z

Young Writers Society


E - Everyone

Duoality of Self

by Spearmint, EllieMae, JazzElectrobass, Ley, WeepingWisteria, herbalhour


~~~~~

Text: 

Duo, you held a mirror in front of my face,
and i said the same word over and over- modification
am I still a potato, even with peeled skin?
Just this morning I lost the potato sack race
(some might say the others cheated, but i know it was fair)
(maybe I wish they had cheated, then it wouldn't be my fault)

Les plumes de hibou vert m'embrassent,
te lo dije él estaba amable.
Il me garde en sécurité entre ses ailes,
Tiene d'occhio la mia famiglia
sé que todo está bien, pero...
I (no) rest, I watch (everything)

Duo, bitte vergib mir, me liebschien,
for I am indeed not a potato, I am
a fake, a doppelganger, the shadow of a reflection
I am nothing of substance, I am matter itself

~~~~~

Translation of the second stanza:

The feathers of the green owl hug me
i told you he was kind
He keeps me safe between his wings,
He keeps an eye on my family
i know that everything is fine, but...

Translation of the third stanza:

Duo, please forgive me, my dear,


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8 Reviews


Points: 41
Reviews: 8

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Thu Mar 07, 2024 7:15 pm
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JSadler wrote a review...



I didn't even realise this was about Duolingo to start with XD
Seriously that owl scares me...

ok now to review!
I actually love this poem, it really gives the weird, creepy energy of Duo, the random nonsense sentences and the use of different languages is really clever. I've always thought Duolingo was kind of ominous but in a subtle, light hearted sort of way, and you captured that perfectly with the line "He keeps an eye on my family" (or the Spanish version) - seems comforting but is actually more sinister.

"I (no) rest, I watch (everything)"
This line was also really cool to me, how you used the verbs you would probably find when learning a language and then the more ominous ones of the owl's voice in brackets, to show how the narrator is being controlled, or their voice is being restricted by the owl. It's interesting to explore the irony of a language learning app restricting peoples voices.
For a poem about Duolingo you've managed to add quite a lot of depth and emotion. I can almost see it as a comment on how technology is taking over our lives - the subtly controlling tone of the owl. Maybe that's me overthinking a silly poem but either way being able to have that sort of depth is what makes poetry so fabulous (even if it is unintentional).

My only criticism is more a criticism of my own reading, I was kind of confused by the third stanza and the stuff about a doppelganger and matter itself? is it about loss of identity in some way? To me it just felt a bit unrelated to the rest of the poem but perhaps I'm just not understanding it correctly.

Overall this is a really cool poem on a very weird theme, and I really enjoyed reading it!

I'm fairly new to this community so i hope this review was ok, thanks for sharing your poem <3




Spearmint says...


Hi JSadler, thanks for the review!! ^-^
I actually love this poem, it really gives the weird, creepy energy of Duo, the random nonsense sentences and the use of different languages is really clever.

Haha thanks!! Collab poetry does get pretty random sometimes, and I%u2019m glad you thought it worked well in this case! :]
"He keeps an eye on my family" (or the Spanish version) - seems comforting but is actually more sinister.

Yessss
It's interesting to explore the irony of a language learning app restricting peoples voices.

Ooh I love your interpretation! Thanks so much for sharing :3
I was kind of confused by the third stanza and the stuff about a doppelganger and matter itself?

Ahaha yeah, we were trying to combine a lot of ideas in this poem xD
This review was great!! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! <3
Also gonna tag @AilahEvelynMae, @herbalhour, @Leya, @JazzElectrobass, and @WeepingWisteria so they can see this ^^



Ley says...


Thank you JSadler! I'm glad you enjoyed our collaborative poem! <3





Thank you!! :D



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35 Reviews


Points: 2601
Reviews: 35

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Thu Mar 07, 2024 2:01 am
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Moonlily wrote a review...



Hello this going to be a somewhat short but sweet review. First and I mean this as kindly as possible but is this a duolingo cult? If so this is a very good poem for a green bird app. the third and second stanza is well done and feels like it could be apart of a second dramatic poem all it's own. You do get bonus points for putting it a different langue.

Again please dont take this as me being mean or bullying I just want to know if this some duo worshipping cult. All in all it's a well done poem despite the more off beat subject.

keep writing and remember to drink water.




Spearmint says...


hi Moonlily, thanks for the review!! ^-^
but is this a duolingo cult?

LOL it does seem like YWS has been taken over by Duo lately... no comment >.>
the third and second stanza is well done and feels like it could be apart of a second dramatic poem all it's own.

Cool, thanks for sharing your thoughts! If you have any suggestions on how to improve this poem, feel free to share them as well~
Hope you hydrate too! :3



EllieMae says...


Definitely not a Duolingo cult%u2026 <.-



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Points: 682
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Wed Mar 06, 2024 8:08 pm
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lemonboba says...



i like how you added some lines in other languages! keep up the good work :D




Spearmint says...


thanks, lemonboba!! :D cool username, btw ^^




The worst bullies you will ever encounter in your life are your own thoughts.
— Bryant McGill