"My mistress' eyes"
This poem seems to have a negative connotation, but is in fact a very good compliment. Most girls would love to hear this. He says that he is not going to lie to her and say that she is as beautiful as all of nature's greatest works of art. But he says that she is as beautiful as all of the girls who ARE complimented by being compared to these things. And the love that she receives from him is more sincere than those other girls receive because he isn't going to lie to her. Through his honesty at the end of the poem, you realize that his lover is not ugly. She could in fact be very pretty. But her features should not be compared to sunsets of coral or snow because those things are of nature, and she is simply a human being. It gives a real sense of humanity to the poems. We are not perfect, no matter how much we want to believe. The speaker realizes this.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tone Poem 3
"The Oxen"
This poem reminded me of when my mom told me there was no Santa Claus. At the beginning he remembers a tale from his childhood about oxen. He talks about how much faith he had in the fact that the oxen really would be kneeling if he went and checked on them, so much so that he didn't feel the need to. Towards the end of the poem, he says that if someone told him that story now, he would try to cling onto the feeling he had as a small child. He would hope that it might be so. However, he also notes that he would go with the storyteller to check and see if it was true. He can never regain that blind faith that he had as a child because time and experience have taught him that it is wrong. People are so anxious to grow up, but then when they do, they are just as anxious to go back. We must learn to appreciate childhood, and try to preserve the innocence of those who still believe that the oxen would be kneeling in the barn if they went out and checked on Christmas Eve.
This poem reminded me of when my mom told me there was no Santa Claus. At the beginning he remembers a tale from his childhood about oxen. He talks about how much faith he had in the fact that the oxen really would be kneeling if he went and checked on them, so much so that he didn't feel the need to. Towards the end of the poem, he says that if someone told him that story now, he would try to cling onto the feeling he had as a small child. He would hope that it might be so. However, he also notes that he would go with the storyteller to check and see if it was true. He can never regain that blind faith that he had as a child because time and experience have taught him that it is wrong. People are so anxious to grow up, but then when they do, they are just as anxious to go back. We must learn to appreciate childhood, and try to preserve the innocence of those who still believe that the oxen would be kneeling in the barn if they went out and checked on Christmas Eve.
Tone Poem 2
"Getting Out"
What is the central purpose of the poem, the poet's fictional point?
The central purpose of this poem is to show that love does not necessarily work out. You can still love someone, even if you are not able to stand being around them. She mentions the man trying to leave, but for some reason or another we know that he came back. Both of them were trapped by this feeling of loving each other, but not being able to get along. She also mentions still having a picture of him and how he writes her every year. People who get divorced generally try to avoid each other at all costs. But these two are completely different. They want to make sure to keep in touch. Even when they were parting ways, they tried to hold onto each other. The two contrasting feelings are very evident in this poem.
What is the central purpose of the poem, the poet's fictional point?
The central purpose of this poem is to show that love does not necessarily work out. You can still love someone, even if you are not able to stand being around them. She mentions the man trying to leave, but for some reason or another we know that he came back. Both of them were trapped by this feeling of loving each other, but not being able to get along. She also mentions still having a picture of him and how he writes her every year. People who get divorced generally try to avoid each other at all costs. But these two are completely different. They want to make sure to keep in touch. Even when they were parting ways, they tried to hold onto each other. The two contrasting feelings are very evident in this poem.
Tone Poems
"Crossing the Bar"
Discuss the tone of the poem? How is it achieved?
The overall tone of this poem is acceptance. The man is aboviously referring to his proximity to death, and how he has become adjusted to the fact that he is going to die. Now all he worries about is that it be peaceful. His use of "turns again home" gives the reader the idea that he is okay with dying, because it is simply a journey home and not to some foreign land. He also says the he hopes to see his "Pilot's" face. The fact that it is capitalized making it appear to be a symbol for God. By saying that he hopes to see God, it means that he is almost awaiting his death anxiously. He does not want any moaning of the bar, which refers to bad weather. He just wants to drift past the sandbar and on to his next life without any major interruption.
Discuss the tone of the poem? How is it achieved?
