I Hear You - Gael Garcia Bernal Tells the Story of a Syrian Love Poem

Summary

The speaker recounts his time in college, where he wrote a simple love poem that gained popularity. A professor's humorous reaction and a female friend's interest in his poetry led to a deepening connection. However, a misunderstanding over a love letter led to a falling out. Despite his feelings, he chose to part ways, acknowledging their different worlds and the responsibilities awaiting him back home.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker was a college student in Syria before moving to a camp.
• 🎤 He attended a poetry evening where he met a guest speaker who encouraged him to continue writing.
• 💌 His friends appreciated his poetry and even pranked by presenting it as a research paper.
• 😂 The professor found the poem amusing and laughed while reading it aloud.
• 👩‍🎓 A female classmate from a wealthy family took an interest in the speaker's poetry.
• 💖 The speaker began writing poetry for this female classmate, though he initially lied about his intentions.
• 💔 The classmate misinterpreted the speaker's lack of response to her love letter as rejection.
• 📖 The speaker discovered the love letter in an envelope meant for lecture notes, long after it was sent.
• 😢 The speaker was shocked and upset upon finding the letter, which led to him failing an exam.
• 🤝 He eventually confessed to the classmate that he did love her but felt they were from different worlds.
• 💔 The speaker chose to prioritize his responsibilities and his own world over the relationship due to their social differences.

Q & A

What was the speaker's activity before coming to the camp?

The speaker was at a college in Syria.

What event did the speaker attend at college?

The speaker attended a poetry evening.

What did the guest speaker tell the speaker after reading his poem?

The guest speaker told the speaker to take care of himself and that he would become something, which motivated him to continue writing.

How did the speaker's friends at college react to his poetry?

The speaker's friends liked his poetry so much that they started to photocopy it.

What prank did one of the speaker's friends play in a research presentation?

Instead of presenting his research, the friend presented the speaker's poem to the professor.

How did the professor react when she read the speaker's poem during the presentation?

The professor started to laugh while reading the poem and only realized it was the speaker's work when she reached the end.

What was the speaker's relationship with the female friend who asked for a copy of his poem?

The speaker's female friend was from a high-status family, and she became more interested in him after hearing his poetry.

Why did the speaker start writing poetry for his female friend?

The speaker started writing poetry for his female friend because he had feelings for her and enjoyed reading his poetry to her during breaks.

What misunderstanding occurred between the speaker and his female friend after he missed a lecture?

The female friend thought the speaker had ignored her love letter because he didn't respond after she had given him an envelope containing the letter along with lecture notes.

How did the speaker react when he discovered the love letter?

The speaker was shocked and failed an exam because he was preoccupied with the discovery of the love letter.

What was the outcome of the speaker's conversation with his female friend about their social status and the love letter?

The speaker explained to his female friend that their social statuses were too different and that he had to return to his town where people depended on him, while she had to return to her own town.

What did the speaker mean when he said 'some things belong to the heart'?

The speaker meant that despite his logical understanding of their situation, he had genuine feelings for her, and sometimes emotions take precedence over rational thoughts.