Poetry 180 Project
Mr. Kennedy
AP English
Poetry 180
Assignment
You have each been assigned a poem from the list found at http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/
The goal of this exercise is to broaden our understanding and familiarity with poetry.
Your first task is to analyze your assigned poem and post it to the blog under the Poetry 180 posting. You need to explain the poetic devices employed. Point out the elements like similes, metaphors, rhymes schemes, meter, voice, tone and imagery used. Use these things to explain how they add to the impact of the poem. Explain how these devices help make the poem relevant. Please insure that you include your name with your posting.
The person responsible for poem 1 needs to present by Monday, October 12. Poem 2 by the 13th, 3 by the 14th and so on each day until the 29th presents on Tuesday, November 10th.
You need to browse through the poetry your classmates are analyzing and you need to comment on at least one posting. Again insure your name is included with this posting.
Your postings will be to the comment section of this blog.
While this is a blog it is important to behave properly and appropriately in interacting with one another.
Your analysis is worth 35 points and your comment is worth 15 points for a total of 50 for the assignment.
Mr. Kennedy
posted by Mr. Kennedy @ 9:16 PM
133 comments
133 Comments:
Wow, this poem was oddly hilarious. The author, Billy Collins, uses a variety of metaphors and similes to show poetry as a fun, experimental activity. He compares it to waterskiing, a lab experiment, feeling in a dark room. He tries to show that poetry is nothing to be frightened of. However, in the last two stanzas, Collins contrasts those activities with a darker metaphor. Using vivid imagery, he creates a picture in which a poem is undergoing torture at the hand of the reader. These last two stanzas are Collins' way of expressing the misunderstanding people have for poetry. It is the perfect poem to begin the Poetry 180 collection because it identifies the problem that people have when confronting poetry. Collins hopes to show the reader that poetry does not have to be equated with torture, but rather should be enjoyed and learned from.
-Charles Alexander
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I read poem #1 after I read Mr. Alexander's post. And I have to agree with him. Not only did this poem make me smile, but it also allowed me to relax about poetry in general. I've never been the biggest fan of poetry, but now I realize that it actually can be delightful. It is nothing to be afraid of, and I agree with Charles when he stated that poetry should be enjoyed. I believe it to be under-appreciated in our generation, and that should change.
My poem is #44, "A Man I Knew" by Margaret Levine. I was surprised by the short poem, because at first glance, I wasn't expecting much. By the end of the poem, I felt a variety of emotions for this man. He owns a condo, we know that for sure. A maid comes every other week, and his children won't. That right there tells me that he must have had some sort of falling out with his kids, or that they just don't get along. They float on the dresser, like a boat. The fact that this man has pictures of his kids signifies his feelings towards them. He clearly misses them, and possibly even wishes to speak to/see them. However, I think that he lives alone in this condo, with total independence. I wonder where his wife is, and my immediate assumption is that she died, but then maybe he drove her away also, just like his kids. In that case, this is a man, who lives alone in a condo, with no visitors except for the maid. I pity him, but then I have to believe that he deserved it. Then again, so much is ambiguous in this poem. So much is left up to the reader's imagination. I enjoyed reading it, and I like the fact that there are so many unanswered questions. It's intriguing in a way.
My poem is #111, "The Kitchen Shears Speak,"by Christianne Balk.
This poem emphasizes the plight of a domesticated life symbolically, through a pair of kitchen shears.
By using manipulating diction, with word choices like "severing," "uncouple," "fossilized," and "slashed," the author manages to express a torn apart and confused sense of being.
The shears are symbolic of the oppressive nature of domesticated life, like the plight of the female gender. With word choices such as "slit," "clip," "snip," "strip," and "separate," one gets a strong sense of a brusque manner, in which things just must be done, though it is not a happy task; the speaker is full of tension. By calling their task a "division," the author calls attention to the split between a man's work and a woman's. When the speaker says "no voice, no legs," this means that though this is not a good life, it will continue this way, emphasized when the shears are described as "rusted shut...fossilized,"unchanging.
The strong depictions of imagery regarding the chicken allow the reader to delve into the culinary world, and then grasp a sense of the grotesque nature of what is happening. The author's deep metaphors, comparing the shears to a "punished...prehistoric bird, fossilized," establish a sense of unease, which again emphasizes that the speaker is not content in its current state. This poem holds a variety of emotions, yet they all show that the speaker is distressed. I pity these kitchen shears and all that they represent.
-Haley Broder
I read poem number 2--Sidekicks by Ronald Koertge. Ironically, this poem explains that the sidekick, uncharacteristically, becomes the hero because he sacrifices himself to save the original "hero". Sidekicks are typically the ones who deserve the spotlight but are never in it.
Koertge describes the sidekicks as "manifested by corpulence,
a yodel of a voice or ears big as kidneys." This contrasts with the typical image of a hero--tall, muscular, and handsome. He includes this contrast to emphasize the inaccuracy of stereotypes and appearances; bravery, courage, and heroism is much denser than just skin deep. In the third stanza, Koertge transitions into a somewhat sarcastic tone saying "Thankfully, heroes never die in movies and leave the sidekick alone." By including this detail, he suggests that heroes are incredibly superficial and take credit for actions they did not commit. Koertge forces us to reconsider our perceptions and definitions of a "hero".
-Stephanie Berbower
I read poem number 2--Sidekicks by Ronald Koertge. Ironically, this poem explains that the sidekick, uncharacteristically, becomes the hero because he sacrifices himself to save the original "hero". Sidekicks are typically the ones who deserve the spotlight but are never in it.
Koertge describes the sidekicks as "manifested by corpulence,
a yodel of a voice or ears big as kidneys." This contrasts with the typical image of a hero--tall, muscular, and handsome. He includes this contrast to emphasize the inaccuracy of stereotypes and appearances; bravery, courage, and heroism is much denser than just skin deep. In the third stanza, Koertge transitions into a somewhat sarcastic tone saying "Thankfully, heroes never die in movies and leave the sidekick alone." By including this detail, he suggests that heroes are incredibly superficial and take credit for actions they did not commit. Koertge forces us to reconsider our perceptions and definitions of a "hero".
-Stephanie Berbower
Poem #32
The poem is about life and death and how the good things in life, however small, make life seem worthwhile. And eventually light and happiness will overtake the sadness and depression written in personal literature.
Poem #34:
'Gouge, Adze, Rasp, Hammer'
The use of imagery in this poem conveys the narrator's state of distruaght and agony over the loss of a women he loves in his life. Creating the visual image of the narrator standing outside her dark house in the rain tells the reader that this relationship is done, she has moved on, in regard to the lack of light in her house, contrasted with the man standing in the rain yearning for her lights to be on in his presence, which they are not. The consistent use of 'So this is what its like' emphasizes the sense of sorrow the author wants to get across, because the narrator still loves her, but she left him, and he is in a state of shock and despair over her absence in his life. The diction choices of the author, such as: slips, unthought-of, chilled, snatching, and dissapointed, make the tone of the poem one of a real thoughtlessness on the women's part towards the narrator. She has broken the narrator's heart, and he is trying to find a reason to keep living without her, which he does by the end of the poem, in the, "constancy of nature"(Forhan). The title includes names of four tools, and by including these, I believe the writer was emphasizing the feeling of pain and hardness in the narrator's experience of heartbreak. In contrasting the noticing of tools over a lilac, the writer is metaphorically showing that the women picked someone who is hard and physically imposing, rather than the narrator, who may be fragile and more emotionally attached to the women. Forhan has created a poem filled with the realities of heartbreak, and through his use of vivid imagery, diciton, metaphors, and tone, he has written a very relatable, heart-wrenching, and melancholy poem.
-Shelby Burney.
#35 "Hand Shadows" by Mary Cornish
In this poem Cornish uses metaphors, syntax, and diction to emphasis the way that the speaker admires his dad as he recognizes the way that his father carries a lantern. In the first few stanzas the author uses metaphors to emphasis the purity and power in the father by comparing him to a horse, alligator, and swan. Cornish contrasts the animals to allogate the image of his father from contrasting "a horse that flickered his ears and bucked" to a " an alligator feigning sleep along the canvas wall leapt up and snapped its jaws in silhouette." The imagery emphasis the two different sides represented in one man. Besides describing his father the author also states a theme of being reborn in the poem by describing the life cycle of a star. The speaker looks to the night sky and sees the solar system in which a star dies every day and a new one arrises. The last stanzas of the poem pull together the idea that the speakers father has two sides to him that as brings his hands together holding the lantern and they became "linked together by a thumb, they flew one following the other"
-Megan Carroll
Poem #26 "Before She Died"
Molly Schutzenberger
Karen Chase reflects on the death of a woman that she was close to in her life. I immediately assumed it was a sister, although she does not specify who the woman is. Her syntax changes as the poem progresses, from complete sentences in each stanza to abrupt breaks in the sentence before the next stanza begins. As the sentences become more and more broken, I thought perhaps she cries or she feels pain when thinking about her dying friend. She indicates that it is near the end of autumn as "all the leaves gone almost from the trees" and the atmosphere is brisk. Even her dog is "panting and aged". These descriptions indicate the dwindling life that she contemplates. For the entire poem she contemplates the blue sky, something often regarded as infinite space. This contrasts strongly with the "finite" days of life. Although there is no rhyme scheme, the speaker constantly addresses the dying person directly, casuing the reader to be put in her place and contemplate the days of their own life.
Comment: poem #44 "A Man I Knew"
Molly Schutzenberger
I read both Emily's comment and the poem. I thought it was interesting that she likens the pictures on the dresser to a boat. It seems like his kids are lost, since they are simply floating without direction. Overall I get the impression that the man is lonely and regrets something about how he raised his kids- it's important enough to mention that he has pictures of them, yet they never come by. He cares about them but they don't care about him.
Poem #32
The poem is about life and death and how the good things in life, however small, make life seem worthwhile. And eventually light and happiness will overtake the sadness and depression written in personal literature.
