Notebook Pictures

In addition to showing my notebook in class, I decided to put a few pictures of it on my blog.  Here are just a few of the pictures of my notebook.  These are not all of the pages of my notebook but just a few of the pages from my notebook.

Final Project Pictures

Reaction to H.D. "The Walls Do Not Fall" 34-38

H.D.'s "The Walls Do Not Fall"

[34]

        We have seen how the most amiable,
         under physical stress,

         become wolves, jackals,
         mongrel curs;

         we know further that hunger
         may make hyenas out of the best of us;

         let us, therefore (though we do not forget
         Love, the Creator,

         her chariot and white doves),

         entreat Hest,

         Aset, Isis, the great enchantress,
         in her attribute of Serqet,

         the original great-mother,
         who drove

         harnessed scropions before her.  ("[34]" 1-16)

To me, this section represents one of H.D.'s over-arching ideas of escaping evil. Throughout this section, H.D. uses metaphor as a way to show this idea.  For instance, she says that stress can make a person become evil, comparing them to "wolves, jackals, / mongrel curs" ("[34]" 3-4). She is comparing how people act under stress to creatures that are represented as being evil and ugly creatures.  Another instance where she uses metaphor is when she talks about how hunger can make us become gluttonous when she says, "we know further that hunger / may make hyenas out of the best of us;" ("[34]" 5-6).  I really think she does a wonderful job of creating the image of how powerful sin can be. Also, H.D. has a tone of redemption in the way she alludes to Isis. Isis is a goddess that is remembered for countering evil spirits. This connects to the overall idea that people have the ability to cleanse themselves of evil by worshipping God.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis

[35]

       Let us substitute

       enchantment for sentiment,

       re-dedicate our gifts

       to spiritual realism

       scrape a palette,

       point pen or brush,

       prepare papyrus or parchment,

       offer incense to Thoth,

       the original Ancient-of-days,

       Hermes-thrice-great,

       let us entreat

       that he, by his tau-cross,

       invoke the true-magic,

       lead us back to the one-truth,

       let him (Wisdom),

       in the light of what went before,

       illuminate what came after,

       re-vivify the eternal verity,

       be ye wise

       As asps, scorpions, as serpents.  ("[35]", 1-20)

In this section, H.D. is referring to the idea that we have something to give to the world.  In this particular section, she is saying that poets have something important to offer us.  This is shown when she says "lead us back to the one-truth."  She believes that poetry is a form of writing that provides truth for us. In addition, she believes that poets speak in a way that connect people together.  Also, she uses "spiritual realism" to convey to people that poets are important and wants others to understand that as well.  Also, she wants to recognize the sacred and powerful aspects of poetry by mentioning the Egyptian Thoth and the Alexandrian Hermes Trismegistes.  She is comparing the powerful nature of poetry to these figures.  Finally, she makes a Biblical reference in the last couplet when she says "be ye wise / As asps, scorpions, as serpents" ("[35]", 19-20).  This refers to the Bible verse that states, "Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  She is referring to the serpent that is associated with the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.  Also, it seems that she is comparing poetry to the powerful word of God.  

http://heavenawaits.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/clip_image01016.jpg

[36]

      In no wise is the pillar-of-fire

      that went before

      different from the pillar-of-fire

      that comes after;

      chasm, schism in consciousness

      must be bridged over;

      we are each, householder, 

      each with a treasure;

      now is the time to re-value

      our secret hoard

      in the light of both past and future,

      for whether

      coins, gems, gold

      beakers, platters,

      or merely 

      talismans, records or parchments,

      explicitly, we are told, 

      it contains

      for every scribe

      which is instructed,

      things new

      and old. ("[36]" 1-22)

Again, she is using Biblical references in this section. When she mentions the "pillar-of-fire" as "before and after," she is referring to how the pillar of fire is mentioned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament in the Bible. She is saying that the light of God is always existing and never changes.  The other Biblical reference is in the last two couplets that is inspired by the verse in the Bible that states, "Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old" (Matthew 13:52). I think she is bringing up the idea that no matter how old something is, it still contains a lot of value.  In particular, I think she is trying to say that no matter how old writing is (such as the Bible), it is still valuable and should be treasured. 

http://s66.photobucket.com/user/karentrustin/media/PillarFire.jpg.html

[37]