The overall tone of this poem is acceptance. The man is aboviously referring to his proximity to death, and how he has become adjusted to the fact that he is going to die. Now all he worries about is that it be peaceful. His use of "turns again home" gives the reader the idea that he is okay with dying, because it is simply a journey home and not to some foreign land. He also says the he hopes to see his "Pilot's" face. The fact that it is capitalized making it appear to be a symbol for God. By saying that he hopes to see God, it means that he is almost awaiting his death anxiously. He does not want any moaning of the bar, which refers to bad weather. He just wants to drift past the sandbar and on to his next life without any major interruption.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
2nd Unit Poetry
"I taste a liquor never brewed"
This poem was intriguing. Although I know that the different kinds of liquors are supposed to stand for something else, I wasn't sure what. I thought that maybe they were different life experiences. Throughout the poem, she is trying more and more experiences until she is drunk off of life. All the while, the angels are watching her. By saying that she "tastes a liquor never brewed" she is saying that she is trying something new, maybe even something no one else has attempted. She also has a reference to bees and flowers in the third stanza. This is the time in life when maybe other people give up on you, but you just keep going on. The bees are kicked out of the foxglove, but she keeps on "drinking". At the end of the poem, she is leaning against the Sun. I saw this as her making her way to death, but not necessarily heaven. The angels watch her as she comes there, so I definitely don't think that she is going to hell. But this poem was hard to find symbolism in, I think because it is not written clearly. She is very vague in her description of what exactly is happening.
This poem was intriguing. Although I know that the different kinds of liquors are supposed to stand for something else, I wasn't sure what. I thought that maybe they were different life experiences. Throughout the poem, she is trying more and more experiences until she is drunk off of life. All the while, the angels are watching her. By saying that she "tastes a liquor never brewed" she is saying that she is trying something new, maybe even something no one else has attempted. She also has a reference to bees and flowers in the third stanza. This is the time in life when maybe other people give up on you, but you just keep going on. The bees are kicked out of the foxglove, but she keeps on "drinking". At the end of the poem, she is leaning against the Sun. I saw this as her making her way to death, but not necessarily heaven. The angels watch her as she comes there, so I definitely don't think that she is going to hell. But this poem was hard to find symbolism in, I think because it is not written clearly. She is very vague in her description of what exactly is happening.
2nd Poetry Unit
"Dream Deferred"
After learning that this poem was written during the Civil Rights movement, it made perfect sense. They had so much to lose by letting their dreams fall behind. Each way that Hughes describes a dream ending shows a different outcome. If they decided not to use peaceful means to win rights and just let themselves be controlled by America's overwhelming white population, anger would have taken them over. It is only human nature to resent those people who oppress you. Things would have ended much differently and probably less successfully had they not went forward at the time they did. America was in a wave of change, electronics making life simpler, a new attitude of freedom taking over as the 1960's were ushered in. And although this poem does relate so well to Civil Rights, it can apply to any unrealized dream. It could be a personal dream, something that one individual had hoped to accomplish. That is why this poem is so dynamic.
After learning that this poem was written during the Civil Rights movement, it made perfect sense. They had so much to lose by letting their dreams fall behind. Each way that Hughes describes a dream ending shows a different outcome. If they decided not to use peaceful means to win rights and just let themselves be controlled by America's overwhelming white population, anger would have taken them over. It is only human nature to resent those people who oppress you. Things would have ended much differently and probably less successfully had they not went forward at the time they did. America was in a wave of change, electronics making life simpler, a new attitude of freedom taking over as the 1960's were ushered in. And although this poem does relate so well to Civil Rights, it can apply to any unrealized dream. It could be a personal dream, something that one individual had hoped to accomplish. That is why this poem is so dynamic.
2nd Poetry Unit
3. " Discuss the diction of the poem. Look up any words with which you are unfamiliar and point out words which are particularly well chosen, explaining why."
"Toads"
The diction in this poem is very humorous, and relates to the feelings of most of the working force. The "toad" of work is something that everyone can relate to. His use of "squat on my life" was very endearing because that is what work seems to do. A few lucky people enjoy what they do for a living, but for most it is only a means to and end and a way to keep their livelihood. Thus, it only squats on life and is not a very looked-forward-to part of it. He also says that something toad-like in him "hunkers", which infers that something inside him is permanent. This is his desire for fortune, fame, and women. Our desire for worldly things is what drives us to work. Our want for these things is stronger than our displeasure at working for them.