Ariana Abend-Goldfarb
Poem: #36
"The Printer's Error" by Aaron Fogel
At first glance, I thought that this poem was atypical of the poems I was used to reading. I expected it to have a great deal of similes and vivid imagery, which it did not. However, after reading on a closer level, I realized that its complexity made this poem enlightening. Told through the point of view of speaker, Frank Steinman, the poem takes on the structure of a last and final testimony. The author's inclusion of the detail that Frank has worked "fifty-seven years at [his] trade" is used to enhance the character of Frank, depicting him as a hardworking, humble individual. Periodic syntax is consistent throughout the entire piece, contributing greatly to the formal tone of the poem. The numerous periodic sentences are long and involved, filled with subordinate clauses. By using transitional terms such as "first," "second," and "third," Fogel creates clarity that only strengthens and empowers Frank's testimony about errors. Word choices such as "ascending," "covert interferences," and "preemptive," also add to the formality of the poem and makes it seem that this is not to be taken lightly. He describes that there are three types of errors: "errors by chance, errors by workers' protest, and errors by God's touch." However, he stresses that because it is difficult to discern which of the three an error may be, they should be treated equally. The poem glorifies these errors and mistakes, referring to them "as of divine creation." This glorification also conveys that errors are human, natural, and unavoidable. It alludes to the timeless truth that making mistakes are not only a part of life, but a part of human existence and human nature as well. The way that Fogel has the speaker, Frank, describe errors makes it clear that it is perfectly acceptable to err because errors are caused by a force much greater than us. While glorifying errors, Fogel simultaneously degrades the role of printers, professors, textual editors, and anyone whose job it is to correct mistakes. He describes them as individuals who have "vanity" and "folly." He continues to say that that they are "ignorant" and "foolish." This perspective of these type of individuals is consistent up until the very last stanza. It is in this stanza that Frank, after previously criticizing the work of editors, contradicts his entire argument by concluding that edits and corrections are "mistakes" in themselves and thus, are divine. Fogel allots for the part of the sentence that states "therefore also divine" to finish in its own separate stanza to emphasize this divinity.
-Jennifer Chan
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Comment: Poem #26 "Before She Died"
After reading the poem, I had the impression that the speaker was a woman. I too, like Molly, immediately jumped to the conclusion that the speaker was talking about her sister. I found the poem to be very understandable and relatable. The pace of the poem seemed to move slowly because of the specific placement of the commas, and I believe this is a reflection of how the speaker now views life. She is no longer in a hurry to get through life, she no longer "walks briskly through the fields." I get the impression that the death of whoever the speaker is addressing had a big impact on the her life and makes her realize the importance of each moment and the importance of all the little things in life that she had never really taken the time to appreciate.
- Jennifer Chan
The poem I analyzed was “The Blue Bowl”. Numerous poetic devices are used throughout the poem to convey the sorrow and pain that goes into the burial of the family cat. The simile “a robin burbles from a dripping bush like the neighbor who means well but always says the wrong thing” shows how the family is trying to move on from their sad memory but are constantly reminded of it by simple things, such as nature. It connects the burial of a cat to the hurt emotions a person might feel from the burial of a human. All the time at human burials, there’s always the friend who says the wrong thing but usually at pet burials, only the family members, who know exactly what to say, attend. The sounds of the robin remind the family of the bird that had been in their cat’s claws when they buried it. “They fell with a hiss” is an onomatopoeia that gives the reader a better understanding of the haphazard nature of the burial and emphasizes that the cat was indeed buried in sand, not dirt. A mild rhyming scheme is used in the poem, for example, “bowl” and “hole” and also “toes” and “nose”. Interestingly, most of the rhymes happened at the end of a sentence rather than the end of a line. Most of the poem takes place in the past except the last place, which shows that the family still feels pain. Through diction and tone, the poet first captures the casual feelings the family holds toward their cat’s death but as time passes by, the diction and tone becomes more saddened by the death. Imagery is used to describe the cat and show that the cat was playful up until his last moments due to the bird still caught in his claws. These devices add to the impact of the poem since they portray the family’s subtle change in emotion clearly to the reader and reach out to the reader who may remember their experience of burying pet and the denial of the incident they had at first. The end of the poem plays on emotions that open the poem’s description of the loss of a pet to the description of the loss of a human loved one. These devices make the poem relevant since they are able to make readers connect with the poem on a personal and emotional level, giving the poem more depth. –Hanna Boparai
I ready Poem # 37 "She Didn't Mean to Do It" by Daisy Fried. The poem talks about a girl who did something for an adrenaline rush, the thrill of the act has passed away and she is left to wonder why she could have acted so rashly. The author compared the momentary thrill to a bell ring that is loud at frist but gradually fades until there is nothing left; she further underscored this idea with her use of repetition. There are several phrases through out this short poem that repeats like "she was sad", "out", "they fade" and "gone", providing a visual ripple like reminder of the ringing effect , the readers sense the loss of meaning as the words are echoed again and again, like the fading thrill the girl experiences. This idea reminds me of Arcadia, how heat, when lost, can never be regained again; this is the same sort of effect that the girl is experiencing, she can no longer retreave the thrill after it weares off.
-Adele Chen
Comment: "A Man I Knew"
I read Emily's post and was curious so i read the actual poem. I was surprised how short and simple it was, the title of the poem is actually part of the poem itself. I feel like this reflects the narrator's attitude of the man. The simplicity of the poem hints at the mundane life of the man, it neither notes what he has accomplished nor what he has done wrong, just the consequence that his kids won't visit him. I agree with Emily that the man has driven everyone away from him, i also believe that the narrator to this poem is the wife who is oddly never mentioned in the poem. I feel like she is noting how pathetic this man is, she mentions the maid to show how he can't even take care of himself. This was actually quite a sad poem to read, the ending leaves a lot left unsaid. It gives a certain impression that maybe there is nothing left worth to be said.
# 5 Lines by Martha Collins
This poem struck me as very interesting when I first read it. By having a simple concept such as a line represent so much more, it gave the poem a much deeper meaning. He uses the line to symbolize the path she has to take and X and Y to symbolize herself and her lover. A mere line was an analogy for love throughout the poem. She says that the path that they meet is “rarely straight.” Meaning that in the course of time the line could change directions until they finally meet. This also can allude to the fact that there are many bumps in a road and things are not always happy but love holds things together. In the beginning, Martha Collins uses short sentences to get the point across as to how simple a line may be but how much meaning a line can hold, in this poem's case, love. This paints an image of a line in the readers mind, and the direct path a line takes.
Meghan Cassedy, Period 1
Poem #3- “The Summer I Was Sixteen”
This poem focuses on the bridge between youth and adulthood by way of the author recalling the summer days of her youth. The season of summer in itself is a symbol of youth and the poem seems to have a carefree feel until the last stanza. The author also includes a lot of active verbs to show how the impulsivity of a child. There is a shift in the poem before the last stanza as the tone shifts from blissful and nostalgic to concerned. The author uses a variety of nostalgic references in order to bring the reader back to the summer days they experienced as a child but then at the end talks about the “improbable world” all children will eventually face. The image of a girl looking at the world through a chain link fences concludes the poem with a dreary image that contrasts greatly with the vibrancy of the “turquoise pool” and “cotton candy torches.”
-Haley Beyma
#6 The Distances
By Henry Rago
This poem is about how distances are trivial; the house depicted is far away and secluded, it is past plains, oceans, hills, and a “night-filled river” but the children living there still sleep and wake up just as everyone else does. It shows that even though humans may be separated by space, they are not separated by habits. The same dark night falls over every house and the “rings and rings of stars” never fail to connect humanity- everyone lives under the same sky no matter how secret the location. The diction used flows nicely; words like “billows,” “swells,” “spun,” and “spiral” mirror the curvature connoted by the hills, river, and ocean. In contrast to this loose, liquid diction, words like “pitched,” “stretched,” “lock,” and “pulls,” bring the sharpness and rigidity of the plains. The poem plays with opposites, namely the contrast of location and the contrast of connection in the midst of distance, to depict its overall message of everything being linked together no matter how far or different it may be from something else. The multitude of contradictions work by attaching a meaning to them; having sleeping children in a house makes it seem like a home that someone loves and then having this acquired meaning “spun to the huge midnight” with the rest of the stars only deepens the connection the house has to the outside and distant world.
-Justine Cocchi
Poem #13 (Did I Miss Anything?)
This poem is rooted in sarcasm, presenting two extremes as a teacher's response to a student's question following his/her absence. At the core of the poem is the eternal struggle between teachers and the students who do not care enough to even show up to class. I liked how the title could be incorporated as a line itself in the poem, as well as how it underscored the nonchalantness of the student. I also noticed that the "everything stanzas were indented from the "nothing" stanzas, highlighting the opposition between the two responses. The use of religious images such as "hands folded on our desks in silence," and "a shaft of light suddenly descended an angel" are also noticeable and they enhance the sarcasm of the speaker. Finally, the resolution at the end of poem, moving forward as the student was not there and the teacher cannot change that fact, reflects the infinite continuity of this struggle between teachers and students. It does not necessarily give a sense of hope, but it does not give a sense of complete defeat either. It is a more middle ground as opposed to the strong contrarieties used throughout the rest of the poem. The finals lines suggest there was something the student missed, although it may not have been significant enough to explain at this moment or in response to the posed question. Overall, the poem summarizes teachers' longing for passionate students and their struggle to get students to realize the opportunities they miss by seeing a class as insignificant.
-Ashley Grant
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Comment on Poem #26 (Before She Died)
After reading Molly's comment and the poem itself, I most related to the parallels between syntax and the speaker's interpretation of her own emotions, as Molly noted. I, however, was also drawn to the comparisons made through the dog. In general, dogs represent loyalty and friendship, things that the speaker still feels toward her deceased loved one. Even the sense of time is related in dogs, almost as to lengthen the speaker's devotion to her loved one. I also liked how the poem was titled "Before She Died," even though the entire poem is related postmortem. It reflects how cherished the deceased woman was and how her memory lives on.
-Ashley Grant
#8 "Numbers" by Mary Cornish
Initially when I saw the title of Mary Cornish’s poem “Numbers,” I thought the poem itself would be technical and confusingly intricate. But to my surprise, it was extremely playful despite being about math. Cornish was able to personify numbers and properties of math such as addition, subtraction, etc. in a way that made the poem sound whimsical. I thought it was interesting that she was giving an artistic twist on a subject matter that is very mechanical and one sided. Instead of explaining math by saying 1+1=2, Cornish used instances of everyday life therefore creating a personal connection between the reader and the topic of discussion. She embeds emotions into a seemingly emotionless subject by characterizing addition as having “domesticity” or supplying everyday examples like “one sock that isn’t anywhere you look” for remainders in division. Cornish was able to bring warmth and comfort into her poem about math, somewhat making a contradiction along the way. I enjoyed the paradox of creativity and comfort versus logic she presented. The poem made me feel like I was learning math as a little kid in elementary school all over again.
-Tiffany Dang
Comment on Poem #2 "Sidekicks"
Like Stephanie, after reading this poem my perception of a sidekick changed.
I liked the contrast of a sidekick with a hero, it always seems that there is a symbiotic relationship between the two, though they are so different. The sidekick is never the tall and handsome one; he may be ugly, or a little odd, but his work is just as important as the hero's.
