"And that thou thinkst thee free / From all solicitation from me, / Then shall my ghost come to thy bed" (Lines 2-4)
Creeper alert. This guy is super weird, and he is way too attached to this woman he is threatening. I read this poem as a warning to his wife/girlfriend/woman he met once and is stalking (I can't decide which she is, so we'll call her Woman X from now on.) The speaker is about the die, and he is warning Woman X to never sleep with another man again. This guy has some serious attachment issues, and he just doesn't know when to stop being so clingy. My guess is that Woman X met him a few times, and now he is a bit of a stalker. The image of a ghost following her around during any relationship she will ever have reminds me of the movie Over Her Dead Body starring Eva Longoria, the fantastic Paul Rudd, and Lake Bell. Eva Longoria is crushed by an ice sculpture on her wedding day when she is supposed to marry Paul Rudd. Paul Rudd moves on to meet Lake Bell, but Eva Longoria does not want them to be together. Lake Bell can see Eva Longoria after she is dead for some reason, and that is very unfortunate for Lake Bell. Eventually, the story works itself out because it is a Hollywood product, but the poem doesn't seem to have such a lovely ending in store for the characters. Pity.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
"Getting Out" Cleopatra Mathis
"And in the yearly letter, you're sure to say, / you're happy now. Yet I think of the lawyer's bewilderment / when we cried, the last day." (Lines 19-21)
This poem is like a left-handed love story. It is devastating to think of the destructive marriage that is described, but it is beautfiul to picture a love so drastic that it cannot be. It lasts through a divorce, and it knows when to end. It is not a pure, true love that can withstand anything, but it is still a love all the same. The speaker and her ex-husband are too similar to survive together, yet they realize their respect for each other once their marriage is ended. Personally, this is not something that I ever want to experience. I'm holding out for the best possible love there is: something that can survive situations where even after "heaving words like furniture," I can still say I am in love and the marriage moves forward. Fighting is not desired by anyone, but arguments are inevitable, and moving forward from them is the stuff of a good relationship. I like this poem despite the sad emotions attached to it.
This poem is like a left-handed love story. It is devastating to think of the destructive marriage that is described, but it is beautfiul to picture a love so drastic that it cannot be. It lasts through a divorce, and it knows when to end. It is not a pure, true love that can withstand anything, but it is still a love all the same. The speaker and her ex-husband are too similar to survive together, yet they realize their respect for each other once their marriage is ended. Personally, this is not something that I ever want to experience. I'm holding out for the best possible love there is: something that can survive situations where even after "heaving words like furniture," I can still say I am in love and the marriage moves forward. Fighting is not desired by anyone, but arguments are inevitable, and moving forward from them is the stuff of a good relationship. I like this poem despite the sad emotions attached to it.
"Hazel Tells LaVerne" Katharyn Howd Machan
"well i screams / ya little green pervert / an i hitsm with my mop / an has ta flush / the toilet down three time" (Lines 19 - 23)
The diction in Machan's poem is quite colloquial and informal. The speaker chooses words like "flushm" instead of "flush him" and "sida" instead of "side of." This use of words that would not normally be accepted in a formal writing assignment makes the poem easier to read and more fun too. When I initially read this poem, I thought of the movie, Princess and the Frog that came out a few years ago. The main female character, Tiana, speaks somewhat like the speaker of this poem, and she too was skeptical when the frog asked to kiss her. Here's a clip that accurately porttrays the reaction the speaker in the poem has to the frog from one of the best Disney movies to grace theater screens in a while. (Aside from, of course, Lion King 3D that was absolutely incredible!!)
I find it ironic that this poem was written in 1976, and The Princess and the Frog came out in the last two years. They have such similar storylines: an African American girl with an accent meets a talking frog and is skeptical. The most important difference; however, is that the movie was written by Disney and has a happy ending whereas the poem was written by Machan and did not end beautifully.
The diction in Machan's poem is quite colloquial and informal. The speaker chooses words like "flushm" instead of "flush him" and "sida" instead of "side of." This use of words that would not normally be accepted in a formal writing assignment makes the poem easier to read and more fun too. When I initially read this poem, I thought of the movie, Princess and the Frog that came out a few years ago. The main female character, Tiana, speaks somewhat like the speaker of this poem, and she too was skeptical when the frog asked to kiss her. Here's a clip that accurately porttrays the reaction the speaker in the poem has to the frog from one of the best Disney movies to grace theater screens in a while. (Aside from, of course, Lion King 3D that was absolutely incredible!!)
