"Shame" by The Avett Brothers

The subject of the Avett Brothers' "Shame" is shame, and the tone of the piece is regretful. The phrase "I'd like to see these [untender and untrue] thing undo" illustrates how the speaker is regretful about his past actions. He clearly regrets what he's done when he says "boatloads of shame" because the connotation shows he recognizes what he's done is wrong and feels bad about it. "I've had time to look around and think and sink into another world that's filled with guilt and overwhelming;" this line states outright that the speaker has thought about his action and regrets them now.

"The Language of Love"

-Purpose: To show that the deaf are not different from those who can hear.

-Up until the end of the video, the audience doesn't know the girl is deaf; she seems just like the average person, which pushes the point that deaf people aren't really different. The fact that the boy says "You're still beautiful" also shows how deafness doesn't make a person different or less special

-I'm left with an ooey-gooey feeling of awww, because it was so cute and sweet  and I wish things like that actually happened in real life.

Digeo Rivera Painting

S- Mexican workers

N- Diego Rivera, understands the plight of the Mexican laborers

A- Middle and upper class people

P- To show how hard it is for Mexican workers and how dreary their work is, and to get people thinking about the topic


-The workers have no faces, which shows how they are seen as unimportant to their bosses and indeed most people

"My Good Old Desk"

S- The narrator's desk

N- Nilson

A- Rock fans, maybe people with desks

P- Things that never change are comforting -> You can take comfort in knowing that God is always there for you


-It seems less like a song written when he was high and more like a deep, meaningful song


-"To keep my hopes alive" God gives people hope for their lives and their future

-"I've never seen it tease" God is kind and loving, and would certainly never tease anyone

-"a giant of all times" God is infinitely huge and there at all times

"The Pinch of Poverty"

S- Poverty and the families that it affects

N- He probably cares about poverty, maybe he grew up in it or saw it every day

A- The wealthy people of the time period this was created in, probably 19th or 20th century

P- To convey that poverty, although it is a hard burden to bear, can have its sparks of happiness and hope


-The brightness of the baby's blanket and the girl's flowers contrasts with the overall darness of the piece, representing that light and goodness can be found even in the most dismal of situations. One could even go as far as to say that the children themselves represent the happiness and hope of an impoverished life, and that they might be able to lift themselves up out of poverty

-From what I could tell, the expression on the girl's face was one of hope, especially when compared to that of her mother and brother. It further serves to emphasize that she sees some hope in her life and future despite her circumstances.