THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
By Terry Kettering
By Terry Kettering
There’s an elephant in the room.
It is large and squatting
so it is hard to get around it.
Yet we squeeze by with,
“How are you?” and “I’m fine.”
and a thousand other forms of trivial chatter.
We talk about everything else –
except the elephant in the room.
We all know it is there.
We are thinking about the elephant as we talk together.
It is constantly on our minds.
For, you see, it is a very big elephant.
It has hurt us all, but we do not talk about
the elephant in the room…
What is the"elephant"? What does the elephant represent?
What will be accomplished if they talk about the elephant?
What are your thoughts about the mood of the poem?
What elements of dialogue are used in the poem? Why are they effective?
How does this poem relate to Speak?
Have you ever had an elephant in the room?Explain
Tory T period 6 - The speaker in the poem is someone in the room who wants to talk about a problem, but no one will bring it up. The elephant is a metaphorical saying used to represent the awkwardness that occurs when somebody wantts to talk about something but does not know the right way to bring it up. When you identify the elephant it releases the tension and enables everyone to move on from the elephant. The mood of the poem is good, because they are trying to see the elephant. It relates to Speak because in Speak there is a big elephant between Melinda and her ex-friends. They don't know how to talk about what happened at the party.
ReplyDeleteidentifying the elephant does ease the tension in the room, but it also makes the elephant fall back into the slump of being a object instead of who it try's to be.
DeleteAriel C. period 6,
ReplyDeleteThe speaker of the poem is the victim or the person that wants to talk about the secret. The elephant is something that could be discussed but everyone is ignoring it. The elephant represents the secret that the speaker wants to talk about. If they talk about the elephant, then the secret will be out. The mood of the poem is sad because the speaker wants to discuss the elephant but everyone else is ignoring it and it leaves you feeling sympathetic for the speaker. The dialogue used are the type of words that you use with acquaintances rather than people that you care about. This poem relates to Speak because Melinda's rape is the elephant in the room and everyone of her ex-friends and family knows something is wrong and they just ignore it because they do not want to deal with her issues. My friend had a boyfriend and she didn't want to tell her parents about it, but they knew something was different about her and they just ignored it.
Shannon Zuccarelli (period 6)- In this poem the speaker is someone in the classroom who is avoiding a secret but wants to talk about. The elephant represents a secret that no one says anything. If you talk about the elephant then the secret will be out and everyone will know. I think the poem is a good representation about how people and students keep secrets inside to avoid confrontation. The dialoug in the poem is, "How are you?" and, "I'm fine," This is affected because it makes you feel like you are actually in the conversation. This poem relates to speak because Melinda's peers know that something is wrong with her but no one asks her about it and Melinda doesn't tell anyone either. I have had an elephant in the room before when my friends knew something was bothering me but no one asked for a while and went on with their life, like Melinda.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Levkoff Period 6:
ReplyDeleteThe speaker in this poem is someone who wants to talk about something but nobody else there wants to mention anything on that specific topic. The "elephant" represents a secret. The "elephant" is something that everybody notices but nobody talks about. If they talk about the elephant things will change. People probably wont know what to say about the topic talked about and how to respond to what the speaker has to say about it. I think that the mood of this poem is that there is tention because there is something going on that everybody knows about but doesn't say a word even though that it is on their minds. This poem relates to Speak because Melinda has a secret and is scared to say anything to anyone about what really happened. Rachel and Ivy know something is up with her and that she isn't ok, her parents also know that she is a lot different than last year. The "elephant" is always on Melinda's mind and has the chance to tell people about it but she chooses not to. They use dialouge by saying "how are you" and "I'm fine." An example of an elehpant in the room would be if somebody has a bruise or a cut, everybody in the room will know about it, but they won't say anything even if they all have the same subject on their minds.
jorge p pd6
ReplyDeletethe speaker in this poem is the protogaonist the one who telling the poem.the elephant of this poem is a rumor/ something that is affecting someone, i think that the mood of the poem is sad and mad because it states "it hurts us all,but we dont talk about the elephant in the room.the elements used in this poem is metaphor because the speaker says there is an elephant in the room, there is no elephant in the room its a rumor/something thats affecting someone,this book relates to spek because in the book the people dont talk to Melinda becuase of what she did at the party, there is an elephant in the school, people now know what she did at the party people talk about it.I have not had an elephant in the room people dont talk about me that would affect me in school and in class.