I find it ironic that this poem was written in 1976, and The Princess and the Frog came out in the last two years. They have such similar storylines: an African American girl with an accent meets a talking frog and is skeptical. The most important difference; however, is that the movie was written by Disney and has a happy ending whereas the poem was written by Machan and did not end beautifully.
"Dover Beach" Matthew Arnold
"...the cliffs of England stand, / Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay." (Lines 4 - 5)
The imagery in this poem is very clear and concise. The speaker sees beauty and describes it. I can practically see the water washing onto the shore. The speaker has a precise image of what he wants to reveal to the reader, and he wants the reader to share in his love of the beauty that is this earth. However, there is a twist! Gasp! This earth is lovely, and it has been adored by Sophocles in the past. However, it is devoid of the feeling of love. It does not know the emotions that the speaker feels, and he is sorry for it. He wants his love to feel the same way he does for the sea and its extravagance, but he also wants her to realize that they are lucky in their love. They get to experience this great thing that has been provided for their enjoyment. I have this image in my head of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. I have seen them ateast twice, and there is nothing on earth to compare there unique beauty to. They simply drop off into the depths of the luscious sea, and they are breathtaking! Here they are:
The imagery in this poem is very clear and concise. The speaker sees beauty and describes it. I can practically see the water washing onto the shore. The speaker has a precise image of what he wants to reveal to the reader, and he wants the reader to share in his love of the beauty that is this earth. However, there is a twist! Gasp! This earth is lovely, and it has been adored by Sophocles in the past. However, it is devoid of the feeling of love. It does not know the emotions that the speaker feels, and he is sorry for it. He wants his love to feel the same way he does for the sea and its extravagance, but he also wants her to realize that they are lucky in their love. They get to experience this great thing that has been provided for their enjoyment. I have this image in my head of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. I have seen them ateast twice, and there is nothing on earth to compare there unique beauty to. They simply drop off into the depths of the luscious sea, and they are breathtaking! Here they are:
"My Mistress' eyes" William Shakespeare
"I have seen roses damasked, red and white, / But no such roses see I in her cheeks" (Lines 5-6)
William Shakespeare is one of the most well-known men on earth, so this poem is preceded by an air of respectability. "My Mistress' eyes" has a tone of imperfect beauty and true love. The speaker negates his love's physical attributes by saying that she is not as perfect as the goddesses described in most love poems. Nor is she as beautiful as the women most poems spend their time documenting. However, the tone is not negative. It is so raw and true that it completely embodies the imperfections that make a person beautiful to his or her partner. The speaker admits that she is not the most ravishing woman in all the earth, "coral is far more red than her lips' red," and "music hath a far more pleasing sound" than her voice. However, all of this is irrelevant in the speaker's opinion. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this poem only solidifies that. The tone of true love is impossible to ignore.
William Shakespeare is one of the most well-known men on earth, so this poem is preceded by an air of respectability. "My Mistress' eyes" has a tone of imperfect beauty and true love. The speaker negates his love's physical attributes by saying that she is not as perfect as the goddesses described in most love poems. Nor is she as beautiful as the women most poems spend their time documenting. However, the tone is not negative. It is so raw and true that it completely embodies the imperfections that make a person beautiful to his or her partner. The speaker admits that she is not the most ravishing woman in all the earth, "coral is far more red than her lips' red," and "music hath a far more pleasing sound" than her voice. However, all of this is irrelevant in the speaker's opinion. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this poem only solidifies that. The tone of true love is impossible to ignore.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Mr. Z
"Won scholarships, attended the best schools," (Line 3)
Scholarships! Success! A wife! Climbing the social ladder! Flourishing! This man is exceptionally driven, but I fear for his mental stability more than his credit score. The poor guy has obviously been motivated his entire life, and he has attained great success. But did he ever enjoy life? I found it interesting that his life was so clean-cut: no indiscretions, no screw ups. However, I was appalled for him by the last line, "One of the most distinguished members of his race." This incredible human being works hard for his entire life only to be defined as a successful man of a particular race. This poem is a prime example of the caps that racism and stereotyping puts on society. Even after all of his success, the community as a whole only sees him for the color of his skin, and that disgusts me.
Scholarships! Success! A wife! Climbing the social ladder! Flourishing! This man is exceptionally driven, but I fear for his mental stability more than his credit score. The poor guy has obviously been motivated his entire life, and he has attained great success. But did he ever enjoy life? I found it interesting that his life was so clean-cut: no indiscretions, no screw ups. However, I was appalled for him by the last line, "One of the most distinguished members of his race." This incredible human being works hard for his entire life only to be defined as a successful man of a particular race. This poem is a prime example of the caps that racism and stereotyping puts on society. Even after all of his success, the community as a whole only sees him for the color of his skin, and that disgusts me.