"Toads"
The diction in this poem is very humorous, and relates to the feelings of most of the working force. The "toad" of work is something that everyone can relate to. His use of "squat on my life" was very endearing because that is what work seems to do. A few lucky people enjoy what they do for a living, but for most it is only a means to and end and a way to keep their livelihood. Thus, it only squats on life and is not a very looked-forward-to part of it. He also says that something toad-like in him "hunkers", which infers that something inside him is permanent. This is his desire for fortune, fame, and women. Our desire for worldly things is what drives us to work. Our want for these things is stronger than our displeasure at working for them.
2nd Poetry Unit
2. "Point out and explain any symbols. If the poem is allegorical, explain the allegory."
"Pink Dog"
Symbols can be found all throughout this poem. The most obvious and repeated one is the hairless and grimy dog. It represents the poor people in society, who are shunned. It speaks of how the poor people are thought, unjustly, to have diseases just because they are not clean. The poem takes place in Rio de Janeiro, during the Carnival right before Ash Wednesday and Lent. I thought this was ironic because Lent is a Catholic season, a religion which prides itself on doing service for the poor. But in this poem, they throw all undesired citizens into the river. The speaker is warning the dog to dress itself up and look decent. This shows that in society, it matters more what you look like than who you really are.
"Pink Dog"
Symbols can be found all throughout this poem. The most obvious and repeated one is the hairless and grimy dog. It represents the poor people in society, who are shunned. It speaks of how the poor people are thought, unjustly, to have diseases just because they are not clean. The poem takes place in Rio de Janeiro, during the Carnival right before Ash Wednesday and Lent. I thought this was ironic because Lent is a Catholic season, a religion which prides itself on doing service for the poor. But in this poem, they throw all undesired citizens into the river. The speaker is warning the dog to dress itself up and look decent. This shows that in society, it matters more what you look like than who you really are.
2nd Poetry Unit
1. "Discuss the imagery of the poem. Look up any words with which you are unfamiliar and point out words whice are particularly well chosen, explaining why."
"Bright Star"
This poem has the imagery of a star in the sky and a man laying wiht his lover. The imagery is important in this poem because it compares the "everlasting" existence of the star to the speaker's desire to be everlasting. However, the speaker does not want to be a distant observer, like the star. The positive imagery of "moving waters" and "gazing on...snow upon the mountains..." are deceiving when you read further and find that that is not the reader's desire. The imagery of laying with his lover is what he truly wants, and seems more meaningful when compared to the star's lonely existence. The poem has a tone of desperate longing. The speaker even says that if he can't have the star's long existence AND be with his love, he wants to just die at the peak of his relationship.
"Bright Star"
This poem has the imagery of a star in the sky and a man laying wiht his lover. The imagery is important in this poem because it compares the "everlasting" existence of the star to the speaker's desire to be everlasting. However, the speaker does not want to be a distant observer, like the star. The positive imagery of "moving waters" and "gazing on...snow upon the mountains..." are deceiving when you read further and find that that is not the reader's desire. The imagery of laying with his lover is what he truly wants, and seems more meaningful when compared to the star's lonely existence. The poem has a tone of desperate longing. The speaker even says that if he can't have the star's long existence AND be with his love, he wants to just die at the peak of his relationship.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Poem Blog 5
"London" by William Blake
Everything I envision about London in the 18th and 19th centuries is captured in this poem. London was a dark place, riddled with disease and immorality. The speaker in this poem does not see one thing that is positive. He goes from bad to worse. The narrator speaks of someone crying out three times in the poem, which gives the impression that every corner he turns, there is human suffering. I also thought it was interesting that he said the "Harlot's curse" plagued the "Marriage hearse". This implies that the marriage was never all that happy to begin with, if the Harlot is damaging something from a hearse. He speaks of the blood from the palace walls, which seems to be alluding to the aristcratic takeover of the poor in society. They were the ones who were sacrificed for the good of the elites. This also added to the downward spiral of society, because the classes were so divided. The people could not work in unity to bring about a change, because they were so appalled by each other.
Everything I envision about London in the 18th and 19th centuries is captured in this poem. London was a dark place, riddled with disease and immorality. The speaker in this poem does not see one thing that is positive. He goes from bad to worse. The narrator speaks of someone crying out three times in the poem, which gives the impression that every corner he turns, there is human suffering. I also thought it was interesting that he said the "Harlot's curse" plagued the "Marriage hearse". This implies that the marriage was never all that happy to begin with, if the Harlot is damaging something from a hearse. He speaks of the blood from the palace walls, which seems to be alluding to the aristcratic takeover of the poor in society. They were the ones who were sacrificed for the good of the elites. This also added to the downward spiral of society, because the classes were so divided. The people could not work in unity to bring about a change, because they were so appalled by each other.