Jackie Dalfonso period 6: The speaker is someone who is in that room that would like the secret or the problem to end. The elephant is obviously a big secret. The elphant reprsents a secret, or a problem existing in the classroom. If they talk aboout the elephant (the seceret) all they're doing is basically spreading the secret around. Then soon everyone will know. If they talk abput the eplhant in a good way maybe they could fix the problem and find out more.My thoughts on the mood are... You can feel a sense of silence, and there is no peace, an awkard sense of mysteriousness. Possibly everyone is in fear because they are afraid to talk about the problem. they use the dialogue in the beginning of the story. "how are u? im fine." this is effective because people feel like they are actually in the story, and or conversation. This relates to speak because, melinda is the elephant, and no one wants to know what happened and are afraid to ask. Yes I've had many times. Like if you are not friends with a certain poerson anymore, it feels awkward.
ReplyDeleteKevin Alvord-Period 6
ReplyDeleteThe speaker of this poem is the person that wants to talk about a specific topic but no one is talking about it. The elephant represents the secret that the speaker wants people to talk about. The accomplishment of talking about the elephant is getting the secret out and the tension will be taken out of the room. The mood of this poem makes me pretty confused because before I intercepted the poem I didn’t understand it at first. The elements of dialog are in the part of the poem where it says how you and im fine are because it sort of makes you feel like you are in the scene. This poem relates to speak because Melinda is the elephant and no one is asking her anything and no one cares.
Jacob McKinsey period 6 The speaker is the person who wants people to talk about the “elephant” in this poem the speaker is the guy (or girl) who want to talk about whatever the secret is. The elephant is a secret that everyone knows but no one talks about. If everyone talk about the elephant people can get on with their lives or whatever what they’re supposed to do. The poem mood is awkward and tensions because of the “elephant” it’s like u want to look at it but u don’t want to get caught looking at it. The poem uses a strong metaphor of the “elephant in the room” where there is like a secret that no one want to talk about not a real elephant in the room I feel this is effective because everyone can picture a elephant in a room but no one said a word about it. The “elephant” in speak is what happened to Melinda at the party everyone knows something happened to her but know one asking or talking about why she really called the police. I once felt like an elephant in a room when I broke my arm and I had this red shinny cast on my left arm but that wasn’t it the cast had a bunch of rainbow stickers on the bottom of the cast because of my little sister put them there as a prank. No one said a word to me for 3 days I found out when I took a shower and they feel in the drain I was pissed.
ReplyDeleteMichael Dragone Period 6-the speaker is the person who wants to talk about the situation. The elephant represents a secret. they will accomplish what happened about the secret and get the drama out of there minds. I feel that this poem is sad because its is causing drama for some people. this effetcs it because the use how are you and im am fine becuase it brings in the reader into the reading. this poem relates to speak because melindas problem is the elephant in the room because everyone asking and talking about what is worng with melinda and what she did. i had an elephant in the room when there is teenage drama about who kiss who and who broke with who.
ReplyDeleteNick Nelson Period 6-
ReplyDeleteThe speaker is the person who wants the secret to be talked about. The elephant represents a secret that everybody knows but knowbody wants to talk about. If they talk about the elephant they will accomplish getting their thoughts out. My thoughts about the poem is that this it feels sad because they all know it but they cant talk about it. The dialoug is effective because it shows what they talk about other than the elephant. This poem relates to speak because Melinda is the elephat. Everybody knows that she's there, and that there's something wrong with her but nobody wants to talk about her or help her. I have had an elephant in the room. The situation was that there was somebody with us that nobody liked but nobody wantede to say anything or make them leave.
Carly Rutkovsky- period 7
ReplyDeleteThe speaker in the room is someone who is hiding something that they really want to speak out about. The elephant is supposed to represent something that everyone has noticed(usually negative,) but has decided to go around and avoid it at all costs. I think if the "elephant" is discussed the issue will be resolved. The mood of this poem is very pessimistic, awkward, and almost as if you can feel the tension as they sit next to the elephant. The elements of dialogue include sayings and behavior you use with someone you are not very close to, rather than one of your closest friends. This poem relates to Speak because Melinda, besides the fact she has a lot of problems going on for her, she herself is a elephant because multiple people have noticed her symptoms just no one decides to talk about it. I have had an elephant in the room when my friend, her most recent ex, and I were partnered together in bio and I did all the talking and work because neither of them could say anything without it making the situation uncomfortable.