APO 96225
"And the father wrote back, / Please don't write such depressing letters. You're / upsetting your mother." (Lines 16-18)
I thoroughly enjoyed this poem simply because it clearly demonstrates the the phrase, "Be careful what you wish because you just might get it." It almost makes that phrase as easy to understand as the Pussycat Dolls made it! This poem also shows the interesting relationship between a mother and her son. The son in the poem obviously loves his mother, and he does not want to frighten her more than necessary. Odds are, she is already constantly worried because her son is at war. However, the speaker also shows the concern a mother feels for her child. She wants to know every detail of his experiences because she wants to be able to understand and relate to him. She offers sympathy most easily when she can grasp what is going on in her son's life.
I also noticed the repetition of the phrase, "Dear Mom, sure rains here a lot." This is a syntactical method of defining the roundabout flow of the dialogue between the son and his mother.
I thoroughly enjoyed this poem simply because it clearly demonstrates the the phrase, "Be careful what you wish because you just might get it." It almost makes that phrase as easy to understand as the Pussycat Dolls made it! This poem also shows the interesting relationship between a mother and her son. The son in the poem obviously loves his mother, and he does not want to frighten her more than necessary. Odds are, she is already constantly worried because her son is at war. However, the speaker also shows the concern a mother feels for her child. She wants to know every detail of his experiences because she wants to be able to understand and relate to him. She offers sympathy most easily when she can grasp what is going on in her son's life.
I also noticed the repetition of the phrase, "Dear Mom, sure rains here a lot." This is a syntactical method of defining the roundabout flow of the dialogue between the son and his mother.
Symbolism at its dirtiest...."Sorting Laundry"
"Folding clothes, / I think of folding you / into my life." (Lines 1-3)
The speaker of this poem has some odd obsession with laundry that I can only justify in my mind by saying that it is a symbol of something else. She believes that clean laundry will result in a good relationship with her significant other (let's assume it's her husband). Boom! Symbolism! Clean laundry symbolizes good relationship. Check. The most obvious symbol to follow this first one is that dirty laundry or unwashed laundry that is piling up would symbolize the demise of her relationship. The more personal analysis of this poem is that the laundry represents old memories for the speaker that she enjoys recalling: "Towels...for the beach," "forgotten matches," and a "broken necklace of good gold / you brought from Kuwait." They all stand for a scene of her life with her husband. They are the greatest and most important symbols to her because they are little bits of emotion. The speaker happens to be remembering these particular scenes because she fears she must documenting them for a time when she can no longer make new memories with her love.
The speaker of this poem has some odd obsession with laundry that I can only justify in my mind by saying that it is a symbol of something else. She believes that clean laundry will result in a good relationship with her significant other (let's assume it's her husband). Boom! Symbolism! Clean laundry symbolizes good relationship. Check. The most obvious symbol to follow this first one is that dirty laundry or unwashed laundry that is piling up would symbolize the demise of her relationship. The more personal analysis of this poem is that the laundry represents old memories for the speaker that she enjoys recalling: "Towels...for the beach," "forgotten matches," and a "broken necklace of good gold / you brought from Kuwait." They all stand for a scene of her life with her husband. They are the greatest and most important symbols to her because they are little bits of emotion. The speaker happens to be remembering these particular scenes because she fears she must documenting them for a time when she can no longer make new memories with her love.
"Barbie Doll" - In a Barbie Wo-o-orl!
"Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: / You have a great big nose and fat legs." (Lines 5-6)
First of all, this is the first time that I have ever heard puberty being called "magic," so I am going to pinpoint the obvious and call that statement out right now for its irony.
The quoted line above that features the girl's nose and legs is a recurring phrase throughout the poem because it is what the mean girls decided to pick on about the subject of the poem, and it is what she eventually altered about herself. The biggest irony; however, that I noticed in the poem was the imagery related to a Barbie Doll. In the eyes of a child, she is perfect. Barbie has multiple careers, and a fantastic body that you can dress up in any outfit imaginable. But, what a little girl who has just received a Barbie for Christmas doesn't realize is that Barbie is actually a perfect representation of imperfection. She is not physically possible. The upper half of her body would cause her to fall over because she has such skinny ankles! Most Barbies have hair that is completely disproportionate to their body, and they are completely ridiculous when viewed from a realistic point of view. As it is, little girls don't see all of this. They see a flawless toy that is almost ridiculously fun to play with. (I would know.)