         Thou shalt have none other gods but me; 

         not on the sea

         shall we entreat Triton or Dolphin

         not on the land

         shall we lift rapt face and clasp hands

         before laurel or oak-tree,

         not in the sky

         shall we invoke separately

         Orion or Sirius

         or of the followers of the Bear,

         not in the higher air

         of Algorab, Regulus, or Deneb

         shall we cry

         for help - or shall we? ("[37]" 1-14)

In this section, she starts off with a Biblical reference.  In the first line, "Thou shalt have no other gods but me;" she is referring to the first of the Ten Commandments in the Bible. Also, there are references to constellations and Greek mythology with "Triton" and "Orion or Sirius / or of the followers of the Bear" (9-10) as well as "Algorab, Regulus, or Deneb."  I am not exactly sure what this is saying but it sounds to me like she is bringing up the idea that in order to receive answers, you must form questions from things you see.  At the end when she asks, "shall we cry / for help - or shall we?" (13-14), I think she is trying to say that we do not have all the answers and that is why we have to ask questions.  But again, I had a hard time figuring out what was being said in this section.

Triton - http://www.theoi.com/Gallery/K16.1.html

[38]

       This search for historical parallels, 

       research into psychic affinities,

       has been done to death before,

       will be done again;

       no comment can alter spiritual realities 

       (you say) or again,

       what new light can you possibly

       throw upon them? 

       my mind (yours),

       your way of thought (mine),

       each has its peculiar intricate map,

       threads weave over and under

       the jungle-growth

       of biological aptitudes,

       inherited tendencies,

       the intellectual effort

       of the whole race,

       its tide and ebb;

       but my mind (yours)

       has its peculiar ego-centric

       personal approach

       to the eternal realities, 

       and differs from every other

       in minute particulars, 

       as the vein-paths on any leaf

       differ from those of every other leaf

       in the forest, as every snow-flake

       has its particular star, coral or prism shape. ("[38]" 1-28)

Finally, in this section, she is continuing the idea that the light of God is permanent.  This is shown when she says, "What new light can you possibly / throw upon them?" (7-8).  She is referring back to Section 36 with the idea of the pillar of fire existing before and after.  Also, she is saying that everyone has their own ways of perceiving things.  This is shown what she says, 

      But my mind (yours)

      has its peculiar ego-centric

      personal approach 

      to the eternal realities, 

     and differs from every other 

     in minute particulars, ("[38]" 19-24). 

It seems as if she is saying that it is strange that people have all of these opinions about reality by the way she describes it as "peculiar ego-centric."  I think it might be her saying that the word of Christ is permanent and not something that is open to interpretation.  Therefore, she finds it "peculiar" that everyone is trying to perceive ideas of eternity in different ways.  My favorite part of this section is how she describes how peoples' perceptions are different from one another by comparing it to the idea of how vein patterns on leaves vary from one another.  

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/mystic-leaves-chitrakala-varma.html

Response to "Argument" by Elizabeth Bishop

"Argument" by Elizabeth Bishop (p. 60 in book)

        Days that cannot bring you near
        or will not,
        Distance trying to appear
        something more than obstinate,
        argue argue argue with me
        endlessly
        neither proving you less wanted nor less dear.

        Distance: Remember all that land
        beneath the plane;
        that coastline
        of dim beaches deep in sand
        stretching indistinguishably
        all the way,
        all the way to where my reasons end?

        Days: And think
        of all those cluttered instruments,
        one to a fact,
        canceling each other's experience;
        how they were
        like some hideous calendar
        "Compliments of Never & Forever, Inc."

        The intimidating sound
        of these voices
        we must separately find
        can and shall be vanquished:
        Days and Distance disarrayed again
        and gone... ("Argument" 1-27)