Sidekicks can be quite underrated, so I liked the author's approach in the poem, emphasizing their importance despite their faults, compared to a hero's qualities.
-Haley Broder
Comment on #2 “Sidekicks” by Ronal Koertge
I enjoyed this poem because it focused on something that others seem to look past, the sidekick. Never getting acknowledged or thanked, the sidekick is always seen as the “help” and not the “hero,” but Koertge was able to show that sidekicks indeed can be more than they seem. I agree with Stephanie that Koertge had a sarcastic tone when glorifying the heroes; from what I read, it sounded as if he were actually mocking them for their vanity. This poem makes you think twice about characterizing someone as a hero. It makes you wonder if the hero is the person in the spotlight taking credit, or those that helped him along the way.
-Tiffany Dang
POEM 39: SNOW
I absolutely loved this poem because of the overall simplicity it holds. A boy is walking with his younger brother in the snow. Upon spotting a group of snow angels on the ground, the boy tells his little brother that there had been a troop of angels shot down. The little brother asks who had shot them, and the boy says that it was a farmer. The dialogue employed between the brothers is just as simple as the rest of the poem. The syntax is simple, the ideas are simple, but the over all tone received is surreal, and bears a very subtle beauty. As the brothers continue to walk, the elder boy's mind starts to drift off. The surreal tone is upheld by the similes and personification used in the following lines. "When it's snowing, the outdoors seem like a room... our voices hung close in the new acoustics." The poem ends with dialogue - the little brother once again asking questions about the angels. It seems as if the little brother's curiosity hasn't been satiated, and he is compelled to keep interrupting his brother's thoughts with questions about the angels.
-- Cuba Crosby
Karen Garay
“The Bat” by Theodore Roethke
The writer, Theodore Roethke creates a shift in the tone of the poem regarding the bat during the day and during the night. Roethke through the shift illustrates the transformation of the bat between day and night. The poem has the comparison of the harmless bat during the day, and the bat that evokes fear on individuals at night. In the first six lines the comparisons of the bat: “a mouse”, “a hat”, “an aging house” almost makes the bat seem amicable to others. However, the last lines of the poem the writer includes the eerie connotations of a bat for instance, “but when he brushes up against a screen, we are afraid of what our eyes have seen,” which evokes fear to the reader of the monstrous qualities of the bat. The author in the end hints the bat’s true identity; “For something is amiss or out of place / when mice with wings can wear a human face” that resembles the demonic quality of a vampire, the version of a bat that would “wear a human face”.
Karen Garay
“The Bat” by Theodore Roethke
The writer, Theodore Roethke creates a shift in the tone of the poem regarding the bat during the day and during the night. Roethke through the shift illustrates the transformation of the bat between day and night. The poem has the comparison of the harmless bat during the day, and the bat that evokes fear on individuals at night. In the first six lines the comparisons of the bat: “a mouse”, “a hat”, “an aging house” almost makes the bat seem amicable to others. However, the last lines of the poem the writer includes the eerie connotations of a bat for instance, “but when he brushes up against a screen, we are afraid of what our eyes have seen,” which evokes fear to the reader of the monstrous qualities of the bat. The author in the end hints the bat’s true identity; “For something is amiss or out of place / when mice with wings can wear a human face” that resembles the demonic quality of a vampire, the version of a bat that would “wear a human face”.
Karen Garay
Comment on Poem # 2 “Sidekicks”
After reading Stephanie’s analysis on the poem “Sidekicks” I agreed that the writer Koertge illustrates irony that the sidekick ends up becoming the hero by saving the life of the hero, which by his sacrifice defines the sidekick as a true hero. However, I also noticed that the writer, Ronald Koertge, includes irony in his poem with his expression that the hero “leaves[s] the sidekick alone,” which is a characteristic unlike a hero. Supposedly the hero is someone who helps individuals and sacrifices his or herself in order to save them. However, Koertge presents the sidekick as a hero who is willing to sacrifice himself for others, unlike the hero who will just “leave the sidekick alone.”
Although it is very short, I found this poem to be meaningful in that it simplistically describes the joy of being alone. Robert Bly uses diction that would imply unhappiness (“deserted,” “cold iron,” “waste”); he puts a positive twist on something that would otherwise seem negative. He uses anaphora (starting consecutive sentences with the same word/words) in the second and third sentences as well as uses concise, simple, declarative sentences throughout.
The piece has a warm, cheery tone as Bly describes essentially a cold, deserted, snowy night; the speaker in the poem values his privacy greatly. Until the fourth line, the reader assumes that Bly is describing something desolate and negative. Ironically, Bly is able to make a negative place so valued that the speaker of the poem is willing to waste time just to enjoy his solitude. A burdensome task- going to the mailbox- is cherished by the speaker as he imagines the next opportunity he will have privacy: driving around during the middle of the night. Bly’s message is that sometimes having only ones’ self as company is better than surrounding yourself with others.
-MICHAEL DAVIDSON
Sorry I read poem #40
Michael Davidson
Poem #41 In the Well by Andrew Hudgins
This poem was pretty straight-forward. At first, I thought it sounded suspicious when I read the word "noose", but once I got to the end the idea appears to be rather simple. The author invokes the reader's senses by using certain diction which creates a tense tone, even at the end. Usually, rhyming creates order, but because it rhymes in the middle of the sentence it creates disarray. This could parallel with the sense of being lost that the child is feeling at the time inside the well while looking for the neighbor's lost dog.
-Jamie Falcone
I read "A Man I Knew" which was the poem that Emily posted about, and I had the same reactions. It was very short, but it told a vague story which was left up to the reader to figure out. I have to say I think the syntax and the fact that the author doesn't use capital letters or complete sentences is odd, yet strangely enticing. I agree with Emily about the kids and the mother. I found this poem interesting.
-Jamie Falcone
I read poem #10. William Stafford's two stanzas reveal his love for nature and the ignorance which it might face despite it's prominent beauty. The first stanza compares a remote landscape, untouched by society, to locations where wars have taken place; these historical places always attract more attention. Personification, "where grass joined hands" contrasts the diction in the poem, "battle", "soldier", "die". He also personifies the sky as heroic. Stafford is arguing that these unscathed landscapes are just a significant as documented, historical landscapes. The second stanza clarifies Stafford's belief further. Through personification, "ground hallowed by neglect", he is implying that the ignorance of the landscapes is actually beneficial. Stafford ends the poem by stating that because people are ignoring humble landscapes, they are "celebrating" their true nature. The poem is relevant because it not only comments on society's fascination with violence and tragedy but it promotes simplicity in a world which dwells in complexity.
-Jose Figueroa
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Comment on #44
I agree with Emily Goldenberg on her interpretation of the poem. It was a small poem tragically depicting the life of a lonely father who misses his children. The simplicity and ambiguity of the poem emphasizes the meaning of each word used making the impact of the poem more personable because of free interpretation as Emily stated. I enjoyed this sentimentality of this poem. The yearning the father felt for his children was vivid and tangible.
I read poem #9, "The Cord" by Leanne O'Sullivan, and i thought it was something that mostly all of us can relate to. Its about growing up, and being a teenager. How, you can sometimes distance yourself from your family and be caught up in your social problems and trivial things that later wont be as important as you thought. And your family, mainly your parents, will always be there trying to keep you with them and holding on to you because they don't want to see you grow up as fast as you want to. I also really liked the way the poem read more as a story and flowed easily, because i've never really been interested in reading poetry. Another thing that really stuck with me was the juxtaposition of the teenagers talking of "hair dye and suicide", the author really showed the how fickle teenagers can be and how they can be over dramatic and irrational because of their immaturity. I also liked the way the author used a lot of imagery that really stuck with you. You could practically taste the "cold rice" and feel the "burning cable" of the telephone. Overall the poem was extremely relatable for high school students, because we are currently growing up and being pulled back by our own cords of our parents and family.
- Miranda Diaz
After reading Haley Broder's comments about poem #111 i read it and i found it very interesting. Not only was it able to evoke a lot emotion, but it did so in a very creative way, by using kitchen shears to represent a domesticated life. I agree with Haley that it is symbolic of specifically a womens domesticated life and i think using a kitchen tool to express these ideas can have a great impact. However, i also agree with the brutality Haley explained and also found the poem slightly disturbing because it speaks of separating flesh, and rusting rigid. This shows the horror and fear of domestication and i feel like Haley captured the whole essence of the poem.
-Miranda Diaz
Poem #42
“The Poetry of Bad Weather”
This poem is expressing how kids in Florida want school to end so they can go out and play, but instead they are forced to stay inside a stuffy room to read and write poetry. Through the rhetorical questions, descriptions, and metaphors, it can be seen how the kids are trapped inside their room with “only the dull roar of air forced to spend its life indoors’. They don’t even have a window to look out of and see what is happening outside, while they are being forced to read poetry of cities up north where snow is falling and it is beautiful outside. But I find that the real point of this poem is to emphasize that even in a constricting place such as that class room, and while complaining about how other people have time to write good poetry, this amazing poem is written. How in such a horrible and dismal place something with beauty can shine through.
-Rachel Fattal
I read poem 43 by Katia Kapovich.
This was a very interesting take from the perspective of a jealous elder sibling. The speaker constantly compares his brother's achievements and upbringing to the speaker's own childhood. The speaker's half-brother breezes through achievements which took the speaker years to accomplish. The speaker sees the brother's success as an insult and attempts to stifle his creativity by means such as criticizing and tearing apart the brother's well-written poetry. The poet emphasizes the speaker's distance from the brother by forcing the speaker's father to meet her away from her brother. I think it was interesting how the speaker never redeems herself; even when the half-brother is sick, the speaker does not rush into his ward but instead waits outside until their father calls the speaker in. The last scene of the brother wanting the boat in the water was quite touching as it portrayed him as a child instead of a genius for the first time.
Gene Gim
I read Poem #11 "Passer-by, these are words..."
This poem is alluding to a graveyard, the tombstone, decay and memories that follow you even after you pass through the cemetery. The author is asking that we stop and listen to the dead; listen to what they have to say, what stories they are leaving. We must focus our hearing to even the most minute of sounds, even if it is not what we wish to hear. The author uses the dead talking to show how we are able to drown out the sounds of truth or discontent. Bonnefoy uses a series of metaphors and similes to convey his ideas. “Letters eaten by grass” refers to the fading letters on a tombstone as nature gradually takes over; the same with “almost rubbed out names.” “Lend an ear…carrying the sound of branches” refers to how we need to focus our hearing in order to gain perspective. The voices of the dead can cross over the threshold into your life imperceptibly, as you are simply attempting to discern a name out of the stone. The author is stating the importance of listening to the dead and not just being a passer-by in your life. We are able to move past the graves, past our past, but those in the graveyard remain, ever whispering their voices to you.