The irony in all of this is that the subject of Piercy's poem is trying to be perfect, but she will never be if her model is practically the definition of imperfection. As the last stanza demonstrates, this irrational goal finally gets the best of the girl.
First of all, this is the first time that I have ever heard puberty being called "magic," so I am going to pinpoint the obvious and call that statement out right now for its irony.
The quoted line above that features the girl's nose and legs is a recurring phrase throughout the poem because it is what the mean girls decided to pick on about the subject of the poem, and it is what she eventually altered about herself. The biggest irony; however, that I noticed in the poem was the imagery related to a Barbie Doll. In the eyes of a child, she is perfect. Barbie has multiple careers, and a fantastic body that you can dress up in any outfit imaginable. But, what a little girl who has just received a Barbie for Christmas doesn't realize is that Barbie is actually a perfect representation of imperfection. She is not physically possible. The upper half of her body would cause her to fall over because she has such skinny ankles! Most Barbies have hair that is completely disproportionate to their body, and they are completely ridiculous when viewed from a realistic point of view. As it is, little girls don't see all of this. They see a flawless toy that is almost ridiculously fun to play with. (I would know.)
The irony in all of this is that the subject of Piercy's poem is trying to be perfect, but she will never be if her model is practically the definition of imperfection. As the last stanza demonstrates, this irrational goal finally gets the best of the girl.
"Much Madness is divinest Sense" - Tone
"To a discerning Eye - / Much Sense - the starkest Madness - " (Lines 2-3)
There is a fine line between madness and genius. Some of the greatest minds of our history were considered to be relatively mad. However, their genius won out because they are famous for their brains rather than notorious for their evil madman-like qualities simply because they were smart enough not to be evil madmen.
This poem focuses on the differentiation between sanity and insanity, and the tone is one of resigned understanding of the views society has on insanity. The speaker also addresses the pressures associated with conforming to society as opposed to having radical views. She is resigned to the fact that no one can win when it comes to fitting into society. When she says, "Assent - and you are sane - / Demur - you're straightaway dangerous," the speaker is trying to demonstrate how judgmental society is, how black and white decisions are when viewed by a whole community. Madness produces sense, and great sense is only madness.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Finally, something normal-ish. - Bright Star
"And watching, with eternal lids apart," (Line 3)
The speaker seems to be addressing a star that he envies. That star is allowed to ponder the apple of his eye: the beautiful earth every evening, but the speaker can't seem to get enough of the love of his life. He isn't as "steadfast" as the star is. Basically, he isn't consistent in his time with his love, and he wishes to be more like the star in that respect. This seems to be the only poem in the bunch with any sense of normalcy or atleast a lack of weird diction or imagery. So, thank you, John Keats. Your poem is greatly appreciated by me (and probably a fair few of my peers). Although I can't entirely grasp your magically-spun words, I needed them all the same. This poem follows the approval of the star by the speaker, but it also emphasizes the endearing qualities of a star. Stars guard the earth while also beautifying it, and the speaker feels his love embellishes the earth as much as the brightest star.
The speaker seems to be addressing a star that he envies. That star is allowed to ponder the apple of his eye: the beautiful earth every evening, but the speaker can't seem to get enough of the love of his life. He isn't as "steadfast" as the star is. Basically, he isn't consistent in his time with his love, and he wishes to be more like the star in that respect. This seems to be the only poem in the bunch with any sense of normalcy or atleast a lack of weird diction or imagery. So, thank you, John Keats. Your poem is greatly appreciated by me (and probably a fair few of my peers). Although I can't entirely grasp your magically-spun words, I needed them all the same. This poem follows the approval of the star by the speaker, but it also emphasizes the endearing qualities of a star. Stars guard the earth while also beautifying it, and the speaker feels his love embellishes the earth as much as the brightest star.
What the what?!? - The Joy of Cooking
"I have prepared my sister's tongue, / scrubbed and skinned it..." (Lines 1 and 2)
I'm sensing a rather odd theme with these poems: insanity. Total and utter insanity. This speaker is talking about eating her (let's assume it's a her for the time being) sister and brother's body parts! And it isn't with a sense of revenge or destruction. (But the images do tend to lean in the masochistic direction.) The speaker is practically reciting her plans for the evening meal. She even goes so far as to contemplate what she will do with the next tongue she cultivates from her sister. I am, to say the least, appalled and speechless. However, I have to finish this blog, so I must summon a few more words.
I found the images of her brother's heart rather interesting because they seem to symbolize his inability to love more than two people (and he struggles with two!) at the same time. I wonder if the sister who's tongue is being cut out is the one out of the two who gets the most affection while the speaker gets what is left of her brother's devotion. Hmm. I shall ponder this.
