"Tour" by Carol Snow

"Tour"

Carol Snow

Near a shrine in Japan he'd swept the path
and then placed camellia blossoms there.

Or -- we had no way of knowing -- he'd swept the path
between fallen camellias.


I initially picked this poem because it was very short. I thought maybe it would not have that deep of a message. However, after reading it twice, I realized that this poem has an important lesson to teach to all people.
The message is: don't look at everything one-sided. Everything has two sides. One should not assume things right away because he or she might not know everything about the subject. People should not judge things because they will most likely be wrong about their perception. "Tour" is all about perception.
This poem is written in free verse. It uses imagery when Snow writes: "Near a shrine in Japan he'd swept the path" (Snow 1). Also the wordsmith gives details about the flower. It is not any old flower...it is a "camellia blossom."
I would definitely recommend this poem to everyone. Thanks!

Immigrant Blues by Li-Young Lee

What does it mean to “be inside?” In Li-Young Lee’s poem Immigrant Blues, this phrase has two interpretations. First, it can mean sexual intercourse. The poet writes, “Am I inside you? I asked once / lying between her legs” (Lee 24-25). This “inside” is physical, sexual. However, to be inside can also mean something is emotionally occurring. “Practice until you feel / the language inside you” (Lee 12-13). Here, “inside” means to be “within.” The man says to practice the language until it is known by heart and with him always.
In a relationship, or when one is in love, he or she desires to feel as though they are inside – emotionally – the lover. He or she wants to be kept in the mind and the heart of the lover. Today, usually when someone asks someone else if he is inside her, it is a sexual and physical “inside.” This is a cultural phrase and is pretty blunt and vulgar.
This poem is written in free verse, which means it does not have a certain pattern or rhythm. By using titles of made-up stories, the author conveys his feeling of loneliness and loss.

Passer-by, these are words...

Passer-by, these are words. But instead of reading
I want you to listen: to this frail
Voice like that of letters eaten by grass.

Lend an ear, hear first of all the happy bee
Foraging in our almost rubbed-out names.
It flits between two sprays of leaves,
Carrying the sound of branches that are real
To those that filigree the still unseen.

Then know an even fainter sound, and let it be
The endless murmuring of all our shades.
Their whisper rises from beneath the stones
To fuse into a single heat with that blind
Light you are as yet, who can still gaze.

May your listening be good! Silence
Is a threshold where a twig breaks in your hand,
Imperceptibly, as you attempt to disengage
A name upon a stone:

And so our absent names untangle your alarms.
And for you who move away, pensively,
Here becomes there without ceasing to be.

This poem was written by Yves Bonnefoy. In a note before the poem, the Poetry 180 website states that "this poem is spoken by an epitaph - words on a tombstone. In the first and second lines, the author demands that the reader open his or her ears and listen carefully to the surrounding sounds. These are my favorite lines because instead of using imagery to evoke pictures in one's mind, Bonnefoy uses words to introduce another sense: hearing. The reader can actually hear the "happy bee," the "voice like that of letters eaten by grass," and the "sound of branches." Once one reads the first two lines, he or she does as the speaker commands and listens to the words being read.
The speaker of this poem is dead and in his or her grave. But there is a message being sent out to the passer-by. This message is to listen! Silence is a way to understand more in the world. By listening, one can perceive things differently and notice the world around him or her.
I really enjoyed reading this poem - and listening to those sounds - and I hope you do too!

Small Comfort by Katha Pollitt

Small Comfort is written by Katha Pollitt. I chose this poem because the title caught my eye. I wanted to know what this “small comfort” was. While reading this poem, I thought it was cute and nicely written. It brought my senses to my attention. For example, I could smell the “laundry cool and crisp and folded away” (Pollitt 4). This is one of my favorite lines because it paints a picture in one’s mind. You can smell and feel the clean clothes.
I think the author wanted to send a message about the small comforts in one’s everyday life. Life is very short and seems to be rushed. One should take his or her time, enjoy life, and notice the small things. This can make a difference in one’s happiness.
The author uses imagery in the poem to evoke pictures in one’s mind. For example, 14-15, Pollitt writes: “dog turn the corner and lope suddenly / miraculously, down its own street, home.” One can see this dog trotting down the street. The wordsmith also uses similes. For instance, Pollitt writes: “forsythia lit like a damp match” (2). Pollitt also uses personification to bring the sky to life: “a thundery sky drunk on its own ozone” (3). The “thundery sky” is “drunk;” this is an example of human characteristics being applied to inanimate things.
I think this poem holds some truth about life. It is “too late to find / comfort enough in such small daily moments” (Pollitt 5-6). However, one should definitely take the time to look around them and feel lucky for what they have. I would recommend this poem to others, and I would like to read more literature by this author.