Brian Ganis-period 3: The speaker in the room is one of the members in this room who want to share something but won't. The elephant represents a common conflict or observation that people have already identified. If they talk about the "elephant" then this will relieve stress for everyone or help them bare the burden. The mood of this poem is very anxious, tense and baffling. The elements included are metaphors comparing the elephant to a problem. This poem relates to Melinda because, she knows what happened and wants to share it, but feels that it will create a chain reaction of suffering. By relieving the problems from herself it is causing hurt on her friend, parents, everyone who was mean. Although obviously she should tell someone what happen. Regardless of the chain reaction it may cause. There has been an elephant i the room many times, for example if you like someone and they don't like you, and vise versa. The person is too afraid to take a chance because they fear the possible outcomes.
ReplyDeleteChris G Period 7- The speaker in this poem is Terry Kettering, and the elephant represents a problem that someone has but won't share it. Instead of beating around the bush or the "elephant", if people would talk about their problem/ elephant they would feel relieved and happy to get something off their chest. the mood of the poem sounds very mysterious to me, mainly because no one wants to talk about the elephant. The phrases "How are you" and "I'm fine" are used because the poet explains how these people face a huge problem but act like nothing is wrong. The poem relates to speak because Melinda's problem is the fact that she was raped, and she will not tell anybody about it. I have had an elephant in the room, and as soon as i told someone about it i felt great to get it off my chest.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Miles- Period 7- The speaker in the poem is Terry Kettering and the elephant is a symbol of someone who has a problem but won't share it with somebody. If this person would actually talk about their problems the elephant would be happy because he felt better sharing out an he felt relieved. The mood of the poem is anxious. Some elements that are used are metaphors when they say they are referring the elephant to a problem. This poem relates to Speak because Melinda's big problem is she was raped and she has a really hard time speaking out about it. In fact she hasn't told anyone about it. I have had an elephant in my room and as soon as I told someone about my problem I felt much better!
ReplyDeleteCarlye Uretta Period 4- The speaker in the poem is someone in the room who wants to talk about a problem. The elephant represents the problem that someone is going through but will not tell anyone about. If they talk about the so called "elephant" they would feel relieved and have the weight lifted off their shoulders. The mood of the poem is very confusing because in the beginning its a little hard to understand the meaning of the elephant but towards the end it beings to clear up and it becomes more obvious what the elephant is representing. The phrases "How are you?" and "Im fine" are effective because it shows how easy it is to cover up your sadness with a few simple words and it also shows that people don't take a step back to actually figure out if something really is wrong. This poem relates to Speak because the elephant in this poem is the problem of her being raped, also how the poem states that nobody is talking about the elephant Melinda doesn't really speak about her problems either but she still knows they are there and they are pretty much eating her up inside. There has been elephants in my room various times one time for example, if one of your friends or siblings are doing something bad (as simple as cheating on a test to more serious, drugs or something) and you want to tell someone about it but you know if you tell someone your friend or sibling will know it was you who told and they will get mad at you for what you did.
ReplyDeleteNicole D (period 4) The speaker of this poem is someone in the room who is ignoring the "elephant". The "elephant" isn't an actual elephant. It is a secret or a problem that everyone is avoiding and ignoring. If they talk about the elephant, then the problem or secret will be out and things will change. These people will overcome the guilt that the elephant is bringing to them once they talk about it. I think that the mood of this poem is sad because the speaker wants to talk about the “elephant” but no one else wants to and it leaves me feeling sympathetic for this person. The element of dialogue used in this poem is a metaphor with the whole concept of the elephant. With phrases such as “How are you?” and “I’m fine.” The poem shows that the people are acting like nothing is wrong but deep down they know there is something wrong. This poem relates to speak because Melinda is also experiencing an inner conflict for discussing what happened to her at the party. She doesn’t want to talk about it because she thinks that will cause more problems. These people don’t want to talk about the elephant because it has hurt them like the memory hurts Melinda. Everyone in the room represents Melinda’s ex-friends and family who notice the problem but don’t do anything about it. I have had an elephant in the room when my friends and I had a fight and we were together the next day, not one of us talked about it and just ignored it instead of dealing and fixing it.
ReplyDeleteKatie Stevens. Period 4- The speaker of this poem is the person who wants to talk about the problem. The elephant in this poem is the problem that everyone is leaving alone. The elephant represents a secret everybody is ignoring. If they talk about the elephant then they will be very relieved and less anxiety. The mood of the poem is sad because it seems like the people dont have the confidence to talk about the problem they are facing. The phrases "How are you" and "I'm fine" are effective because they make it seem like they are fine on the outside, however, on the inside they are locked up and ready to explode their emotions all over the place. This poem relates to Speak because in the book, Melinda has a secret that she keeps from everyone. Andy Evans would represent the elephant that everyone is trying to keep from and ignore. She doesnt talk about the fact that she was raped, which is a problem because she is not letting herself feel free or relieved. She is keeping all of her emotions and secrets locked up inside, which is a very bad thing to do. Yes, I have had an elephant in the room many times before. One example would be when you are in a fight with someone and you feel a tension between you and that person. You feel like all eyes are on you and that you cant escape.