Poem Blog 4
"I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain" by Emily Dickinson
This poem was my favorite. The most obvious translation, to me, is that the narrator is going crazy. The fact that she hears all of these things going on shows that she is not dead, but maybe just disassociated. Several lines stuck out as proving that she was going insane, such as "That Sense was breaking through", "My Mind was going numb", and "then a Plank in Reason, broke''. It almost seems like at the beginning of the poem her sense is breaking through, meaning her mind is trying to be rational. But then her mind goes away and her reasoning and logical thoughts begin to break. The funeral image is not one of death of the body, but death of the mind. She is no longer able to communicate with the "mourners", just like she would not be able to communicate if she were physically dead. The end of this poem, being so odd, struck me as the final piece of evidence. She finished knowing anything logical or reasonable, and then nothing happened. She was crazy, but crazy people do not realize they are crazy. So, her poem ended because she had nothing else to relate to.
This poem was my favorite. The most obvious translation, to me, is that the narrator is going crazy. The fact that she hears all of these things going on shows that she is not dead, but maybe just disassociated. Several lines stuck out as proving that she was going insane, such as "That Sense was breaking through", "My Mind was going numb", and "then a Plank in Reason, broke''. It almost seems like at the beginning of the poem her sense is breaking through, meaning her mind is trying to be rational. But then her mind goes away and her reasoning and logical thoughts begin to break. The funeral image is not one of death of the body, but death of the mind. She is no longer able to communicate with the "mourners", just like she would not be able to communicate if she were physically dead. The end of this poem, being so odd, struck me as the final piece of evidence. She finished knowing anything logical or reasonable, and then nothing happened. She was crazy, but crazy people do not realize they are crazy. So, her poem ended because she had nothing else to relate to.
Poem Blog 3
"Discuss the diction of the poem."
"After Apple-Picking"
The author uses many words which word normally not go together to show the reader how out of place and disillusioned he felt himself. "Magnified apples" shows the narrator's feeling of being overwhelmed with his task. He also says he cannot rub the "strangeness" from his eyes. This is odd diction because strangeness is not something you normally wipe from your eyes. Throughout the course of the poem, the narrator is falling asleep, and wants the reader to have this same feeling. His imagery of a cup falling but him not catching it because he was asleep almost makes the reader feel drowsy. He dreams of being swallowed up by the apples, showing that even though it is a strong sleep that he is falling into, it is not a peaceful one. His repetition in the line about "ten thousand thousand" fruit shows the magnitude of apples with which he has been bombarded. I know myself what a bunch of apples rolling together sounds like, and the author's use of diction describes it very well. His ability to conjure up these images help him to convince the reader that they are in fact the one picking the apples.
"After Apple-Picking"
The author uses many words which word normally not go together to show the reader how out of place and disillusioned he felt himself. "Magnified apples" shows the narrator's feeling of being overwhelmed with his task. He also says he cannot rub the "strangeness" from his eyes. This is odd diction because strangeness is not something you normally wipe from your eyes. Throughout the course of the poem, the narrator is falling asleep, and wants the reader to have this same feeling. His imagery of a cup falling but him not catching it because he was asleep almost makes the reader feel drowsy. He dreams of being swallowed up by the apples, showing that even though it is a strong sleep that he is falling into, it is not a peaceful one. His repetition in the line about "ten thousand thousand" fruit shows the magnitude of apples with which he has been bombarded. I know myself what a bunch of apples rolling together sounds like, and the author's use of diction describes it very well. His ability to conjure up these images help him to convince the reader that they are in fact the one picking the apples.
Poem Blog 2
"What is the central purpose of the poem?"
"The Convergence of the Twain"
This poem's central purpose was to shed new light on the sinking of the Titanic. He talks about how human vanity was the ship's main downfall. After all of the commotion of the opulent mirrors, jewels, and the ship's size, it was destined to sink anyways. Although the poem is about the sinking, the focus is more on showing the reader how unimportant worldy objects are, and how easily they can be taken away. He also wants to show that human vanity never ends well. The simple fish who are now swimming around the sea see it for what the ship really was- a display of human extravagance which wound up being utterly useless. The fish are perfectly happy in their simple world. The author also touches on the idea of destiny. His line about "Immanent Will" almost says that the iceberg was made for the ship. Their destinies collided when they did. God was the one controlling the ship, not the people who created it, or steered it, or even rode on it.