Jill Frost
I agree with Charles's analysis of Poem #1. Not only is the poem funny, it construes poetry in such a true way. The last 2 stanzas are such a perfect, yet different way to describe the analysis of poetry, as a torture. For most kids, poetry analysis is torture, not only for them, but for the poem too. Collins takes the side of the poem, through a 3rd person, to say that people are beating it down with a hose, torturing its secrets and hidden meanings out of it. His previous stanzas all make poetry a game, a mouse finding his way out, water-skiing across it or trying to find a light switch, all unthreatening and lighthearted. The shift of the last stanzas allows Collins to starkly portray the problems people have when dealing with poetry...it should be a fun and learning experience.
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Poem #45 "Nights" By Kevin Hart
On the surface, "Nights" narrates the inner monologue of a speaker sitting down to dinner at his house. He speaks about his lack of needs and wants, and his dark, brooding environment, while introducing important symbols. The chips and blemishes on his plate stand for his various experiences in life, and the clear fissure down one side of his glass tells him that the world has a path for him; that some things in life are predefined, and cannot be changed. This means that although people can go through hardships, there is always a way back from frustration; back into normal life.
The final stanza is especially important regarding the theme of overcoming adversity. When the speaker says that he rests his head on his hands, and his mind on his eyes, he is saying that people can only get over difficult times if they rely on themselves alone.
-Kurt Henderson
Poem # 38
In Cartoon Physics, Flynn emphasizes the fact that children nowadays are living in a sheltered world. He describes the children's unconditional feeling of support throughout their lives. In a way, I believe that he is implying a sarcastic tone because he begins with the "rules" of cartoon animation-implying the common etiquettes in raising a child-and states them as requirements, just as a parent feels the need to shelter their child. Another indication I concluded from was how in the last few stanzas, Flynn provides violent examples and treating them passively by mentioning that the child will be saved. The last few lines, when describing the girl on the school bus, Flynn uses words such as: she will LEARN, the EXACT spot, and will NOT. These words highlight the sense of protection that children feel due to the certainty that they have learned to be confident with. In the end Flynn proves that not everything can be "drawn" out for our children and not everything can be painted as they wish-they, rather, "notice [their] mistakes."
My assigned poem was #14, "Neglect".
After reading this poem, I felt a sort of nostalgic sadness. Throughout the poem, the poet utilizes various poetic devices to convey a feeling of utter abandonment. By using words such as "medicinal" the author implies that it was the duty of a person to take care of the uglier things in life, that it was necessary. This poem made me feel a huge spectrum of emotions related to sadness in a surprisingly brief number of words. I think the author handles the process of aging in a sensitive way. By showing that even those things that are not beautiful need to be taken care of, the poet brings up a good point. I am not sure what this is an allusion to, but it is important for everyone to take care of each other. What I took from this poem, is that everything has some worth.
The poem "Foundations" by Leopold Staff (#28) makes an allusion to the biblical parable of building a house on rock, a firm foundation. With an almost satirical tone, Staff puts a spin to the original story. He expresses that, even something built on a firm foundation, or a strong faith, can fail. He leaves the reader with a vivid image of attempting to build upon air, smoke. I noticed that this poem was written by a Polish writer, and the poem is dated 1965. I think there is a sense of hopelessness to it, of rebuilding post-WWII. At first it seemed like a whimsical poem, but the “smoke from the chimney” lends a more serious tone. It seems as if he wants to give up, that there is no hope in trying to achieve the impossible. After all the things the narrator had been through, it seems impossible to simply return to a normal life. The impact of the violence and injustices of the era has forever changed the people. It’s a very sad but realistic depiction of the sentiments of the era.
Alexis Tam, p. 2
Poem #15- "The Poet"
At face value, “The Poet” by Tom Wayman, seems to be lacking of all creativity and artistic quality in any way. The fact that it possesses no rhyme, rhythm, or imagery at all plays a large part in the meaning of the poem. Assuming by the title, the speaker in the poem is talking about either Tom Wayman or any poet that fits the description. The poem is separated into three stanzas. The first stanza addresses the poet’s inability to communicate. The second stanza lists many factors that shows how the poet cannot analyze. The 3rd, talks about the poets incapacity to understand mathematics and categorization. People often judge each others mental aptitude through their ability to articulate, analyze and categorize; therefore, the speaker is portraying this poet as unintelligent. But this poem is more than a list of the poet’s shortcomings. Although not directly stated, Tom Wayman poses a defense for poets through his writing. Because his poem is so structured and systematic, he proves that poets do have the ability to think and classify intelligently. His words are concise, his ideas are organized. Yet, he also proves that this is not the formula for creating poetry. Its lack of diction, imagery, and creativity make the poem extremely dull. Poets often think on a completely different level and because of this, people criticize them for “not [understanding] what [they] read” and “not [understanding] what [they] hear.” In fact, Poets try to fit as much meaning into the least amount of words, which people may call ambiguous “verbal instructions.” Overall, he shows how people may misjudge poets, and through his poem, Wayman exposes poet’s unique style of thinking.
-InMee Holmes
In response to Alexis Tam Poem #28. . .
At first I was a little confused by the meaning of the poem, but I thought it was interesting that you analyzed the poem based upon the the authors background and the time it was written. I feel that the chimney smoke holds a lot of significance to a polish Jew, because it alludes to the smoke that came from the cremation of Jews in concentration camps. This poem is truly and account of hopelessness for someone who had lost everything in the holocaust.
Great analysis Alexis!
My poem is number 49, “Painting a Room”, by Katia Kapovich. After reading the poem, I have reached the conclusion that it is about a person who is leaving the place that he has stayed in for the past ten years. “An immigration visa in my pocket” indicates that the narrator came from another country, leaving his struggles behind and seeking better opportunities. Descriptions of his current living style, such as “small apartment”, “odd jobs”, and “old pullover” suggest that the narrator is still struggling financially, which could be the reason for his departure. Imagery of the narrator “wiping his tears", “sitting alone in the empty kitchen”, and his “beating heart in the palm of his hand” express his melancholic attitude towards his departure. It becomes evident that his feelings are the result of his attachment to his apartment, when he said “I am free from regrets but not from pain”. This shows that he does not regret the decision he made to leave but it pains him that he has to. “Ten years of fears, unrequited loves, odd jobs, of night phone calls” suggests that the narrator has many memories of his apartment that make it difficult for him to leave. The author’s emphasis on the sadness of losing familiarity makes the poem relatable to everyone.
-Rachel Kurata
I agree with what Haley said about there being tension in the poem. It is obvious that the narrator is angry, especially when it says, “I fear the grudge things must hold”, indicating the the narrator believes that things must hold grudges. I think the narrator feels angry because everybody always uses him without asking for his consent, as seen when he says, “Again I'm forced to amputate
the chicken's limb”, or “I'm used, thrown down by unknown hands”.
-Rachel Kurata
Poem #47: “Fault” by Ron Koertge
Mary King
In “Fault” by Ron Koertge, the speaker says goodbye to his mother in an airport as he contemplates the types of people who go out into the world. In doing this, Koertge mostly employs details to juxtapose the characters of a typical adventure film. The characters are nameless, but have specific traits: the female doctor is a “blonde,” the explorers are “deceitful,” and the pilot is “good-looking/but not smart enough to take off his leather jacket/in the jungle.” The third stanza is dedicated to the pilot, who already seems to have more looks than brains, and the blonde who is referred to as “Dr. Cutie Bug.” This emphasis on looks makes the couple seem vapid; however they are protected from natural disaster because of their simplistic notion of moving back home. In contrast, the fourth stanza depicts the explorers as overly ambitious in “want[ing] to steal the gold and ivory” and selfish for forgetting their families. Notably, they wish to go to “Los Angeles,” which, being a city, is the opposite of the couple’s destination, “the Mid-West,” that has more family-oriented values. Through these details, it is implied that the selfish ambition of the nameless explorers is the fault that brings about their ruin. Being nameless, they can relate to anyone, particularly the speaker whose destination is also California. Thus the poem essentially stresses the importance of remembering one’s roots when venturing out into the world and warns against letting other things get in the way of that.
The title of poem #46, "Grammar," written by Tony Hoagland, naturally gave me the impression that the poem would discuss some mechanical, scientific subject such as grammar. However, upon reading Hoagland's piece, I found that the poem exhibited lively vibes and an air of spontaneity, which was an interesting contrast to its title. This can mostly be attributed to the diction that Hoagland employs throughout the poem, such as "buzz," "fermenting joy," and "blaze," which really animates the poem. Additionally, the figurative language of the first stanza leaves a sharp impression on the reader, specifically the simile comparing the woman's smile to that of a "big cat" and Hoagland's use of metaphors, which describe the character's intimate ventures as grammatical terms. Personification is the most outstanding literary device used in the second paragraph, and it is effective in that it further emphasizes the transformation that Maxine, the woman figure, had experienced as a result of her intimate relationship. Hoagland ties these aspects together in the last stanza by relating Maxine's success to the attempts of others to achieve what she has accomplished, using heat ("fire," "blaze," "burned") as a major symbol of intimacy.
- Harris Huynh
Poem #16 Radio by Laurel Blossom
In the poem, the speaker, who can be either a male or a female, had his/her car broken into three times before, and seems to be pleading to the audience, which would be robbers, that there is nothing of worth in the car. There is not an apparent rhyme scheme or a pattern; however, there is a repetitive use of the phrase "No radio" which, I believe emphasizes the fact that there is no radio or any other valuable items present in the car, in an almost ranting way. Each line seems like a flow of ideas trying to make a clear point. The tone of the speaker seems bitter and a bit annoyed. The speaker also uses a rhetorical question, to point out that the car itself is a "wreck" so nothing valuable would be in it. The line, "No nuthin," sounds like a colloquial phrase, and it gives the impression that the speaker is not fully educated. Also through the usage of simple details, the speaker gets the point across that he/she is not very wealthy.
-Esther Jeong
Poem #50: "Otherwise" by Jane Kenyon
As stated by the poem's introduction, Kenyon is expressing gratitude for "simple pleasures in life"; the poem is one of appreciation for that which may be taken for granted in day-to-day life. It goes through a single day of the speaker's life, with description in regards to qualities attributable to various objects and activities. The speaker wakes, eats, walks, works, and sleeps; yet there is more, a subtle joyousness to the day described.
