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.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
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!
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!
Monday, March 17, 2008
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 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.
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.
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.
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