I'm sensing a rather odd theme with these poems: insanity. Total and utter insanity. This speaker is talking about eating her (let's assume it's a her for the time being) sister and brother's body parts! And it isn't with a sense of revenge or destruction. (But the images do tend to lean in the masochistic direction.) The speaker is practically reciting her plans for the evening meal. She even goes so far as to contemplate what she will do with the next tongue she cultivates from her sister. I am, to say the least, appalled and speechless. However, I have to finish this blog, so I must summon a few more words.
I found the images of her brother's heart rather interesting because they seem to symbolize his inability to love more than two people (and he struggles with two!) at the same time. I wonder if the sister who's tongue is being cut out is the one out of the two who gets the most affection while the speaker gets what is left of her brother's devotion. Hmm. I shall ponder this.
February - Is there a literary term for completely disgusting and unnecessary?
"Some other tomcat, / not yet a capon, has been spraying our front door, / declaring war." (Lines 11-13)
Okay, ew. This is gross. I've decided to respond to question #8: discuss the tone, but all I can think about is how absolutely vile this poem is. The tone is, first and foremost, negative. The speaker does not like February one bit. This is apparently the month when all the cats pee on his door, and spring could not be more desirable. This must be one cooped up cat with serious dietary issues. The speaker colors his words with a tone of disgust and desire for a different season. However, I can't help but wonder if the cat's name is February. He just hates the cat, not the month. I doubt this is true. I found irony in the speaker's words about February because that is the month that represents love and Valentine's Day, and all the speaker can do is hate on these blasted cats. The only reference anywhere close to Valentine's Day is the word pink, and that is not associated with anything beautiful or loving. Rather, it is the description for a cat's "pink bumhole." Yuck.
Okay, ew. This is gross. I've decided to respond to question #8: discuss the tone, but all I can think about is how absolutely vile this poem is. The tone is, first and foremost, negative. The speaker does not like February one bit. This is apparently the month when all the cats pee on his door, and spring could not be more desirable. This must be one cooped up cat with serious dietary issues. The speaker colors his words with a tone of disgust and desire for a different season. However, I can't help but wonder if the cat's name is February. He just hates the cat, not the month. I doubt this is true. I found irony in the speaker's words about February because that is the month that represents love and Valentine's Day, and all the speaker can do is hate on these blasted cats. The only reference anywhere close to Valentine's Day is the word pink, and that is not associated with anything beautiful or loving. Rather, it is the description for a cat's "pink bumhole." Yuck.
Simile to the Max...Dream Deferred - Langston Hughes
"Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?" (Lines 2 and 3)
This poem is fairly easy to understand simply because it is so short. It is only 11 lines, but each of those lines packs a punch. There are a total of 5 similes beginning with the word "like" in this poem, and they all address a "dream deferred." The word deferred is accompanied by a negative connotation in my mind, but atleast I understand the general meaning of it. The most difficult interpretation that is to be made in this poem is to decide to which type of dream this poem is referring. Is it an actual dream that one has zero control of, the kind that is directed by one's subconscious in the glorious moments of slumber? Or is it a conscious dream? A dream that one desires and strives for all the time? It really doesn't matter. According to this poem, they will both die the same descriptive (thanks to the similes) way. The similes are all negative and - frankly - disgusting. Apparently, a deferred dream will never result in anything good. Thank you, Hughes, for this warning never to defer a dream.
This poem is fairly easy to understand simply because it is so short. It is only 11 lines, but each of those lines packs a punch. There are a total of 5 similes beginning with the word "like" in this poem, and they all address a "dream deferred." The word deferred is accompanied by a negative connotation in my mind, but atleast I understand the general meaning of it. The most difficult interpretation that is to be made in this poem is to decide to which type of dream this poem is referring. Is it an actual dream that one has zero control of, the kind that is directed by one's subconscious in the glorious moments of slumber? Or is it a conscious dream? A dream that one desires and strives for all the time? It really doesn't matter. According to this poem, they will both die the same descriptive (thanks to the similes) way. The similes are all negative and - frankly - disgusting. Apparently, a deferred dream will never result in anything good. Thank you, Hughes, for this warning never to defer a dream.