As for poetic devices, many can be found in the two stanza piece. Imagery, gustatory to be exact, is seen with the "sweet milk" and the "ripe, flawless peach". The second stanza sees visual imagery in the description of the utensils used, the bedroom's decorations. Such use of imagery is meant to exemplify things not usually noticed, or focused upon, in life; things that could be worse and should be appreciated more. The perspective used is that of the first person; such immediacy in viewpoint may aid in viewing things from the author's perspective. Frequently throughout the poem, the phrase "It might have been otherwise" is repeated, it constituting why one should express appreciation for the little things. The speaker is characterized as having a good life, one that is built upon gratitude for the usually-unnoticed. Also noted is the enjambment of various sentences between multiple lines, perhaps reflecting life's similar continuity between periods of time.
All of these devices help convey the idea that one should be mindful, and thankful, of those little details in life that may change for the worse later.
-Nicholas LeFlohic
Poem is #18- The Farewell by Edward Field.
Emma Kennedy
After reading this poem once, it seemed pointless, however at second glance, it revealed so much more.The use of synecdoche in the first line allows this poem's message of trust versus distrust to be universal. I am thinking that the ice is and iceberg. I immediately thought of the Titanic, but i am not completely convinced. I see the figure as a man who is the captain of a ship and is forced to go down with it. In the first half of the poem, the wording is simple and relaxed, while in the second stanza, although the man seems collected, the diction is scattered and frantic. Personification is also used when describing the man waving goodbye to the shore, which shows his struggle in leaving the world behind him. I thought this was a short poem which packed a lot of meaning.
In response to Rachel's poem #49, i agree with her conclusion that it is about a person who is leaving the place that he has stayed in for the past ten years. I wonder what the ashes are that he dumps down the drain. Is it someone he lost? When the person talks about the window, i believe that it represents the opportunities lost. Also, i think that by including the paint and brushes shows that he is covering something up. Maybe he had not accomplished much in the ten years and feels disconnected.
Poem #31- School Day Afternoon by Dave Etter
At first, by the title, I expected this poem to be all about school, but after reading it i found it to be about what one wishes to do outside of school. The diction, such as imagine, mad, big, and soft, is extremely basic and reveals not only how the speaker is a child, but also how the poem takes on a daydream like quality. The imagery incorporates basic and childish things, such as sandwiches and the colors red and blue, to show how observant and imaginative the speaker is. There are two rhetorical questions that reveal the openness of the child and further his immaturity. A simile towards the end of the poem describes how the speaker loves the softness of a grass field. This reveals the speakers innocence because he appreciates something as worthless as grass, whereas an adult would over look this kind of detail. The poem ends with an explanation point that sums up the young child's imaginative thoughts and excitement for his after school afternoons.
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In response to charles' poem #1, I too found it oddly hilarious. I found it interesting how the author suggested that discovering the meaning behind poems should be fun. The author brings up a valid point in that today, many people try to probe an analyzation out of a poem rather than appreciating the beauty in its words. I think it was awesome that the collection of poems begins with this one because it helps readers to be more visionary when reading poems, rather than always looking for answers. Good job Charles
Comment on #26
After reading Molly's response and the poem, I agree with Molly on many points. I feel that if the death the narrator mourns is that of a sister, it is probably an older sister. My thought process is rooted in the narrators allusion to dog years, an immature concept. It is also completely likely that I am reading far too much into a simple statement.
My poem is #48 "Thanks for Remembering Us" by Dana Gioia. Although the poem is fairly short, it manages to show the wonder that can be caused by a simple mistake. In the poem the narrator was sent flowers that had no name on them. Because it is not near anyones birthday and the neighbors say that it wasnt for them, the narrator doesnt know what to do. In the second stanza it goes more into the details of the flowers. The author uses imagery to paint the picture of the flowers slowly losing life and becoming more and more droopy. She then uses a simile to describe the room as smelling like a funeral. Thus the reader can infer that the flowers are dead. Because the flowers have been there long enough that they have died, it shows that the narrator doesn't want to throw out the flowers for they were not meant for them and they may think that the rightful owner may eventually try and claim the gift.
-Jackson Kuhn
I read poem #44, "A Man I Knew" by Margaret Levine after reading Emily's post. I agree with much she has said. The poem is very short being about 20 words, yet it still is able to say a lot about the man. Like emily says the reader knows he owns a condo, has a made who comes weekly, and kids who wont visit him. Unlike Emily i don't believe that the mother died, rather i believe that the parents had a messy divorce which caused the children to rather stay with the mom instead of him. It is also possible that the mother may not allow the children to visit him due to past actions.
^^^the last comment on poem 44 was by Jackson Kuhn
Poem #20 - "Dorie Off To Atlanta" by Mark Halliday
When I first looked at Mark Halliday's poem "Dorie Off To Atlantic," it did not resemble the structure of a normal poem: no stanzas or compactness. In his poem, Halliday writes about a conversation between two women (Dorie and Jen) which takes place while Dorie is "on the bus to LaGuardia[, heading to] Atlanta" and calling Jen on her cell phone, although the ready is privy to only Dorie's side of the conversation. Halliday's diction and syntax are extremely successful in making the poem seem like an ordinary, everyday conversation, especially with the slang Dorie uses such as "like," "yeah," and "y'know?" The poem is cluttered with pauses (signified by dashes and ellipses) for when Dorie rephrases herself and when Jen speaks. Their conversation is a continuation of a previous one, and Dorie is telling Jen about the new guy that Marcie is dating. Usually, Marcie dates "charming" guys "with great jobs" who are primarily interested sex rather than a long term relationship; however, she is currently dating Jason who wants to take their relationship slowly. Dorie tells Jen that Marcie and Jason have not yet had sex at which Jen interjects and asks whether Jason is gay. Dorie refutes her question, telling her that "there was a divorce like six years ago." As Dorie reaches her epiphany near the end of the poem, there are fewer pauses and more italicized words, emphasing her belief that sex is "part of" love and "an expression of something much more," not the primary "objective" in a relationship. To Dorie, men like Jason who are looking for someone to whom they truly connect, unlike men only interested in a one-night stand, are a rarity. Her belief is echoed by Jen's question about Jason's sexuality. She tells Jen that she has warned Marcie that if she does not give Jason "a serious chance, somebody else" will take him. Marcie has not yet learned to appreciate Jason's steadiness and commitment, for she has a history of becoming involved with attractive men with good jobs who are looking for a one-night stand rather than a long term relationship. Halliday's poem brings love down from its star-crossed-lovers, heroic ideal to an ordinary, everyday one which can be achieved by everyone. Dorie represents the average, modern woman who does not need her man to slay dragons for her but to be there for her; she believes "that bed" is a part of love, not the main point of it.
--Lindsay Martin
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Comment for Poem #15 - The Poet by Tom Wayman
I agree with Inmee in that Tom Wayman's poem portrays poets as scatterbrained individuals with a unique way of thinking that others who are not poets criticize. In the poem, I feel as if Wayman is mocking the common stereotype of poets, and the poem continuously emphasizes the poet's impracticality, whimsy, and abstractism. I liked how Inmee analyzed the poem's structure as a defense of poets and a contrast to the speaker's statements. His poem has only one period (for an abbreviation) and thus lacks any sense of stopping or pausing which emphasizes that the speaker is stringing together statements that he or she has heard.
--Lindsay Martin
My poem is #21, "Wheels" by Jim Daniels. When first reading this poem, I thought it held a melancholy tone to it, as if the speaker remembered the pictures of his brother with all of his cars because it was the only thing that stood out from their relationship. I concluded that the connection between the two brothers was a very shallow one, and that the only thing lasting were these frozen images in time. After reading the poem for a second time I discovered that the poem was not sad or melancholy at all, and that it was an honest admiration from the speaker for his brother and the many cars that have journeyed with him through his various life experiences. The different cars symbolized the many phases of the brothers life and as the cars matured in their luxury and stature, so did the brothers spirit. After every experience the author uses the words "waving" as if to symbolize that a new chapter has awakened in the brothers life. The status of the many different cars also symbolizes the type of safety and freedom that the brother has at the moment. For example, a black LTD has a reputation for class, all the stability and respect of an old timer car yet all the potential and power as the newer cars and this is the car the brother uses after he gets married and begins to sell real estate. I really enjoyed that the speaker personified the cars as a part of the family, that although these cars did not have a pulse or a heartbeat, they were just as significant as a pet or a sibling would be. My favorite part of this poem was the very last stanza, where it painted the picture of the brother being completely free of his past, able to rewrite a new destiny for himself with a motorcycle instead of a car and when the speaker says "waving, waving, face pressed to the wind, no camera to save him" I got the image that in this new season of the brothers life, he had experienced enough things worth remembering and now he just wanted to live, no strings or images attached, just the wind and the earth beneath him.
-Danielle Massey
I read poem #16 "Radio" by Lauren Blossom. I really enjoyed it, haha. It showed just how deprived and crazy you can become when you have gone without music for a long period of time LOL. After reading this poem I wanted to know more, how did all of these things break or get stolen, did it happen one after the other in a long period off time? When the speaker did have the poem, what did he listen to? Why is there a telephone in your van to begin with? (hah). I like that the reader has a disclaimer not to break into their van unless it was necessary, I think if I ever get a van Im gonna get that as a bumper sticker, or maybe Ill just get a mouse trap and stick in my hood, that'll show em;). All in all, I enjoyed the poem very much, and one day, me and this author will go out to lunch and talk about which cars are the most "robber proof".
-Danielle Massey
- Joe Locher
Poem #52 "Love Poem With Toast"
This poem offers a very simple description of human life. The author, Miller Williams, suggests through repetition of the word "wanting" that everything people do in life boils down to their desires. He compares the words "yes" and "no" to the poles of a battery that propel us in different directions in life. However, his remark, "we move, as we call it, forward" implies that he doesn't believe that striving for these desires is productive. Contrarily, he believes that chasing these dreams is pretty much pointless because people will always want something else. In the last stanza, two lovers are together and should be content. However, they only "gaze across breakfast and pretend" to be satisfied because in reality they will always want something more so they will never be truly happy.
After reading Rachel's analysis about "The Poetry of Bad Weather" I agree with her. The poem is about how some kids in Florida don't quite understand the joys of poetry yet and feel like they are imprisoned while they are stuck in class learning about. I think the author is trying to say that if you force kids to read/write poetry they might not like it. It's better for them to discover is treasures on their own.
Poem #52
“Love Poem With Toast” by Miller Williams
Williams describes the significance of love among the mundane, routine actions people go through each day. The author uses these actions to connect to every person. Waking in the morning, starting the car, making coffee, wanting to stay healthy, wanting the water to boil among other things, are what most people go through and want each day, never giving any real meaning to it. Williams uses anaphora in the third stanza to emphasize the many desires that people have. The mundaneness emphasized is to help juxtapose the importance of love, but that people treat it just like the other actions in their lives. Williams even points out that people, in the search for importance in relationships, only “pretend”.
