
ARRIVE OH I SEE
GROUP PEOPLE WHO EAT OTHER PEOPLE AREA
THROW ME BOWL PLAN TO COOK BOIL
I STAND PULL SHIRT
BUT EAGLE APPEARED SWOOPED DOWN
ME GRABBED SWOOPED UP
THROUGH A-I-R WIND WIND WIND
FLY FLY WIND WIND
HAIR FLY DOWN
WING
EAGLE DO-DO
DROP FALL WATER AREA
ITSELF BOILING HOT
ONE THOUSAND MEASURE WIDE
I IMMERSE
SWIM DROWN SWIM
YOU NEVER GUESS WHAT HAPPEN NEXT
I DIED
MY TRUE STORY
English meaning:
This is just a fun story, an exaggerated lie. Or perhaps the poem is saying, there will always be
problem in life or maybe-don’t lie to mermaids.
•

This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HQhVikelC4
ASL Gloss:
POINT I FINISH EAT-UP PLUM (nod head)
POINT LEFT THERE-IX COLD FREEZE OPEN-UP
GRAB POINT-IX (nod head)
I KNOW-THAT YOU MAYBE TRUE
SAVE FOR EAT-MORNING SORRY
FORGIVE-ME WOW DELICIOUS
SWEET COLD (shrug shoulders)
English meaning:

This is a satire poem about a man eating a plum that was someone else's and
then apologizing for it. Even though the subject is so simple and the poem is
short, this poem still has poetic devices and meaning. A symbol used in this
poem are the plums: "I have eaten/the plums/that were in/the icebox.” Even
though the word "plums" is only used once in the poem, every line after refers
to them. So the plums symbolize premature death of an object or person.
Within the few lines of this poem, Williams still manages to set the setting
through the poem by two words: plums and ice box. She sets the setting in a
kitchen and perhaps the poem is a note that the narrator left for the person
who was saving the plums for breakfast?
• Hope is the Thing with Feathers by Emily Dickinson
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-98kOz7h_3g
ASL Gloss:
HOPE FLY FLUTTER SOUL SIT SING HEART
INSPIRE WORDS NEED NONE CONTINUE BREATH SING INSPIRE
WIND PATIENT INSPIRE PRECIOUS (know-that) I IMAGINE LIGHTNING
STORM TORNADO LIGHTNING x3 FOR SMALL BIRD LITTLE INSPIRE-INSPIRE
CL:G (people) MANY SCATTERED INSPIRE SINCE LAND THERE COLD
TOUCH-HEART INSPIRE SEA THERE AREA DON’T-KNOW INSPIRE SINCE
DOESN’T MATTER PATIENT x3 SMALL FLAP-AWAY TAP SHOULDER MUST
GIVE (small) EXCHANGE NONE
English meaning:
In this poem, Dickinson is creating a metaphor of hope through a bird.
The hope that is within the speaker is much like a bird that continues to fly
inside her. While we may all experience some dark times, Hope can offer some
encouragement.
• If I Told You I was Deaf, Would You Turn Away by Colin Thomson
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m3sOG3J8CQ
ASL Gloss:
HAPPEN I-LET-YOU KNOW MYSELF DEAF I-GO-TO YOU HUH
YOU TALK-ME I LOOK I UNDERSTAND WHAT ALRIGHT
I GO-AHEAD SIGN YOU UNDERSTAND HUH I SIGN WHY I SIGN EXPRESS
UNDERSTAND I TRY LIMIT TALK SPEAK UNCLEAR YOU WHAT SMILE NODHEAD TRUE BEHIND LOOK-DOWN REALLY YOU WILL LOOK-DOWN ME
MYSELF NOT HEARING THINK HEARING I GO-AHEAD LOOK UNDERSTAND
HUH THAT WHAT I EYES I PRECIOUS I THINK LISTEN EYES LISTEN BRAIN
UNDERSTAND CLEAR GO AHEAD TAP-PERSON TAP-ME WHAT INSULT HUH
WHAT GO-AHEAD POINT x4 THERE THERE THAT I WANT THAT HAVE
MEANING THERE HEY LET-YOU-KNOW MY HEARING AID WHY TAKE SILLY
GAME SILLY GO-AHEAD MY LOVE YOU TAKE POINT ALRIGHT TRULY GO
AHEAD TAKE-FROM-ME x3 ANY LIST TOTAL BUT 1 MY IDENTITY TAKE
GRAB MINE ME MINE POINT COME-HERE COME-ON REALLY IDENTITY
WANT SHARE WITH YOU INTERACT WANT SHOW HOW WHAT SIGN THAT

SENTENCE QUOTE WHAT I LOVE YOU SAME WANT SHOW HOW LAUGH
IMPORTANT PRIDE DOESN’T MATTER LOOK-ME SIGN (small) SIGN (big)
TRUE CAN WHAT LOOK-DOWN MYSELF NOT HEARING THINK DISABILITY
THINK SEEM STRANGE I GO-AHEAD MESSAGE I MYSELF WHAT MESSAGE
GROUP THEM THERE YOU ACCEPT THAT ME ACCEPT MYSELF GO-AHEAD
YOU-ME SHARE LAUGH CAN GO-AHEAD LOOK-ME LOOK-DOWN-ME THAT
MYSELF YOU UNDERSTAND RESPECT ME TIP HAT THAT HAPPEN GOAHEAD YOU SUCCESS WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT REAL IMAGINE I IMAGINE
VISUALIZE TURN MIRROR THERE TRUE I-LOVE-YOU YOU-LOVE-ME
TOGETHER
English meaning:
This poem shares the struggles of being Deaf and connecting to the hearing.
Being Deaf is an identity not a disability. Hearing need to seek to understand
the Deaf and share in their beautiful language and all it has to offer.