Pink Dog - Elizabeth Bishop: Question #12
"Didn't you know? It's been in all the papers, / to solve this problem, how they deal with beggars? / They take and throw them in the tidal rivers." (Lines 13 - 15)
Initially, I viewed this poem as completely literal. Bishop is merely describing the wanderings of a stray dog. She is also warning that dog about what could happen to her while she runs throughout the streets. Although this seems the most logical interpretation, and it will probably end up being the true interpretation, I cannot shake the thought that the dog is only a symbol for a hobo or bum who walks the streets of Rio de Janeiro. The lines I quoted above are what turned my thoughts away from the image of a dog and to the image of a human. This was mostly caused by the word "beggar." Of course, dogs can be beggars, but I envision humans as beggars first. After that initial thought that the dog was a symbol for a battered human, I began to see other words that could be symbols. The "rabies" may just be a symbol for how we react to a homeless person; we immediately assume they are dirty. The "nursing mother" is just that: a nursing mother. There is also a possibility that this "dog" has minimal clothing, which put literal meaning to the word "naked." Or, she could be naked of the necessities in life: a home, food, and safety.
Initially, I viewed this poem as completely literal. Bishop is merely describing the wanderings of a stray dog. She is also warning that dog about what could happen to her while she runs throughout the streets. Although this seems the most logical interpretation, and it will probably end up being the true interpretation, I cannot shake the thought that the dog is only a symbol for a hobo or bum who walks the streets of Rio de Janeiro. The lines I quoted above are what turned my thoughts away from the image of a dog and to the image of a human. This was mostly caused by the word "beggar." Of course, dogs can be beggars, but I envision humans as beggars first. After that initial thought that the dog was a symbol for a battered human, I began to see other words that could be symbols. The "rabies" may just be a symbol for how we react to a homeless person; we immediately assume they are dirty. The "nursing mother" is just that: a nursing mother. There is also a possibility that this "dog" has minimal clothing, which put literal meaning to the word "naked." Or, she could be naked of the necessities in life: a home, food, and safety.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Spring - Ah, the Innocence
"The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush / The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush" (lines 6-7)
This was my favorite poem to read because it was the simplest to understand. Spring is beautiful. The end. I just summarized the entire poem into three words. However, no poem deserves to be limited like that. I completely capped it's potential with those three words, and I blocked out the beauty that is poetry. Of course the author wanted to leave his reader with the message that spring is beautiful, but he wanted to use as many colorful words and scenes as possible because that is his passion and reason for writing: to embellish ordinary scenes such as this account of spring and make them magical.
My quoted lines are my favorite because they give an image of sheer and utter beauty. These pear trees are in full bloom, and they are practically touching the sky from the speaker's point of view. This image is the only definite way of embodying the beautiful mental image I have right now. Bravo Hopkins.
This was my favorite poem to read because it was the simplest to understand. Spring is beautiful. The end. I just summarized the entire poem into three words. However, no poem deserves to be limited like that. I completely capped it's potential with those three words, and I blocked out the beauty that is poetry. Of course the author wanted to leave his reader with the message that spring is beautiful, but he wanted to use as many colorful words and scenes as possible because that is his passion and reason for writing: to embellish ordinary scenes such as this account of spring and make them magical.
My quoted lines are my favorite because they give an image of sheer and utter beauty. These pear trees are in full bloom, and they are practically touching the sky from the speaker's point of view. This image is the only definite way of embodying the beautiful mental image I have right now. Bravo Hopkins.
Those Winter Sundays Upon Further Review
"What did I know, what did I know / of love's austere and lonely offices?" (lines 13-14)
My initial reaction to this poem was that it was an ode to the speaker's father that transitioned to a description of the speaker's disdain for his father. I thought it became disdainful because of phrases like "Speaking indifferently to him? (line 10). To me, this speaker was an ungrateful brat, and despite the fact that "No one ever thanked [his father]" (line 5), this selfish little snob was not going to even give formal credit to his hard-working father. However, after my second and third time reading this poem, I realized I was completely off-base. This kid isn't a brat after all! It is an ode to his father! What the author is trying to impress upon his reader is easy to relate to because we have all been ungrateful. We have all known the awful feeling of regretting our silence when we should have been thanking someone. The speaker had a father who did everything from "make banked fires blaze" to "polish[ing] [his] good shoes." He was, it seems, a wonder-Dad who never got enough recognition, so this is the speaker's heartfelt attempt at true thankfulness.
My initial reaction to this poem was that it was an ode to the speaker's father that transitioned to a description of the speaker's disdain for his father. I thought it became disdainful because of phrases like "Speaking indifferently to him? (line 10). To me, this speaker was an ungrateful brat, and despite the fact that "No one ever thanked [his father]" (line 5), this selfish little snob was not going to even give formal credit to his hard-working father. However, after my second and third time reading this poem, I realized I was completely off-base. This kid isn't a brat after all! It is an ode to his father! What the author is trying to impress upon his reader is easy to relate to because we have all been ungrateful. We have all known the awful feeling of regretting our silence when we should have been thanking someone. The speaker had a father who did everything from "make banked fires blaze" to "polish[ing] [his] good shoes." He was, it seems, a wonder-Dad who never got enough recognition, so this is the speaker's heartfelt attempt at true thankfulness.
