I researched three events in Columbian history, the Banana (Santa Marta) massacre, the Columbian Conflict, and the War on Drugs. For LA I did two poems on Columbian history, one on the Banana Massacre and the other on the Columbian Conflict. For art, I did a digital collage on the poem I made about the Banana Massacre.
Thinking Skill - Synthesis
History: Using three primary documents, I did two poems on Columbian history. The first poem was on the Banana Massacre and the second poem was on the Columbian Conflict. I decided to synthesize the three primary documents because I wanted to do something different and I thought the use of words that related to the topics I'm doing the poems about, added some depth to the word choice.
LA: The poem I created using the primary documents were free-versed and both used a poetic style. In the first one I used a metaphor and in the second one I used descriptive language and contrast. I also read the book "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel García Márquez and created a word bank and a document analyzing the magical realism in the novel. I did a lot of research on magical realism and I wanted to try and synthesize the magical elements with the real historic parts in my poems.
Art: I did a digital collage on the poem I created about the Banana Massacre. I tried to go for a vintage retro style, but some of the colors are a bit too vibrant. The collage synthesized both the actual photos I chose along with the words and meaning of my poem.
Language Arts
Poems
Poem Idea:
Three stanzas; free-verse; will talk about each subject in the style of magical realism or metaphors. Poetry using words from the primary documents with collage elements layered alongside the words, adding to its interpretation. The subject will be on two of the Columbian events I researched.
Note: The styles for each document correspond with the words I picked out. It was done to organize where I picked the words from.
The calm tranquility, with apathy, eradicated. A wolf, efficient and corrupt, Most dangerousandbitter, thepublicdiscovered, Arethe forceswho (caused) thedeathsatSanta Marta.
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Columbian Conflict
Astreamthroughthevalley, Sustainedandsovereignovertheland, Juxtaposed withthedestructive drug zones, Theclandestine tradeofweaponsandnarcotics, A mental hallucination.
Social Studies
Poem Annotations
Poem 1 - Banana Massacre
The calm tranquility... - This references to the strike the workers for the United Banana Company went on in order to protest their treatment as workers. Before the Columbian government sent in the soldiers, the protesters were peacefully gathered in Cienaga's main square.
...with apathy, eradicated. - This references how little General Vargas cared for the lives of the protesters. A warning was issued, but the strikers were given very little time to actually react.
Most dangerous and bitter, the public discovered, - Through the actions, the Columbian government took to suppress the protesters, political opinion was polarised and through it, created the environment in which radical movements like FARC could emerge.
Are the forces who caused the deaths at Santa Marta. - Again, references the Columbian government and the troops who killed the strikers gathered at Santa Marta
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Poem 2 - Columbian Conflict
A stream through the valley, sustained and sovereign over the land. - These two lines are descriptions of a water stream that has been around for quite a long time. This is to set up the contrast of a somewhat common and normal sight with the illegal drug cartels and radical movements such as FARC.
Juxtaposed with the destructive drug zones, the clandestine trade of weapons and narcotics. - The description of a natural and old sight is contrasted by the trade of weapons and drugs between the guerillas and drug cartels and the destruction that comes out of it.
A mental hallucination. - Explains how the sight of the natural stream is ultimately destroyed through the harm caused by the guerillas which forced many working-class people to leave their homes.
Art
About The Piece
This collage represents the poem I made about the Banana Massacre. The wolf represents the government and the soldiers who massacred the strikers, and the banana stands for the strikers and the blood shed in their protest. The flowers around the bottom of the border are roses, carnations, and(orchids), all flowers representative of Columbia.
The Process
I had an idea of having an oval background and having the wolf pop out, so I went through many photos before I found the one of the angry wolf baring it's teeth. I then moved on to finding pictures of the Columbian flowers and looked for a geometric design to add to the other side of the wolf. I actually recolored it white, but by leaving it the original color in the lower area, it made for an interesting faded look. After that I looked for images of blood and a banana. Erasing the images was actually a bit difficult because I had to be precise and make sure it would look good on the final piece.
Final Piece
For a more vintage feel,I should have dulled the colors more, but I actually do like the final outcome of the piece. While this is my first actual collage, I also had practice with digital layering from doing digital art, so that gave me a boost in the creation of the collage.
Annotated Bibliography
Bagley, Bruce M. “Colombia and the War on Drugs.” Foreign Affairs, vol. 67, no. 1, 1988, pp. 70–92. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20043675. This source gave me background information on Columbia drug trade along with the War on Drugs and drug cartels. This helped me understand FARC, AUC, and other guerrilla and paramilitary groups’ relationship with drug trade along with how the production of drugs in Columbia affects other places like the U.S, and Europe. “Banana Massacre | History Channel on Foxtel.” History Channel, History Channel, 9 June 2017, www.historychannel.com.au/this-day-in-history/banana-massacre/. This article gave me an overview of the Banana massacre including why it happened and how it happened. I used this information to help me understand why many felt it unjust, and to formulate a poem on that subject. Bucheli, Marcelo. "United Fruit Company." History of World Trade Since 1450, edited by John J. McCusker, vol. 2, Macmillan Reference USA, 2006, pp. 775-777. World History in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3447600422/WHIC?u=pl7053&sid=WHIC&xid=224e92 21. Accessed 24 May 2019. The information here gave me the history of the United Fruit Company along with their impact on the U.S markets and on Columbia. This helped me understand why Gabriel García Márquez depicted the Banana Massacre the way he did. It also built background knowledge for why the Banana Massacre happened. Felter, Claire, and Danielle Renwick. “Colombia's Civil Conflict.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, 11 Jan. 2017, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/colombias-civil-conflict. This source gives a brief overview of the Columbian Conflict and what certain groups have done through acts of terror and drug trafficking along with what has been done to prevent the movement of drugs, and maintain peace. This source was used for background information for my poem. “War and Drugs in Colombia.” Crisis Group, Crisis Group, 20 Sept. 2016, www.crisisgroup.org/latin-america-caribbean/andes/colombia/war-and-drugs-colombia. This report gave me information on the War on Drugs in Columbia describing what’s been done to fight drug trade along with what needs to be done in order to try and maintain peace in Columbia. This was used to further my knowledge on the situation of drug trafficking and the suggestions made to help prevent it.