ReplyDeleteKiana Comizio Period 7
ReplyDeleteThe speaker in the poem is someone who has been hurt by the elephant. S/he knows the elephant is there and is a problem but since no one else will talk about it s/he doesn't acknowledge it either. The elephant represents a problem. This problem has hurt many people but the victims will not talk about it because it is too painful. I think the poet choose to make the problem an elephant to symbolize that the problem is large and obvious yet no one will talk about it. If people start talking about the elephant then the problem could be made better. When problems are avoided and not dealt with there is no way the problem could get better. I think the mood of the poem is hopeful because although it is kind of sad that this problem hurt him/her, it sounds like the he/she has realized that maybe /he/she should start talking about it and then it will get better. The poet uses metaphors to compare the elephant to a problem that no one will face. This poem relates to Melinda in the book Speak because Melinda also has a problem that for so long she didn't acknowledge and she doesn't talk about it. I have had an elephant in the room. Sometimes when I have problems I feel like if I don't talk about them or think about them they will go away and I will forget about them. My experiences have proved this false because you eventually remember them and are faced to deal with the problem eventually.
Tristan Votta Period 6
ReplyDeleteThe speaker in the poem is the person in the room that wants the "elephant" or the problem to be talked about. The "elephant" in the room represent an issue, or awkward situation that the people in the room do not want to talk about. One thing that can be accomplished by talking about the "elephat" is relieving the tension in the room, and getting rid of all feelings of anxiety about the situation. One feeling I get from the poem is one of being indecisive because no one knows whether to bring up the "elephant" or not. The dialogue the author uses is effective because it makes you feel like you are in the room, and in that awkward situation. This poem relates to Speak because everyone knows Melinda has some sort of problem, but no one wants to bring it up, or talk about it. Once, I was in a situation where there was an "elephant" in the room. This was when two family members got in a fight a couple months prior to this party. Both of them were invited, and sitting in the same room, but no one wanted to bring up what needed to be talked about and resolved.
Olivia Barbulescu Period 7-The speaker in this poem is someone who is describing the elephant and is being tortured by some type of secret. The elephant is a secret that no one wants to talk about because they are all afraid to admit that they all had been hurt and terrified by the elephant. If all the people in the room talked about the elephant, they could share their inner feelings and find a way to get past what had happened instead of staying in a depressed state of mind. I think the poem is extremely sad because everyone in the room has had a different and malicious experience, creating a room full of dark and isolated thoughts. The mood is also fitting for what it is about, and when talking about avoiding the elephant, “we” is used constantly because the narrator knows how everyone around her feels too. The narrator also talks about the elephant as if it were a real thing, not just a thought which shows how monumental the secret must be. This relates to Speak because Melinda avoids thinking about getting raped at the party ( the ‘elephant’) and it damages her to the point where she is getting affected mentally and physically; she becomes isolated, depressed and almost mute and stops taking care of herself. I personally have never had an elephant in the room because I am a very outspoken person, but then again I have also never been placed in an extreme situation in which I felt so uncomfortable that I was afraid to face something.
ReplyDeleteAbdullah Ahmad Period 3- The speaker in this poem was a person that didn't want to bring the topic, but wants to bring it out. The elephant is a secret that everyone is trying to avoid. If they talk about the elephant, the secret will come out and things will change. These people may overcome their guilt that the "elephant" brings to them. I think that the mood of this poem is sad by how the speaker talks about the "elephant". The element of dialogue in which the speaker is reading is a metaphor with the hold idea of the elephant as the topic. With the phares such as "I'm fine" and "How are you?" This poem shows that people are acting like their is no harm done. The poem relates to Speak because Melinda is also facing an conflict in which happened at the party. She doesn't want to talk about it because she thinks that will have more problems. The people don't want to talk about the elephant because it hurts just like Melinda at the party. Everyone in the room represents Melinda's ex-best friends and family who notice problems with her, but doesn't want to talk about it. I have an elephant in the room when my friends and I had a big fight between each other. Soon the next day we ignored it and fixed with it.