First, I thought this poem was really interesting.  For me, it would be hard to write a poem about arguments without sounding cliche or ordinary. That was why I chose to read this poem.  As Elizabeth Bishop does with other poems, she is able to make topics that might seem cliche or ordinary and make them unique and beautiful.  For this particular poem, she creates the image of typical arguments.  In general, arguments are ways in which people try to come to an agreement.  However, it also shows how people argue to have the last word and the consequences of arguments.  For instance, when she states, "Days that cannot bring you near / or will not, (1-2)" I thought of how when people argue, there won't always be an agreement and that arguments will not necessarily bring two people closer together.  Another line that I like is when she says, "argue argue argue with me / endlessly / neither proving you less wanted nor less dear. (5-7)"  I like how she creates rhythm with words similar to how she does in other poems such as "Sestina."  What I mean is that when she uses repetition with "argue argue argue," it creates the sound of people arguing in that arguments seem to be continuous.  Also, I thought of this line as explaining how just because someone is saying all these things to prove a point does not make them right. Another way to think about this is that when someone is not willing to stop arguing, it causes the other person to separate themselves such as when she says, "neither proving you less wanted nor less dear."  Also, I like how she uses imagery in the second stanza to relate the idea that arguments create distance like land beneath a plane.  When I read, "stretching indistinguishably/ all the way, / all the way to where my reasons end? (12-14)" it made me picture the process of arguing.  For instance, when someone is angry at someone else, they feel like they have all these reasons for why they are angry and then at some point they can't come up with any more reasons.  In addition, I like how she uses symbolism of the "cluttered instruments" to represent voices of people who argue.  It provides great sensory imagery and allows readers to connect the ideas together.  Finally, I enjoy the line where she says, "Compliments of Never and Forever, Inc."  I like this line because it made me think of when people are in relationships and they argue, they say things such as "I'm never going to talk to you again" and/or "We were supposed to be together forever." I just thought it was really neat how she included that in the poem.

Response to Sestina by Elizabeth Bishop

"Sestina" by Elizabeth Bishop (p. 120 in book)

         September rain falls on the house.

         In the failing light, the old grandmother

         sits in the kitchen with the child

         beside the Little Marvel Stove,

         reading the jokes from the almanac,

         laughing and talking to hide her tears.

         She thinks that her equinoctial tears

         and the rain that beats on the roof of the house

         were both foretold by the almanac,

         but only known to a grandmother.

         The iron kettle sings on the stove.

         She cuts some bread and says to the child,

         It's time for tea now, but the child

         is watching the teakettle's small hard tears

         dance like mad on the hot black stove, 

         the way the rain must dance on the house.

         Tidying up, the old grandmother

         hangs up the clever almanac

         on its string.  Birdlike, the almanac

         hovers half open above the child,

         hovers above the old grandmother

         and her teacup full of dark brown tears.

         She shivers and says she thinks the house

         feels chilly, and puts more wood in the stove.

         It was to be, says the Marvel Stove.

         I know what I know, says the almanac.

         With crayons the child draws a rigid house

         and a winding pathway.  Then the child

         puts in a man with buttons like tears

         and shows it proudly to the grandmother.

         But secretly, while the grandmother

         busies herself about the stove,

         the little moons fall down like tears

         from between the pages of the almanac

         into the flower bed the child

         has carefully placed in front of the house.

         Time to plant tears, says the almanac.

         The grandmother sings to the marvellous stove 

         and the child draws another inscrutable house.  ("Sestina" 1-39)

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this poem.  I definitely think it is one of my favorite poems we have read so far in class.  There are a lot of aspects of the poem that I really enjoy.  One thing that I like about the poem is the way she creates fluidity.  For instance, when I read "Sestina," the lines "dance like mad on the hot black stove / the way the rain must dance on the house," (15-16) it seems like the rhythm of how I say the words relates to the whole idea of dancing.  I don't know if this makes sense but the way I was reading those lines out loud made me feel like I was dancing with the words. Also, I really like how she incorporates diction or word choice into this poem.  I think it is very creative when she uses words such as "failing light," as well as how she personifies the almanac by saying, "Time to plant tears, says the almanac."  These are just a few examples of how Bishop uses word choice to create ideas such as life coming to an end for the grandmother.  