I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain - Sound to Sense (Question 16)
"And then I heard them lift a box / And creak across my Soul" (lines 9-10)
The sounds in this poem are easily defined, and they add to the overall dreary effect that the author is striving for. Emily Dickinson cited consistent and one-dimensional sounds of "treading" and sounds "like a Drum" while also referencing sounds like a "creak" that add a a creepy, funeral-like sense to the poem. Although the sounds in this poem add dimension to the story Dickinson is trying to relate to her reader, the most powerful sounds are not sounds at all. The second line, "And Mourners to and fro," is not a clearly defined sound, but I can still hear it. Most of Dickinson's readers will be of a mature age, and they will have all most likely attended a funeral or showing at some point in their life. They all know that absence of sound that accompanies such a social situation. It is not polite to be loud, so instead of a steady beating of voices, there is a rumble of passing mourners. They do not cause much noise, but they are followed by that sound of restless movement. Dickinson's poem successfully embodies that sound that is, in fact, not a sound.
The sounds in this poem are easily defined, and they add to the overall dreary effect that the author is striving for. Emily Dickinson cited consistent and one-dimensional sounds of "treading" and sounds "like a Drum" while also referencing sounds like a "creak" that add a a creepy, funeral-like sense to the poem. Although the sounds in this poem add dimension to the story Dickinson is trying to relate to her reader, the most powerful sounds are not sounds at all. The second line, "And Mourners to and fro," is not a clearly defined sound, but I can still hear it. Most of Dickinson's readers will be of a mature age, and they will have all most likely attended a funeral or showing at some point in their life. They all know that absence of sound that accompanies such a social situation. It is not polite to be loud, so instead of a steady beating of voices, there is a rumble of passing mourners. They do not cause much noise, but they are followed by that sound of restless movement. Dickinson's poem successfully embodies that sound that is, in fact, not a sound.
The Panther - Diction (Question 9)
"As he paces in in cramped circles, over and over, / ...is like a ritual dance..." (lines 5 and 7)
Stephen Mitchell chose his words precisely, but a significant amount of them have a methodical connotation attached to them. In the first line, he uses the word "constantly" which almost directly transposes into the word methodical. The first stanza left me with a sense containment. The "thousand bars" practically hold me in too as they do this panther that could represent an actual panther or a prisoner on death row. Mitchell moves on to include even more words that exude an air of a roundabout life. This panther "paces," "circles," and "is like a ritual dance." Each one of these words or phrases refers to a constant movement. As everyone knows, pacing is a consistent walking motion that ends up being like a circle, which Mitchell references next. This circle embodies the never-ending track that this panther's life now travels "over and over." The author adds in the reference to a ritual dance as another successful attempt at forcing an image of continual movement into the reader's mind, and it leaves me with a picture of a wheel in my mind.
I can only envision this powerful water wheel like the one pictured below just churning along. Of course, the poem ends with what I suspect is the death of the prisoner that this panther represents, but that does not detract from the image of continuous movement. If anything, it adds to the movement because now the panther has moved on to a different state of being.
Stephen Mitchell chose his words precisely, but a significant amount of them have a methodical connotation attached to them. In the first line, he uses the word "constantly" which almost directly transposes into the word methodical. The first stanza left me with a sense containment. The "thousand bars" practically hold me in too as they do this panther that could represent an actual panther or a prisoner on death row. Mitchell moves on to include even more words that exude an air of a roundabout life. This panther "paces," "circles," and "is like a ritual dance." Each one of these words or phrases refers to a constant movement. As everyone knows, pacing is a consistent walking motion that ends up being like a circle, which Mitchell references next. This circle embodies the never-ending track that this panther's life now travels "over and over." The author adds in the reference to a ritual dance as another successful attempt at forcing an image of continual movement into the reader's mind, and it leaves me with a picture of a wheel in my mind.
I can only envision this powerful water wheel like the one pictured below just churning along. Of course, the poem ends with what I suspect is the death of the prisoner that this panther represents, but that does not detract from the image of continuous movement. If anything, it adds to the movement because now the panther has moved on to a different state of being.