"The Convergence of the Twain"
This poem's central purpose was to shed new light on the sinking of the Titanic. He talks about how human vanity was the ship's main downfall. After all of the commotion of the opulent mirrors, jewels, and the ship's size, it was destined to sink anyways. Although the poem is about the sinking, the focus is more on showing the reader how unimportant worldy objects are, and how easily they can be taken away. He also wants to show that human vanity never ends well. The simple fish who are now swimming around the sea see it for what the ship really was- a display of human extravagance which wound up being utterly useless. The fish are perfectly happy in their simple world. The author also touches on the idea of destiny. His line about "Immanent Will" almost says that the iceberg was made for the ship. Their destinies collided when they did. God was the one controlling the ship, not the people who created it, or steered it, or even rode on it.
Poem Blog 1
"Discuss the tone of the poem. How is it achieved?"
"Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden
I found the tone of this poem to be regretful. Such phrases as "No one ever thanked him" and "What did I know..." show these feelings. While most poems use symbolism and stand for something more, I thought this poem was very literal. The writer speak of how he didn't realize everything that his father did for him. He remembers how his father got up early for him, just to make sure the house was warm. I got the feeling that this poem took place after his father died, or at least that his father was unavailable to him. It definitely seems like he can't go and tell his father how much he appreciates what he did for him. He ends the poem by saying he didn't understand love and how lonely his father was. Because I mother was never mentioned, I also think that perhaps his father raised him by himself. It is hard for a father to show his son all of the love he has, so maybe the son got a false sense of harshness from his father. Either way, his childhood seems pretty harsh, but not abusive.
"Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden
I found the tone of this poem to be regretful. Such phrases as "No one ever thanked him" and "What did I know..." show these feelings. While most poems use symbolism and stand for something more, I thought this poem was very literal. The writer speak of how he didn't realize everything that his father did for him. He remembers how his father got up early for him, just to make sure the house was warm. I got the feeling that this poem took place after his father died, or at least that his father was unavailable to him. It definitely seems like he can't go and tell his father how much he appreciates what he did for him. He ends the poem by saying he didn't understand love and how lonely his father was. Because I mother was never mentioned, I also think that perhaps his father raised him by himself. It is hard for a father to show his son all of the love he has, so maybe the son got a false sense of harshness from his father. Either way, his childhood seems pretty harsh, but not abusive.
Monday, September 6, 2010
I believe that there are certain meanings to poems. The object obviously had a subject in mind when he wrote it, but because poems are so ambiguous, more than one interpretation can be correct. However, I do agree with Perrine that there is a "most" right answer to a poem's meaning. By the way Perrine explained how he knew that his answer was right, to me, seems to take the beauty out of the poem. He must have read it with a scholarly mind, searching for hints or clues that would lead him to what the author viewed when writing. But what about what the reader views? Poems should just be a window for the reader to look through and see what they want, not a picture for them to see what is already there. Some readers may notice the sea of daffodil as the golden color, or some might see the actual color, but both can connect with it.
But, the article does make good points which will enable me to view poems with a more scholarly mind. I will notice the small details that indicate a color, or something from history. The strategy which I read to be most helpful in this process was that symbols are complex, and they do seem to be endless, but they have a limit. There is always an answer which can be found. By reading a poem with a scholarly mind, I can increase my ability to analyze any kind of work. However, I do feel that taking the correct interpretation of the poem and trying to divulge it is a bad way to read a poem for growth outside of educating myself. I would much rather read a poem and think about how it connects to me, not how it connects to facts. I believe that of all literary artists, poets are the ones who want their readers to connect most to what they are writing.
But, the article does make good points which will enable me to view poems with a more scholarly mind. I will notice the small details that indicate a color, or something from history. The strategy which I read to be most helpful in this process was that symbols are complex, and they do seem to be endless, but they have a limit. There is always an answer which can be found. By reading a poem with a scholarly mind, I can increase my ability to analyze any kind of work. However, I do feel that taking the correct interpretation of the poem and trying to divulge it is a bad way to read a poem for growth outside of educating myself. I would much rather read a poem and think about how it connects to me, not how it connects to facts. I believe that of all literary artists, poets are the ones who want their readers to connect most to what they are writing.
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