In class, we wrote about how we interpreted the relationship between the grandmother and the child.  After hearing what everyone had to say, it made me like the poem even more.  The fact that this poem is open to so many different interpretations made me enjoy and appreciate it even more.  But here is what I wrote in class. The grandmother is sad that she won't get to see the child grow up because she is close to the end of her life.  This is shown when it says she is "laughing and talking to hide her tears."    Also, I think that she is disappointed that life has to end and that she can't be with the child when it says, "it was to be."  In addition, I think this poem shows the separation of perception between the grandmother and child.  The child sees their drawing in a positive and happy way when it says, "and shows it proudly to the grandmother."  On the other hand, the grandmother seems to think of the drawing in a sorrowful and melancholy way.  At the same time, I think they have a loving relationship and are close in that the child is aware that the grandmother is feeling sad. Overall, their relationship is complex and complicated but I think that goes back to the idea that there is not just one way to interpret the poem.  In class, we discussed about whether we thought the child was a boy or a girl.  I think that Bishop is allowing readers the opportunity to develop their own ideas and perceptions instead of just saying that it is a girl or a boy. At the very end of the poem when it says, "and the child draws another inscrutable house," I think that it is not only the house that is inscrutable but this poem in general has a mysterious quality to it.  Overall, I really enjoyed this poem.  

Oh and here is a picture I found that I thought went well with the poem...

Elizabeth Bishop Writing Game

Hi everyone,

So I decided to give the writing game a try.  To be honest, I thought it was really hard.  It was hard for me because of the rules of having to use three Anglo-Saxan words in every line and only one Latin or Greek word for every three lines.  It made me feel restricted as a writer.  However, the bright side to this exercise is that it allowed me to appreciate Elizabeth Bishop as a writer that much more.  Anyway, here is my poem.  It is not very long but I hope you enjoy reading it.

The world, so iridescent and yet ice cold
Water, flowing freely
But so dark, almost black
Underneath its bluish, slightly blue-gray surface
The air, consumed with the lovely smell of fir
That is soon destroyed by the mighty hand of fire
The horizontal blades of grass that grow in unison
Slowly scattered by the strong wind
They are flown up with the anticipation of coming back down
The beautiful man that makes you a believer of love
Killing that dream with the edge of a jagged knife
However, you will get better and the deep pain won't last forever

Michael Harper Symposium

So I went to one of the events at the Michael Harper Symposium.  In particular, I went to the panel on March 14th where I heard Edward Ahearn, Carol Beane, Kate Rushin, and Heather Treseler speak.  It was wonderful getting to sit and hear of their personal experiences with Michael Harper and how he has influenced them as writers.  Edward Ahearn retired from Brown University in 2012.  He talked about Harper's time at Brown University and how Harper sent him poems when he heard that Ahearn was retiring.  A poem of Harper's that he had a connection with was "Hawk on a branch in Wriston Quadrangle on a December wintry day."  This poem was written in memory of their close friend, Dean Bernard E. Bruce, Sr.  The second speaker of the panel was Carol Beane who taught at Brown University for seven years.  She talked about her personal experience with Michael Harper and how he influenced her to write and not be afraid of sharing her writing with others. She talked about how honest Michael Harper was with each student's work.  Also, until 10-12 years ago, she didn't show her writing.  One of the things that Michael Harper told her that I think is really insightful is that "everybody has at least one book in them."  Also, he said that it is not necessarily the book that you think it is going to be.  I really thought that was very wise because a lot of times we feel like there is nothing that we can write because we are stuck or have run out of ideas.  However, that doesn't mean that there isn't a new idea or inspiration just around the corner.

The third person that spoke at the panel was Kate Rushin.  Kate Rushin was at Michael Harper's graduate poetry workshop.  She shared a letter that she wrote to Michael Harper about her experience being in his poetry workshop and how he has guided her in her journey as a writer. One thing that really stuck out to me in the letter was when she shared an assignment that Michael Harper had the students do.  He had them go to the library and find a book that looked interesting to them.  I remember how she said that it was just her with a book, pen, and paper. During her time there, she began to write and she was finally able to see what it means to write with her own voice.  I think that would be a neat assignment to have anyone do whether they are a professional writer, an English major, or anyone who just has a love for writing.  Finally, the last person that spoke was Heather Treseler.  Heather Treseler was a student as well as a research assistant of Michael Harper's at Brown University.  She talked about her experiences with Michael Harper and how he has influenced her in her teaching. These are quotes that she was told by Michael Harper that I thought were insightful and wise.  