-Nick Lusk
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Comment: Nicholas LeFlohic
Poem #50: "Otherwise" by Jane Kenyon
I agree with Nicholas's analysis. I would like to add that the author may be describing the unpredictability of life. The author ends the poem by saying "and planned another day just like this day. But one day, I know, it will be otherwise." He may be attempting to convey the unpredictability of life and how a slight difference in an action could change many events in the future.
-Nick Lusk
Comment: #21 "Wheels"
After skimming Danielle's analysis, I read the poem. I loved how the passing of time was implied by "waving". It's a beautiful poem that highlights the milestones of life. I have to agree with Danielle; the last part evoked an image of an exhilarating motorcycle ride, free and unhindered. The different kinds of cars/vehicles he uses reflects the kinds of things that mattered to him most at that point of his life. It makes me think about what matters most to me, and reaching for my dreams.
-Alexis Tam
I read poem #55, "Selecting a Reader" by Ted Kooser. At first glance the poem seemed overly simple and pointless; it just spoke of a woman with a dirty raincoat reading his poem. But looking closer at the poem, I realized that it was a more complex piece than it appeared. Koosers ideal reader at first is described through imagery very dramatically and almost picture perfect; it seems like a typical over-done, movie-scene moment of a dream reader. The imagery is vivid and gives a perfect image of a beautiful, young, perfect girl. From this description I found myself assuming the rest of the poem would be picture perfect also: she would buy his poem and it would change her life, yada-yada-yada. It isn't until the moment she finishes reading the poem and decides to get her raincoat cleaned instead of buying Kooser's piece that the true irony of the scene is revealed. While this girl is Kooser's dream reader, she does not buy his poem. This moment says alot about Kooser and helps to reveal his tone not as a serious, vain writer who believes his pieces could cure cancer but as someone who is able to laugh at his own rejection. While it didn't change the beautiful woman's outlook on life, it did convince her to take initiative and clean her raincoat; at least he had some sort of impact! This piece reveals the complete difference between the perfect dream reader and a comical, imperfect but real reader. This poem is unique because it really shows who Koose is as a writer; even though he is brilliant, he is not vain and is able to poke fun at himself. By making fun of himself, Kooser gives a certain light, almost youthful feeling to the poem. While the plot is so simple, Kooser somehow managed to make this simple scene fantastic, revealing much more than described in the poem.
-Bridget Miller
Unicorn girl.
I really enjoyed reading Emily's poem, "A Man I Knew". I agree with Emily that the poem is simplistic yet in only a few lines tells us so much about the man. I agree that the man probably lives alone because he is living in a condo and that he still thinks and cares about his children. By mentioning so few things about the mans condo, it makes it seem like the few things that she does mention are things very important to the man: the past, his kids, his loneliness. However, I do disagree with Emily's statement that the man "deserved it". The poem doesn't state the reason why the man is alone, so the only thing the reader is left to use to establish their opinion about the man is the few lines and the tone. The tone of the poem seems to be solemn, and it makes me feel sorry for the man for having to be alone. Describing the man with a picture frame of his kids also makes me feel warmly of him, because it shows he is loving/compassionate; even if he did make a mistake in the past he has a good heart and misses his family. I really enjoyed reading and analyzing this poem.
- Bridget Miller
Poem #23 by Carol Snow
Well...my poem was only two sentences. The poem is kind of a metaphor in which it compares a situation with reality. The first sentence of the poem creates a viewpoint, which the reader holds as true. However, the second sentence introduces a second way of viewing the situation and therefore creates an alternate reality. From this we can conclude that reality is unique to the person's perception of the world and that one's reality may differ from someone elses’. There aren't any obvious poetic devices employed like similes, rhyme schemes, meter, etc., but this poem does have prominent voice, tone, and imagery. In the first two stanzas you can imagine a beautiful shrine decorated with blossoms in a perfect spring day. However, in the next two stanzas this imagery is lost and a doubtful tone emerges. This unexpected tone creates a questioning voice and reminds us that there are different ways at looking at things.
-EUNICE PAE PERIOD 1
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Poem: #22 "Remora, Remora" by Thomas Lux
In this poem Thomas Lux describes the food chain and uses sucker fish to create an image of a pyramid. He implies that as the pyramid increases the intelligence of the organisms closer to the top decrease. Lux calls these organisms "morons" and "idiots" and uses imagery to describe their small stature, like "the size of a nick of gauze". He goes on and says that the organism on the top of the pyramid is so insignificant it can't even be eaten, it is almost invisible. Lux characterizes the ocean or "the great sea" as the bottom of the pyramid or the host to all the organisms on the pyramid. This poem is a metaphor for life. It shows that in life we need to live off and be supported by other organisms in order to survive.
Comment: Poem #2 "Sidekicks" by Ronald Koertge
After reading Stephanie's analysis of "Sidekicks" it drew me to the poem. I really enjoyed reading it and I agree with Stephanie's point on the slight switch to the sarcastic tone. I enjoyed the contrast of the typically hero in this poem and like the idea of the underdog saving the day. This poem was very entertaining and as Stephanie said questions your definition of a hero.
-Jenna Mendoza
Period: 1
Poem #54 "Song"
"Song" opened in the setting of the author's daughters Junior High School graduation, with her singing in front of a sea of people. After reading the poem all the way through, I definitely was not at my peak of happiness. Surprisingly, the poem had an overall low-spirited tone, and left me feeling slightly empathetic for this newly graduate on such a joyous day. The poem consisted of imagery with the "racket of traffic shaking the main streets" informing me on how quite in appeared inside contrasting the outdoors. There is also contrariety when they were "sitting together" yet, her "separated mother and father" sit and listen. These contrasts throughout alter the focus off of the daughter singing and onto the author’s point of view. The voice seems distracted and the poem is being told from Grennan's perspective on the surroundings rather than his daughter on her special day. Toward the end he chants "sing, love, sing your heart out!" so I wasn't left too depressed, there was a glimmer of hope.
-Katelyn Morello
Comment: Poem #52
After reading Nick Lusk's analysis on "Love Poem with Toast" by MIller Williams I had to read it for myself. I enjoyed the poem and agree with it on many levels. I think it's so true that many of us just wake up and run through the motions but treat love the same. We want these things in life the same as we want love and yet, they are so far from comparison. I like how Nick notes that the "mundaneness" of these tasks just simply emphasizes the true importance and meaning of love. It is very true that people especially in our generation look over what is truly essential in their busy lives.
-Katelyn Morello
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After reading Charles' post on his poem (#1 Introduction to Poetry) I was compelled to see what was so "oddly hilarious" about this poem. I agree that poetry does not have to be dissected and tortured. The rhythm and rhymes in poetry are fun and can be enjoyed when you read a poem with an open mind. Sometimes people forget to ponder on what the poem means to them, instead of trying to constantly figure out what it meant to the author.
-Eunice Pae PERIOD 1
Response to #48
I found Jackson's analysis of "Thanks for Remembering Us" to be very similar to my own- the narrator is keeping the flowers because she doesn't want to throw out a gift that doesn't belong to her. A simple mistake of flowers sent to the wrong house has mystified the narrator; at first she laughs, but then she becomes slightly obsessed: she thinks maybe someone is having an affair. In fact, by the time all the flowers die, the narrator actually feels slightly threatened by their presence because they might imply that she is the one having the affair.
-Michael Davidson
Comment on Poem #3 “The Summer I Was Sixteen”
After reading Haley’s analysis on the poem, I was able to pick up on a lot of the things she noted but the shift in the last stanza was particularly noticeable. For me, it really solidified the fact that the speaker was looking back on her life because of the way she is able to distinguish that the world is “improbable” while her sixteen year old self is less aware of it, only once “tossing a glance” in its direction in a carefree way that mimics her life within that “chain-link” fence. I feel that this distinction between the speaker and her younger self is what really highlights the carefree bliss of her younger days .
Mary King
Period 2
Poem #25 Domestic Work , 1937 by Natasha Trehewey
This poem is surprisingly short. The women, the main character portrayed, is so used to cleaning other people's houses, she never gets to clean her own or spend time for herself. On Sunday mornings, though, she is able to move freely around the house and clean it. The author included the main character's thoughts in italized print and helps the reader think the way she does. It shows how the main character is holy and believes in God. She is okay cleaning her own house because it helps her get closer to God whereas she does not enjoy cleaning other people's houses and things until she sees her reflection in the copper. Although she is okay cleaning her own house, she still wishes for a better life at the end of the poem.
-Whitney Rodgers
Upon reading "The Green One Over There" (poem 43) by Kapovich, I must agree with Gene's evaluation of the events told. In the long, single stanza poem there seems a certain melancholy, some nostalgia, and some jealousy (as Gene found), in the author's look at sibling relationships. The half-brother's constantly being viewed as better does seem an impetus for conflict. It posits that one may not see the person fully, that a person may have more to be found, as stated in Gene's concluding sentence.
-Nicholas LeFlohic
Poem #56- "Fat is Not a Fairy Tale"
I found this poem very humorous and profound. The author is discussing fairy tales and how they are written with stereotypical characters as the centerpiece. She renames several well known fairy tale characters to reflect ones with an alternative appearance. Not only did the author portray a very sarcastic tone, but she also played with the words in several different ways. In the first two stanzas the author utilizes a very comical approach whereas in the third stanza she shifts to a more serious tone. She hopes that in the future people will have a different outlook on what is desirable in society. Altough this poem begins with a lighthearted and narrow perspective, it evolves into a more dramatic and expanded message. The author makes a powerful statement about the importance of acceptance.
After reading Katelyn's analysis of the poem "Song", I was not too excited to read it because it sounded like a somewhat depressing poem. However, I read it anyways. I definitely agree with Katelyn that this poem does not have the most uplifting message due to the details given in the middle stanzas such as the seperation of her mother and father and how the speaker is on the edge of tears. However, at the end of the poem I felt a bit happier for the speaker shows love and support to the singer as she calls out "Sing, love, sing your heart out!" This poem had a lot of imagery as well as mixed emotions. Overall though I enjoyed it and thought it sent a loving message of support.
Poem #28
"Foundations" by Leopold Staff
At first glance, I did not think this poem would have much depth, for it is only six lines long.
However, as I was reading, I realized that Leopold Staff utilizes imagery to creating a depressing feeling in the first four lines. He built a sandcastle on the sand, yet it tumbled down. He built another one on a rock, but once again, it tumbled down. Staff's despondent tone effected me and saddened me a bit, but the last two lines uplifted my spirits greatly. He says that when he once begins building again, he will "begin with the smoke from the chimney." His belief in the impossible is extraordinary and despite the short length of the poem, his message is strong.