I've Been Known by Denise Duhamel

I’ve Been Known is written by Denise Duhamel. I chose this poem because I thought it was funny and different. I really enjoyed reading this poem because it was about how one person describes herself.
At first, I was a little confused because the short lines ran off into other lines. Also, the author uses so many idioms that I did not understand right away. For example, I had to look up the phrase “to cut a shine” which means to dance (Duhamel 4). After reading this poem a couple of times, I have come to realize that most of the poem is made up of idioms, or sayings and phrases. My favorite lines are lines 13-15 when Duhamel writes: “to / make a stand to / stand for something to stand up for.” She is known to stand up for things she believes in. I think these are powerful lines. She repeats the word “stand,” showing how powerful and determined she is to make a difference.
I believe this poem could be about exactly what the title is: “I’ve been known to…” Also, it may be about how people perceive the speaker of the poem. Maybe the speaker does not actually do these things, but people assume and judge her. Perhaps the speaker does “vamp it up” and “size up” and is just describing herself to the world.
This poet used form free verse. There was no rhyming. However, there was a specific pattern; every sentence or detail about her life was started with the word “to.” This is an example of alliteration. This poem was very realistic in that it described things that many people do. For example, in line 1, Duhamel writes, “to shoot off my mouth to get it off my chest.” Many people, including myself, talk more than they want to or than is needed. This example also has some imagery in it. One can imagine a person running her mouth or letting everything out at once. This poem is written in one stanza. The author did this to connect all of the ideas.
I would recommend this poem to others but I am not positive if I would read another work of literature by this author. I really liked the use of idioms throughout this poem. This detail made the poem interesting, but also relatable.

The Summer I Was Sixteen by Geraldine Connolly

The Summer I Was Sixteen is written by Geraldine Connolly. This poem stood out to me immediately because of the title. It sounded interesting and fun. While reading this poem, I really liked that any girl could connect with it. This poem brings back memories of the summers I have spent with my friends sunbathing and swimming in the pool. My favorite line is, “The turquoise pool rose up to meet us, / its slide a silver afterthought…” (Connolly 1-2). This line brings an image to one’s mind. Also, these lines are the first lines of the poem; they immediately grab one’s attention and illustrate what is to come in the rest of the poem.
I believe this poem is about the carefree time a teenage girl spends during her summers. There is not a care in the world in this poem. Life seems to be great. This poem could be describing summer as the best and most enjoyable season when nothing seems to go wrong.
The wordsmith writes in free verse, which means that the poem does not have a certain rhythm or pattern. Connolly uses metaphors and similes throughout the poem. For example, in line 13, she describes the cotton candy as “sweet as furtive kisses.” She also uses imagery to capture the reader’s attention and paint pictures. For instance, in lines 18-19, she writes: “loosened / thin bikini straps and subbed baby oil with iodine / across sunburned shoulders.” Anyone who reads these lines can see girls with red shoulders rubbing tanning oil on their bodies and laying in the grass.
I would definitely recommend this poem to others. This poem is realistic and beautifully written. The use of imagery and rich vocabulary adds to the fun and interest of the poem. I would love to read more of Mrs. Connolly’s work.

"When I am Pinned and Wriggling on the Wall"

Who is J. Alfred Prufrock? This is one question I have been asking myself since first reading The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Elliot. J. Alfred Prufrock is the speaker of the poem and seems to go off on tangents now and again. However, there is a method to his "madness."
After reading this poem, I have concluded that J. Alfred Prufrock is a very self-conscious and insecure man. He feels isolated and separate from the rest of the world. He is especially bad at socializing with women. For example, in lines 39-40, he says: "TIme to turn back and descend the stair, with a bald spot in the middle of my hair." Prufrock is afriad of the comments women will make about his imperfect appearance. In lines 52-53, Prufrock feels lonely: "I know the voices dying with a dying fall beaneath the music from a farther room." He is isolated from the people in the other room. He feels distant and believes he is an outkast. Additionally, another example of his self-consciousness is his false image of his head being "brought in upon a platter" (line 82). Prufrock feels everyone is watching him and noticing the blad spot on his head. Lastly, J. Alfred Prufrock feels trapped and closed in when with other people. For instance, he says: "And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, when I am pinned and wrigling on the wall, then how should I begin..." (lines 57-59). Again, Prufrock believes everyone is watching him, dissecting him, and judging him.
Prufrock is a very lonely man who never feels comfortable. He dislikes his appearance and his indecisiveness. He can not bring himself to socialize with women, for he is afraid of how they will react to his bald spot and other things. Prufrock does not seem to overcome his insecurities throughout the play. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a sad story about a very sad man.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

