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.

Outlines

00:00

📚 College Poetry and Unspoken Love

The narrator recounts his time in Syria before coming to Camp, where he attended college and a poetry evening. He sought feedback from a guest speaker who encouraged him, igniting his passion for writing. His friends noticed his talent and shared his work, leading to a professor humorously reading his love poem aloud. This incident caught the attention of a female friend from a wealthy family, who became interested in him. They bonded over poetry, and she secretly confessed her feelings in a letter hidden in lecture notes. Unaware, the narrator missed her advances until he found the letter, leading to a heart-to-heart conversation about their differing social statuses and the realization that their love could not overcome their world's barriers.

Keywords

💡Poetry

Poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to and different from the prosaic ostensible meaning. In the video, the protagonist finds motivation and solace in writing poetry, which becomes a central theme of his personal journey. The simple love poem he writes gains popularity among his friends and becomes a pivotal point in his interactions with others.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. In the script, the guest speaker's encouragement acts as a catalyst for the protagonist to continue writing poetry, illustrating how external validation can serve as a powerful motivator.

💡Love Poem

A love poem is a poem that expresses love, often romantic, towards an individual or love in general. The protagonist's love poem not only captures the attention of his peers but also becomes a vehicle for a deeper emotional connection with a female friend, demonstrating the power of poetry to convey deep feelings.

💡Prank

A prank is a mischievous trick played on someone, causing them to experience confusion or embarrassment. In the video, a friend's prank of presenting the protagonist's love poem as a research paper leads to an unexpected positive outcome, highlighting the unpredictable nature of such actions.

💡Social Class

Social class refers to a category of individuals producing similar amounts of goods, wealth, or income, and typically having similar social status. The protagonist's awareness of his lower social class compared to the female friend's higher status creates a barrier in their relationship, reflecting societal divisions and personal insecurities.

💡Honesty

Honesty is the quality of being truthful and genuine. The protagonist's dishonesty about the inspiration behind his poetry when asked by the female friend leads to misunderstandings and emotional turmoil, underscoring the importance of honesty in relationships.

💡Love Letter

A love letter is a letter written to express feelings of affection or love. In the script, the discovery of a love letter from the female friend inside an envelope intended for lecture notes leads to a dramatic revelation and misunderstanding, serving as a plot device to deepen the emotional conflict.

💡Misunderstanding

A misunderstanding is a situation in which the intended meaning of a communication is not understood, often leading to confusion or conflict. The protagonist's failure to read the love letter in a timely manner results in a significant misunderstanding that strains his relationship with the female friend.

💡Graduation

Graduation is the act of receiving an academic degree or the ceremony that is often associated with it. The impending graduation serves as a backdrop for the protagonist's decision to confront his feelings, symbolizing the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another.

💡Reality

Reality refers to the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. The protagonist's statement about being realistic about his situation and the differences between their worlds reflects a sober acceptance of the practical challenges they face.

💡Heart vs. Mind

The contrast between heart and mind often represents the struggle between emotions and logic. The protagonist's internal conflict between his logical understanding of their class differences and his emotional feelings for the female friend encapsulates a universal human dilemma.

Highlights

Speaker attended a poetry evening at college four years ago.

Speaker received motivational feedback from a guest speaker on their poetry.

A love poem by the speaker was widely copied by college friends.

A prank led to the professor reading the speaker's poem aloud in class.

The professor's laughter at the poem sparked interest from a female student.

The female student came from a high-status family and took an interest in the speaker's poetry.

The speaker began writing poetry for the female student during college breaks.

The female student asked if the poetry was written for her, to which the speaker lied.

The speaker had genuine feelings for the female student despite their different backgrounds.

The female student once gave the speaker lecture notes in an envelope.

The speaker discovered a love letter from the female student inside the envelope, but only after she had become distant.

The speaker failed an exam due to the shock of discovering the love letter.

The speaker decided to confront the female student about the misunderstanding.

The speaker explained to the female student that their backgrounds made a relationship unlikely.

The speaker expressed his love for the female student but acknowledged the reality of their situation.

The speaker emphasized the importance of following one's heart despite societal expectations.

Transcripts

back in Syria before I came here to this

Camp four years ago I was at a college

and and I went to a poetry evening and

there was a guest speaker and after the

event ended I spoke to him and I asked

please can you can you give me feedback

on my poetry so he read it just a poem

and and he said to me my son take care

of yourself you will become

something and that gave me the

motivation to keep keep

writing it was a very simple love poem

and my friends at College saw it and

they started to photocopy it we had a

research paper one time and one of my

friends who wanted to play a prank

instead of presenting his research he

gave the professor my poem and the

professor she started to read it out

loud and she started to laugh reading

and laughing and and when she reached

the end

she saw my name and she

said is that is that you I was on the

table and I had a

friend uh a female friend

yeah and she

said why is the professor

laughing and she asked for a copy of my

poem her father was from a very high up

family and and then I'm like you know

not from I mean I'm from a very poor

household

so she was talking to me and she started

to be a little bit more interested in me

so I started to write poetry and and we

would sit together during the breaks and

I would read to her the Poetry

aloud and once she said I want to ask

you a question but you have to be very

honest when you answer this okay all

this poetry that you've been writing is

it for

me I said

no but I was not telling the truth

because I was writing my poetry for

her I lied to her yes because I am

realistic I mean who am I I'm nothing

and she's from a very well-off

family but I'll be honest I had I had

some feelings for her she she used to to

write notes from the lectures that we

were given you know and and the and one

day I missed um a lecture and and I

asked her for a copy of her notes so she

brought the lecture to me on an envelope

and I I didn't read it right away cuz it

was we were going to need it later so I

left the envelope she she gave me and I

put it in a drawer and then the next day

she became really cold towards me and

she wouldn't even say

hello so you know a month later it was

time for me to study and I opened the

envelope she left for me with the

lecture notes and what I saw was in the

first page it was a love letter from her

to

me she thought I had read it and I had

ignored her completely and I was shocked

I was so shocked I failed the exam I

asked my friend what am I going to do

with this now what what what do you do

you know what and he told me just go go

speak to her and I said no I can't I

can't because because we're graduating

we're from different worlds and

and she she was walking with her friends

and I went up to her and I said hello um

and she said hello in a very cold tone

and I said can I speak to you for a

moment and she said no no I if you want

to say something say it in front of my

girlfriends I said look I can't have

this conversation in front of them you

know I have to speak with you alone and

she said Okay okay so we went to the

side you know and I told told her look

you're from a very rich family and I'm

from a poor family it's not that I don't

love you I do love you but I would never

fit in with your friends or the world

you belong to or your family I have to

go back to my town where people are

depending on me and you have to go back

to your town she was about to

cry and I told her I didn't ignore the

love letter you sent me I I just didn't

see

it most of the time I let my mind rule

you

know but sometimes the mind can function

and it's the heart that takes

over some things belong to the heart