-Aya Takahara
I agree with Rachel about poem #49. I believe Katia Kapovich created a character who is leaving his "small apartment" after living there for a decade, in hopes of finding better opportunities (financially). The imagery of the character smoking by himself in his small, lonely apartment creates much sorrow. He must be feeling lost and hopeless, afterall he is leaving his apartment that has been been his for ten years. After reading this poem I felt depressed, so I read my poem again which is about doing the impossible.
-Aya Takahara
I agree with Mary's analysis on Poem #47. I thought that the fact that the charactrers were nameless allowed them to relate to anyone. However, I also detected a cynical tone. The narrator seems to have some sort of disdain for the unrealistic quality of human being that is described by the media. When he talks about the pilot all, the two defining qualities he lists are the fact that he is good looking and stupid. He seems to hate the fact that this is all society cares about.
Poem # 27 Poetry- Don Paterson
Paterson relays the importance and value of poetry through his poem. He compares poetry to a diamond, and new found love. He then uses imagery and distinguishes the difference between pure and false love by causing the reader to channel their sense of hearing. He compares pure love to a "pure verse, when it finally comes...like a mountain spring, anonymous and serene" and untrue love to the voice of a "bar-room singer...boastful...[and] forced." By characterizing poetry as something so pure and by comparing poetry to arguably the most prized/ important aspect of our existence, Don Paterson truly portrays his true passion for poetry. Paterson effectively relayed his appreciation of poetry and the effect it has through his poem, "Poetry."
-Vanessa Seawright
I liked Haley's poem, "The Summer I was Sixteen." The poem's carefree tone and imagery of summer days creates a youthful image that many can relate to. I agree with Haley that the active verbs help emphasize the impulsiveness of children, which dramatically adds to the youthfulness of the poem as a whole. The poem effectively captures the useful essence of summer days, and made it extremely enjoyable to read. The very last sentence of the poem completely changes the overall tone of the poem because it creates the image of a girl watching the world through a "chain link fence" as Haley said, which completely contrasts with the earlier images that the author described. The author described this idealistic scene of a youthful summer, and essentially destroyed this image through the very last sentence.
-Vanessa Seawright
My poem is #55 and it is "Biscuit" by Jane Kenyon and the only thing that is better than the amusement it brings is how true it is. The poem gives a very straight forward account of a man feeding his dog. Very simple, the poem uses only one literary device and it is a simile that really emphasizes how trustworthy the dog is. That is what this poem is about, how trustworthy dogs are. The man gives him food and then sees the blind trust the dog gives him saying, "I might have given him a stone" stressing that the dog trusts that the man will no doubt give him a bisuit. Although it is very simple and lacking in imagery, the poem is very enjoyable and accurately depicts what the author inteneded: a dog's trust. I highly reccommend looking at this poem fellow Kennedy-ians.
Jack Morrow, Period 2
My poem is #55 and it is "Biscuit" by Jane Kenyon and the only thing that is better than the amusement it brings is how true it is. The poem gives a very straight forward account of a man feeding his dog. Very simple, the poem uses only one literary device and it is a simile comparing the action of the man feeding the dog to that of a priest feeding a churchgoer, ultimate trust. That is what this poem is about, how trustworthy dogs are. The man gives him food and then sees the blind trust the dog gives him saying, "I might have given him a stone" stressing that the dog trusts that the man will no doubt give him a bisuit. Although it is very simple and lacking in imagery, the poem is very enjoyable and accurately depicts what the author inteneded: a dog's trust. I highly reccommend looking at this poem fellow Kennedy-ians.
Jack Morrow, Period 2
Poem 58- To Help the Monkey Cross the River,
Author Thomas Lux uses the monkey trying to cross the river as a metaphor for children trying to cross from childhood to a fruitful adulthood. The shooter is the parent, who knows he can only rightfully shoot at the monkey, because that his who he is trying to help. The croc and anaconda are trying to survive in the treacherous waters as well, and to punish them for living their lives is not within the rights of the shooter. This applies to parenthood, because the only person parents can truly help guide across the river is their own child, and no one elses. The monkeys taught to smile in their cages are refers to children who are held back by parents in order to "protect" their young from the world, when this really doesn't benefit the child at all.
Lux uses no capitalization in this poem, a child-like reference, since all the letters are small. Also, sentences are not seperated by thought, and its rather sporadic and choppy. Not only does this help readers visualize the wild river, but it shows how life does not always follow a smooth pattern.
-Paul Scott (Period 2)
I read poem #29 by Bill Knott
This poem made my stomach hurt a little bit. It completely shocked me at the end when I realized he tried to commit suicide; he jumped but I dont think he died. I noticed how he is lying in an "empty street." I believe it is empty because all of the cars and people have stopped because he has jumped and is now lying there; almost like a crime scene. I realized that the "gawkers" are people who are watching him from above; where he had jumped off. Its weird how he treats them as birds almost annoyed by them. He calls them "gawkers" and they are "perched" there most likely in a business building.They must have seen him before he jumped. They urged him not to jump but he did and he continues to hear their urges. I also noticed that these "gawkers" are probably still saying "dont jump" because their clearly in shock. If it were actually happening i feel like there would have been an exclamation mark at the end of that last line. The poem is eerie but i kind of like it.
-Morgan Thompson
Commenting on poem #31 by David Etter
I think Courtney did a great job of describing all of the different aspects of the poem. I like how childish it is and I too, like courtney, thought it was going to be about school. The imagery kind of makes your mind wander. You can tell the speaker is probably coming from elementary school. There is a huge amount of innocence in the poem and everything seems so simple; the sandwich, the colors he uses, etc. I can tell he is scared of his teacher which makes me kind of laugh. I think the idea of his mom not coming home til dark excites him to have some freedom which reinforces the fact that he is young. I liked this and Courtney's comment helped me understand it a lot more.
I read Bryn's poem Fat is not a fairy tale # 56, and I too enjoyed it. I agree strongly with Bryn that the poem takes a humorous tone at first, with the naming off fairy tales and rewording the names, such as "Snow Weight". Reading these clever names made me chuckle as i read the poem. As Bryn mentioned when analyzing her poem, the author shifts to a more serious tone in the third stanza. I feel this gives the poem its strong meaning and the authors overall message is revealed. The last few lines reveal its main message that acts as an important and impacting theme. The author emphasizes the importance of being accepted and I feel that Bryn analyzed that very well.
Meghan cassedy
Ahhh, Mary Oliver. I love her poetry, especially because she really invokes the senses. This is especially apparent in poem 57 - White Eyes. Her diction contains copious amount of colorful language to allow readers to truly picture the winter wind as a bird. This is especially seen in the sixth stanza as she describes the bird as part of the clouds. Although she describes winter as being harsh and agressive towards the beginning, by the end she transitions to a more loving and caring character, which is a nice contradiction to the normal somber poems about the season of death. It's odd that she would use a bird though, especially because birds usually are associated with spring. The use of the bird and the milder description of winter almost glorifies the season as she ends the poem with a peaceful tone. The lasting image is that of the typical winter's day where the spectator is looking out a window while staying warm inside. By doing this she shows that winter can have a good, cheerful side, despite the literary connotations it holds.
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As I scrolled down I spotted Cuba's poem, 'Snow,' and though,t that I might as well keep on the same track of winter. Little did I realize that there isn't too much of a connection between the two. In any case, I agree with Cuba about the syntax, especially because the simplicity of the dialogue characterizes the children (especially the brother) as young. As Cuba mentioned, the brother continues to question the speaker about the angels, which I find charming and amusing, but also heavily symbolic of the innocence of childhood.
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Comment on #55
I agree completely with Jack concering the poem. This poem is short of description, but in the few lines it gives the description of trust. In the poem the narrator states that giving a biscuit is similar to "a priest offering a host", which surprisingly is a valid connection. You wouldn't think that this connection could be made but there is a connection between the trust between a man and his dog as their is trust between a priest and his host.
-Sara Van Marel
Poem #60
This poem has an oddly hilarious vibe. The author begins to describe his actions, "fake to the right,fade back" giving a serious tone about football to the reader. But immediately there is a switch to a comedic tone when the narrator questions what exactly he is holding in his hand. I thought is was amusing when the narrator describes that one must do with what he/she is given, for instance having to eat pancakes with corn syrup instead of maple syrup. He is sarcastically making this example seem like a devastating thing he had to go through. Then at the very end, he gives his life-connecting input that one has to make choices, and his is to not throw the football to his teammate.
-Sara Van Marel
The reader of poem 57 and the commenter on Cuba's response was Emmy. (I thought I typed my name...oh well.)
For poem #60
I agree with sara, but think that the author is also trying to say that each person has a football and that is your life. And even though life might not be perfect (the senaro with the syrup) that you have to make your own choices in life, no one can choose for you.
I also read poem #44 and i agree with Emily and her analysis of the poem. I believe the poem is a critic about a man who is alone in the world. I which the only person comes to visit him is his made. Yet, he dreams of something far different that reality and he and his children are floating "away on a boat". This can mean an escape of freedom to a place that is just him and his children.
-Megan Carroll
One Morning by Eamon Grennan
The poem at first struck me as odd, and I had to reread it a few times to catch some of the subtleties in it. The writer explores life and death as he goes on a walk alone through nature. Specifically, the writer is resolving an unexplainable dream that another person had and most likely told him about. To me it seemed like he was discussing the ideal that dying does not matter to him. Grennan's most powerful use of diction and imagery are in his reaction to the foul smell of the dead otter, this image of decay and death is at the beginning of the poem and therefore sets the tone for the rest of it. He describes the otter as rotting and his death as savage. He explains that the smell is so bad he is forced to carry it with him all day. To me it seems as though he throws many seemingly unrelated images and scenes together (such as the dead otter to the couple drinking coffee, to the butterfly flying over wave-silky stones) to show that for him, life and die might as well be one in the same. I believe the many different scenes he is putting in the readers head are purposefully disconnected to show that for the author peace on earth is all the time even if there is death is present . This shows that the author is jaded in some way and doesn't fear death as most people do. After reading the title of the poem one morning the reader would think its going to be a light poem about an experience the author had one morning. However it is randomly dark with the image of otter and its horrible stench that serves at a symbol for death as a natural process of life. Ultimately, the writer rejects the dream and chooses to embraces life and death while he is on earth, just as he thinks the other animals and people in the park seem to be doing.