This is probably the longest and the most confusing poem I have ever read. Thankfully, in this post, I will only focus on a few things I noted while reading this detailed and complex poem. One line that stood out to me was line 120: "I grow old...I grow old...I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled." This line was remembered because I found it to be amusing and a little ramdom. However, when I started to think of reasons why the author used these words, I finally understood what was meant by them. As one grows old and elderly, the physical structure tends to weaken and shrink. SInce this happens often, the trousers worn for years by a woman or man who is growing old suddenly seem wider and longer. Therefore, an old man or woman must "wear the bottoms of [the] trousers rolled." I have yet to figure out exactly why this line is in the poem, but hopefully it is a critical point in the work of literature.
Additionally, in lines 37-48, the speaker seems to be comparing himself to Prince Hamlet of William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet. The speaker is very indecisive and does not know whether to act and "show himself" to the "universe," or to take his time without rushing into things. In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet is also very indecisive about an issue concerning his father's death. Hamlet wants to act and avenge the death, but he is unable to take any action and instead lets time pass by. This comparison and part of the poem is a very interesting passage that may give one insight as to who or what the speaker is.
Furthermore, in lines 111 - 119, the author alludes to the play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare. However, the speaker says that he is not Hamlet, but "an attendant lord." He will "advise the prince, an easy tool...glad to be of use." In lines 118-199, the speaker says: "At times, indeed, almost ridiculous- Almost, at times, the Fool." I believe the speaker thinks that he is foolish like Polonius in the play Hamlet. Polonius also tries to give advice to the prince and is glad to be of use by the king and queen in the play. Polonius is an extremely ridiculous man whom Hamlet calls a "fool." This leads me to believe that the speaker is comparing himself to Polonius. I will soon find out!

Poems Teach Lessons

Notice

Steve Kowit

This evening, the sturdy Levi's
I wore every day for over a year
& which seemed to the end
in perfect condition,
suddenly tore.
How or why I don't know,
but there it was: a big rip at the crotch.
A month ago my friend Nick
walked off a racquetball court,
showered,
got into this street clothes,
& halfway home collapsed & died.
Take heed, you who read this,
& drop to your knees now & again
like the poet Christopher Smart,
& kiss the earth & be joyful,
& make much of your time,
& be kindly to everyone,
even to those who do not deserve it.
For although you may not believe
it will happen,
you too will one day be gone,
I, whose Levi's ripped at the crotch
for no reason,
assure you that such is the case.
Pass it on.

This poem, written in FREE VERSE, gives a clear message to the reader. One must live life as if it were the last day he or she would spend on earth. Just like the author's Levi's ripping, not everything lives forever, including people. Even if something or someone seems to be in perfect shape or condition, death can come at any time. Steve Kowit tells the reader to be happy and enjoy life because life is just too short. One never knows when his or her time will come. Time flies by and one must make the best of life - make it count - because you cannot get time back. I believe this poem holds much truth about life, and I hope many people take this POET'S advice. The author uses IMAGERY when he describes the rip as "a big rip at the crotch." Also, a SIMILE is used when the WORDSMITH writes: "drop to your knees now and again like the poet Christopher Smart." The POET writes his work in one STANZA. This poem will stick with me for many reasons. I really liked how Steve talked about his Levi's - something not very significant - first to show how some things happen for no reason. Then he went on to talk about his dead friend. This turn in the poem was shocking, but it did help get a point across. I also love the last line: "Pass it on." The author wants people to enjoy the time they have on Earth. I love how he gives advice to the reader becuase his message is then clearer. Sometimes life is not fair, but one must live it to the fullest in order to be happy and successful. So, pass it on!

Introduction to Poetry

Introduction to Poetry
Billy Collins

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.


This is the perfect poem to introduce poetry and what one should take away from reading poems. The message of this poem is to let poems speak for themselves. The reader should take what he or she wants from a poem. An interpretation should be formulated based on one's own perspective. Reading poetry is not going to be easy and quick. The reader must take time to dissect the poem and work through it to understand the poem. This poem has helped me understand what poetry is really about. Finding meaning in every detail of the poem is not a goal. Poetry should be enjoyed.