The Convergence of the Twain - Tone (Question 8)
"And as the smart ship grew / In stature, grace, and hue, / In shadowy silent distance grew the Iceberg too." (lines 22-24)
This line most effectively captures the tone of the poem because it embodies the sense of awe and wonder that saturates the the first two lines of most of the stanzas. It is also simultaneously addressing the premonition that is emanating from the line "The Immanent Will that stirs and urges everything" through the end of the poem. "The Convergence of the Twain" is formatted so that each stanza includes a bit of awe and a bit of pretense about the future. In the line I quoted above, the ship is praised as being one of stellar quality and unmatched power with words such as "smart" and "stature, grace, and hue." However, these middle three words also address the iceberg. It is just as strong and stealthy, but it wins out in the end. The juxtaposition of these two brute forces is not only a literary triumph, but it is also the transitional point in the poem when Hardy moves away from a tone of awe into one of foreboding premonition.
This line most effectively captures the tone of the poem because it embodies the sense of awe and wonder that saturates the the first two lines of most of the stanzas. It is also simultaneously addressing the premonition that is emanating from the line "The Immanent Will that stirs and urges everything" through the end of the poem. "The Convergence of the Twain" is formatted so that each stanza includes a bit of awe and a bit of pretense about the future. In the line I quoted above, the ship is praised as being one of stellar quality and unmatched power with words such as "smart" and "stature, grace, and hue." However, these middle three words also address the iceberg. It is just as strong and stealthy, but it wins out in the end. The juxtaposition of these two brute forces is not only a literary triumph, but it is also the transitional point in the poem when Hardy moves away from a tone of awe into one of foreboding premonition.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Perrine - The Nature of Proof in the Interpretation of Poetry
"No poet, however, likes to be caught in the predicament of having to explain his own poems"
I must say, I agree 100% with the above sentence. The word "poetry" immediately evokes a sense of mystery in a reader and the thrill of being allowed to interpret to the ends of the earth. However, to me, a 17-year-old with limited poetic experience, poetry presents a challenge. Good poetry always seem to be ridiculously ambiguous, and as much as I enjoy figuring things out for myself, it gets tiring after a while. When Perrine said, "for any given poem there are correct and incorrect readings," my heart sank. I always previously viewed poetry as a chance to broaden the horizons of my imagination, but now it is almost a scientific process as Perrine also says. Science has never been my favorite subject, but english is, and reading that the two are paralleled in poetry is not the most inviting thing.
The presence of the word "proof" in the title of this article is an easy analogy for me to relate to. As much as I did not enjoy proofs in Geometry, I understood them. I loved that they spelled out math in x amount of steps, and I rejoiced in knowing beyond a doubt that I had reached the correct conclusion. With poetry, I can only hope for the same thing, and Perrine practically guarantees that for me when he proclaimed that the best interpretation of poetry is the most logical. Or, in other words, the most practical. I can handle practical. Perrine is obviously a scientific man as well as a literary analyst because an unscientific man could never develop a process so straightforward and easy to follow. Poets are notorious for their free-spirited witticisms, but Perrine is rather foolproof. As tedious as his approach to poetry is, I must admit that I a thankful for it because it has already helped me and I haven't even begun to fully understand these poems I am reading.
I must say, I agree 100% with the above sentence. The word "poetry" immediately evokes a sense of mystery in a reader and the thrill of being allowed to interpret to the ends of the earth. However, to me, a 17-year-old with limited poetic experience, poetry presents a challenge. Good poetry always seem to be ridiculously ambiguous, and as much as I enjoy figuring things out for myself, it gets tiring after a while. When Perrine said, "for any given poem there are correct and incorrect readings," my heart sank. I always previously viewed poetry as a chance to broaden the horizons of my imagination, but now it is almost a scientific process as Perrine also says. Science has never been my favorite subject, but english is, and reading that the two are paralleled in poetry is not the most inviting thing.
The presence of the word "proof" in the title of this article is an easy analogy for me to relate to. As much as I did not enjoy proofs in Geometry, I understood them. I loved that they spelled out math in x amount of steps, and I rejoiced in knowing beyond a doubt that I had reached the correct conclusion. With poetry, I can only hope for the same thing, and Perrine practically guarantees that for me when he proclaimed that the best interpretation of poetry is the most logical. Or, in other words, the most practical. I can handle practical. Perrine is obviously a scientific man as well as a literary analyst because an unscientific man could never develop a process so straightforward and easy to follow. Poets are notorious for their free-spirited witticisms, but Perrine is rather foolproof. As tedious as his approach to poetry is, I must admit that I a thankful for it because it has already helped me and I haven't even begun to fully understand these poems I am reading.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)