ReplyDeleteScott Bartman period 4-
ReplyDeleteThe speaker in the poem is someone who acknowledges there is an issue yet like everyone does nothing hoping that someone else will fix the problem or the issue would just go away. The elephant represents an issue that everyone knows is present. If they talk about the elephant then the issue could be solved but they would have to work to solve it which is unlikely. The mood is sad because the poet wants to talk about the problem yet no one is and he does not want to start the conversation about it. they used a simile comparing an elephant to a problem/secret, and "a thousand other", even though not that many conversations were occurring they got across the point that a lot did occur. This poem relates to Speak because she has a secret which is she was raped and people know that something happened to her at the party yet none of them talk about it. I have had an elephant in the room and I talked about it after a while and suddenly I felt much better about it.
Nicolette Forgione Period 3 - The speaker in this poem is a person who has been affected by someone or something but keeps it a secret and won't speak up about it. The elephant is the person who harmed the speaker and it represents the issue that the speaker won't tell anyone about. If the speaker talks about the elephant, I think it will accomplish many things. The speaker won't have to be living the memory alone if they choose to share it with others so that they can identify why the speaker is so broken inside and why the speaker is pretending to be okay by replying with "I'm fine." to every "How are you?". My thoughts about the mood of the poem is that the speaker is desperate to tell someone about the elephant but can't find the words to tell them. The poem uses metaphors to show a comparison between the elephant and the conflict that the speaker finds to be so difficult to talk about with others. This poem relates to Speak because Melinda is like the speaker. The elephant in Speak was Andy Evans who raped Melinda at a party and changed Melinda's life for the worse. She was so depressed and had such negative thoughts and memories about that night that she couldn't tell anyone about what really happened to her. She found that no one was interested in hearing her story so she kept it to herself and was slowly falling apart because the memory of it kept eating at her on the inside that she finally started to show her pain on the outside. I have had an elephant in the room before. Like Melinda, I thought it was easier for me to face my problems on my own and to just keep them bottled up inside of me but in the end I learned that if you don't tell anyone what you're really feeling, you'll start to break down and eventually, you'll reach a point where you can't take the pain anymore and you end up telling someone and letting all of your feelings out makes you feel so much more relieved and happy.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Quinn Period 4- The speaker of the poem is a person that has been effected by the elephant that is in the room. The elephant is a problem or an event. It represents something that has happended to the poeple in the poem. If the elephant is talked about then they will all understand how the elephant has hurt them so then they can get over it. My thought on the poem is that thety people in the peom need to start talking about the elephant becasue something went on that needs to be talked about. In the dialogue each line relates back to the elephant making it effective because it keeps the reader focused on the elephant. This poem relates to speak becasue in this poem something went on that needs to be talked about, in Speak, Melinda needed to talk about when she was raped. A time when i had an elephant in that room was when i stopped being friends with a person, so everytime a saw them or aorund them, it was very awkward.
ReplyDeleteSydney Mueller (Period 3)-
ReplyDeleteThe speaker in this poem is the person who wants to talk about an incident that happened, but it is too awkward for them. There isn’t an actual “elephant” in the room, but the elephant represents the situation or problem that the speaker wants to talk about. Everyone knows what happened in the past and they are avoiding the subject. If someone decides to talk about the problem, or “elephant”, then the tension will be cleared and the real emotions will start to come out in to the open. The mood of the poem is very awkward, which Terry Kettering has intended it to be. There isn’t a very strong use of dialogue in this poem because the speakers don’t know what to say to each other without being awkward. This is very effective because it shows how they will talk about everything else except for the problem they have between each other. This poem relates to Speak because when Melinda is in the same room as Andy Evans, she doesn’t say anything about what happened that night at the party. Melinda wants to speak up and tell someone what happened with her and Andy when the Martha’s start talking about how gorgeous he is. When Andy comes over Melinda won’t talk at all about the rape and doesn’t want to share her true feelings. I’ve had an elephant in the room when I was walking with my best friend and she went up to my ex-best friend and started talking with her. I didn’t know what to say without making it awkward between us so I didn’t talk.
.-- .... . -. / .- -. -.. -.-- / -.-. --- -- . ... / --- ...- . .-. / -- . .-.. .. -. -.. .- / .-- --- -. .----. - / - .- .-.. -.- / .- - / .- .-.. .-.. / .- -... --- ..- - / - .... . / .-. .- .--. . / .- -. -.. / -.. --- . ... -. .----. - / .-- .- -. - / - --- / ... .... .- .-. . / .... . .-. / - .-. ..- . / ..-. . . .-.. . -. --. .-.-.-
ReplyDelete