- Devynn Turk
I too read poem number one after Charles posted about it! I like the idea that a poet can sympathize with kids in highschool or just anyone who doesn't know poetry. By acknowledging that since poetry is ofter so abstract is can seem threatening and intimidating to a lot of people Billy Collins is actually helping to spread the art of poetry to many people who think that wouldn't enjoy it. I enjoy the stanza when the poet talks about the poem being tortured in the hands of the reader, which stands as a symbol for poems being forced on students by teachers, picked apart, and over analyzed to death. I loved this because I can totally relate sometimes I dread poetry because I feel like I just don't "get it" or I feel like in class teachers tend to analyze things beyond what the author intended and just take it to their own world. This was apparent to me when two teachers taught the same poetry piece, but analyzed it in completely different ways. However, I think I feel this way because I am forced to read poems I'm not interested and I feel that If I explored the realm of poetry on my own I would appreciate it much more. This poem for me put poetry into a new light.
I forgot to put my name under my post about Charles's poem..
Devynn turk, I posted that at 7:11 am
Reading "Nights" by Hart (#45) and the commentary by Kurt, I can visualize the "inner monologue of a speaker sitting down to dinner". The self-reliance and perspective exhibited by the speaker is something to behold and admire, at least according to my own point of view. Hart appears to eschew desires in favor of what is around him, the stars, his house, the plates upon his table, etcetera; and his own abilities as a person. As Kurt stated, the final stanza does appear to have a special significance as to the concepts of moving onward during various situations. An understanding that nothing may not be intrinsically needed to do something is a fascinating viewpoint as compared to various other thoughts on necessities. The poem was very interesting to read and think about and I personally appreciate the opportunity to do so.
-Nicholas LeFlohic
After reading Charles's examination of peom Number One, I read it for myself. I agree with what he wrote. Billy Collins portrayed poetry as being fun and compares it to fun activities. The fun metaphors definitely outweigh the dark metaphors at the end of the poem and overall, it proves that poetry can be fun and entertaining if you view it as a fun activity and if you really understand it. -Whitney Rodgers
About #55 'Selecting a Reader'
I agree with what Bridget said about the poem. She makes a point that it is a great quality in a poet to be able to take himself seriously, but to also be able to laugh at the ironies of how people may react to his work. If one takes oneself too seriously, they may blind themselves to the realities of life, and i agree with Bridget's analysis of the poem. I enjoy the title the author used, because a writer can never select their readers, in fact it is the exact opposite; this ironic title conveys the overall purpose of the poem. I enjoyed reading the poem, and Bridget's response was deep, implicit, and well said.
-Shelby Burney
Poem analysis #54 "Song"
Jack Morrow
I read Katelyn Morello's poem song and it was a very interesting poem. The author does not use any figurative language or flowery imagery but instead uses very conflicting things to create this interesting scene. Things like a junior high school graduation, an eloquent French prayer, and New Jersey. Grennan creates a very interesting poem through these juxtaposing things and plain language.
I agree with insanekorean's post on Katia Kapovich's poem "The Green One Over There" in that the speaker assumes the role of a jealous elder sibling, which stems from the speaker's observations of his parents' more seemingly focused attention on her younger brother. Throughout the poem, the speaker takes on a bitter tone in her description of her half brother based on all the recognition he received from others, which eventually resulted in her avoiding contact with her brother totally. However, towards the end of the poem, I saw that the speaker began showing more warmth and care for her rival brother as he lay sick in the hospital; I believe this indicates, despite her past bitterness, a sense of love for her brother which holds more importance than the trivial matters described in the poem before.
-Harris Huynh
Poem #32
I found this poem oddly depressing, the fact that one minute you are worrying about something and then the next you are dead, I find this idea completely morbid, but at the same time true. He uses ideas such as weather, an everyday occurrence, to show the insignificance and materialistic way of our lives. We should not look to the future because we will miss what is happening in the present. Events and things will come as they come and if we spend our whole life worrying about what is going to happen next we are not truly living. We are all interconnected in some way, we are all born with a blank slate, and we all die, it is what happens in the middle that is different. If everything in your life is focused on work and the negatives life will just fly by without much enjoyment and happiness and before you know it you or a loved one has died. You should not need a tragic occurrence to happen, like a death, for you to realize what is truly important in life. While things may seem important in the present in the long run they don’t have a huge impact on many people other than yourself so you should recognize they joy in your life, which for many people comes from their friends and family.
Ariana Abend-Goldfarb
I agree with Emily, this poem does seem extremely short, but there really is much more to it. There is a lot of deep emotional struggles going on that I would find extremely difficult to portray in such a quick poem. I alos agree with her thoughts that they narrator has towards his children.
Ariana Abend-Goldfarb
Comment on Molly's poem, #26. I agree that the broken sentences towards the end are emphasizing the pain the narrator feels, but it also shows how broken she feels. Without this woman in her life, the narrator has no one to lean on, so things don't run smoothly anymore, its kind of a hobble through life. Also, time seems to last longer for the narrator now. The death of the close woman in her life shows her how fast our time with loved ones can be, and now with the woman gone, she cannot wait for time to pass so that they may be reunited. The narrator tries to take in all she can of the world she lives in so she can share with the dead woman, presumably in a world beyond. The narrator is probably a spiritual person who believes in some sort of life after death.
I read "In the Well" by Andrew Hudgins. At first, I thought it was just about a boy who went down a well to save a dog. When I read it again, I started to pick out certain symbols and imagery that caught my attention. First of all, we don't know what the reader is doing in the well until the 4th and 5th stanzas. In the 4th, we see that whatever his object of focus is has fur. In the next stanza we realize it's a dog. Not only a dog, but a dead dog. The diction is pretty violent and aggressive sometimes as it includes words such as gagging, hauled, spiked, and blood. The well is dark, filled with dirt, rot, and sharp obstacles on which the boy hits his head. The darkness resembles hell in a way, but at the same time it's almost like the boy is on a quest or a journey with the goal in mind and the trials along the way. When the boy rises from the well, it's like he is entering heaven because the last line is filled with light and breaths. Also because he is holding death in his arms in the line before, we see the shift from death to life.
-Jamie Falcone
I also read "A Man I Knew" by Margaret Levine after reading Emily's comment. I must admit I had to reread this poem a couple times to fully grasp it. Each of the phrases lack a certain emotion: love. A condo is not a home. It doesn't have the same warming effect as a home. The maid comes every other week, not even every week, yet still she is not a friend or member of his family. They don't have any real relationship other than professional. Speaking of family, there is no mention of a wife or any lover. His kids "won't". Maybe that means they won't visit him. Maybe that means they won't give him time or attention. Maybe they won't LOVE him. Perhaps something happened that forced this man to move to a condo and lose any communication to his family. It appears the only way he gets to see his kids are in the picture frame on his dresser. The title insists this man is someone the narrator "knew". So he or she may have previously had some type of relationship with this man, and it was somehow lost or ruined. I'd like to assume the narrator is an ex-lover thinking about her ex-husband's life, or something along those lines. Anyhow, I honestly feel sympathetic for this man.
-Jamie Falcone
I read "The Bat" by Theodore Roethke. I really enjoyed the poem because it is a couplet that seems to flow very nicely and seems to describe a bat very well. Like Karen I noticed the shift of tone when the author refers to the bat at day and the bat at night. I thought the simple rhyme scheme added a nice touch to the poem without it seeming forced upon. Roethke's usage of action verbs such as, "loops, brushes, wear" helps readers imagine the very motion of the bat. The speaker seems to express that a bat has some sort of a mysterious quality at the very end; however, I did not gain a connection to a vampire like Karen has. I just thought that the speaker was trying to express that bats have some human qualities.
My poem was number 7, a poem about writing poetry. The opening stanza is simple enough, and for the most part is straightforward and serves as a setup for the rest of the poem. The second stanza is where the author stars to employ poetic devices. There is not a rhyme in the poem, but the author uses very clever imagery in regards to the notebook. The inclusion of the words "weak tea" and "kitten or spaceship" create an image that poetry is something that cannot be taken too seriously. This idea is further in the next stanza with talk of chateau's and "muffled tennis courts" in a negative sense that point to the conclusion that poetry is not found in the most proper of places.
The final metaphor of the child stacking the books also helps with the overall image of the poem. The author is conveying that poetry is not what is found on the shelves, but what you make out of what you find. Persnickety and overly zealous authors will not succeed, in the eyes of this poet, for true poetry is found in the unorthodox.
-Luke Collins
I read Charles's post about poem number one. After reading the poem myself, I find myself disagreeing with him on a few pints.I feel as if the brighter stanzas are outlining the way in which a poem should go about being read, just as Charles stated. However, I feel as if the final stanzas are not meant to show that poetry should be fun and exciting, but more so that readers should not expect to be able to extract a meaning from it. The depth and complexity is not some thing that can be beaten out of a work of art, but rather something that must be gone about in a gentle and exploratory manner.
-Luke Collins
In response to Jamie's comment on "In the Well," I would like to agree with the journey through hell and ascension into heaven. I also noticed that Hudgins used the repetition of "then" in his syntax in order to create a slow, step-by-step account of the rescue. As the reader, I can feel what the boy is feeling as he descends little by little, with each "then" getting closer to death. It simulates the experience of being lowered into a well and creates a powerful attachment to the boy.
-Charles Alexander
To Kurt Henderson's Poem 45
I agree that the speaker seems to have little need since he never puts much emphasis on his need but rather what his worn out possessions signify about his life.
I could see the interpretation of the broken plate and glass as a symbols of his past and predestined events. At the last stanza, I can see how the speaker is advocating self-reliance, but I thought that adversity seemed like the wrong word to describe the speaker's thoughts.
Gene Gim
I am impressed to read the interpretations of the Poetry 180 poems by an AP Literature class. It is wonderful to see such eloquence communicated by young adults, but also a depth of thought that sometimes only poetry excites. However, I found it interesting that the two first comments discusses Billy Collins' "Introduction of Poetry" as something to not fear. While I agree this to be true, my understanding of the imagery of the poem was not that the audience or reader should fear a poem strapped to a chair, but that the audience often loses the enjoyment of a poem by dissecting it; by measuring it's line, and meter, analyzing its diction and poking all the similar phonemic sounds to see if it uses alliteration. The poem is not torture to us, the act of trying to torture a confession out of a poem as to what it must mean is the only torture. The point of Poetry 180 is not to do this, as prefaced by Poem 1. The point of poetry 180 was to expose ourselves to a poem a day, to experience its cadence, to enjoy the images we imagine, to wave to it in appreciation as we watch it on the shore. It is a strange and unnatural thing to dissect someone's words; to take a puzzle and separate the pieces, analyzing their similarities and then, pieces in hand, say that we know what it means. Rather, most times, one must put the puzzle together, sense it in its wholeness to see the big picture and admire it. When poetry is approached like this, it is torture to no one.
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