- "You have your own voice"

- "I am not here to create imitators or disciples - no one can imitate me" (I thought this was funny as well)

- "I'll find you in the art"

Overall, it was a great experience. I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to see him in person. However, in the middle of the panel, he came and it was great getting to see him in person.  It was neat seeing how he reacted to everyone as they were talking about him. I could tell that he truly cared about everyone that was there.  I was definitely able to learn a little bit about him from watching how he reacted to everyone's presentations.  He is definitely not afraid to give critique and say exactly what is on his mind.  He is blunt and to the point as well as spot-on.  It was neat to see that even though they were not in his workshop or classroom, he continued to teach them and give them feedback to make their presentation better. Since I plan on becoming a teacher someday, I hope that I have the ability to be connected with my students years later and teach them as well as influence them the way that Michael Harper has influenced his students.

Video of Sylvia Plath

If you are interested, this is a video of Sylvia Plath reading "November Graveyard."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7ujeHnrT8A

Sylvia Plath #2

"November Graveyard" by Sylvia Plath (p. 56 in book)

     The scene stands stubborn: skinflint trees
     Hoard last year's leaves, won't mourn, wear sackcloth, or turn
     To elegiac dryads, and dour grass
     Guards the hard-hearted emerald of its grassiness
     However the grandiloquent mind may scorn
     Such poverty.  No dead men's cries

     Flower forget-me-nots between the stones
     Paving this grave ground. Here's honest rot
     To unpick the heart, pare bone
     Free of the fictive vein.  When one stark skeleton
     Bulks real, all saints' tongues fall quiet:
     Flies watch no resurrections in the sun.

     At the essential landscape stare, stare
     Till your eyes foist a vision dazzling on the wind:
     Whatever lost ghosts flare,
     Damned, howling in their shrouds across the moor
     Rave on the leash of the starving wind
    Which peoples the bare room, the blank, untenanted air ("November Graveyard" 1-18)

This is another poem that I really enjoyed reading. I don't know what it is about her work but I like reading all of the depressing poems she writes.  I was looking up information on her because I didn't know much about her life.  However, I learned things such as her father dying when she was eight years old and that she was depressed for a lot of her life. I realized that maybe I liked these dejected poems because I feel the emotions of everything that she has experienced through these poems. That is not to say that the other poems do not evoke emotion. In general, Plath does a wonderful job of writing poetry that is beautiful and depicts imagery so well for those who read her poems.

One aspect that I liked about this poem was the way that death is painted throughout the poem. For instance, she uses descriptive language such as "hard-hearted," "dead," and "grave." I love how she chooses words like these that relate to the overall theme of the poem.  One of my favorite lines is "flower forget-me-nots between the stones." I love her word choice of using "forget-me-nots" especially when she is describing the graveyard. In general, the deceased have gravestones to be remembered.  By Plath using "forget-me-nots" in this sentence, it does a beautiful job of showing that the deceased are always remembered. Another aspect of this poem that I enjoyed was the alliteration that she uses.  For example, she writes "stark skeletons." I love how she uses those words together to depict the concept of death and create imagery for the readers. Finally, I love how she uses some rhyming in her poem. For instance, she uses "stones" to rhyme with "bone." I thought it was really cool how she made those words rhyme especially since it connects to the idea of death.

Sylvia Plath Reflection #1

"Widow" by Sylvia Plath (p.164 in book)

    Widow. The word consumes itself ---
     Body, a sheet of newsprint on the fire
     Levitating a numb minute in the updraft
     Over the scalding, red topography
     That will put her heart out like an only eye.

    Widow. The dead syllable, with its shadow
     Of an echo, exposes the panel in the wall
     Behind which the secret passages lies--stale air, 
     Fusty remembrances, the coiled-spring stair
    That opens at the top onto nothing at all....

    Widow. The bitter spider sits
    And sits in the center of her loveless spokes.
    Death is the dress she wears, her hat and collar.
    The moth-face of her husband, moonwhite and ill,
    Circles her like a prey she'd love to kill

    A second time, to have him near again ---
    A paper image to lay against her heart
    The way she laid his letters, till they grew warm
    And seemed to give her warmth, like a live skin.
    But it is she who is paper now, warmed by no one.

    Widow: that great, vacant estate!
    The voice of God is full of draftiness,
    Promising simply the hard stars, the space 
    Of immortal blankness between stars
    And no bodies, singing like arrows up to heaven.

    Widow, the compassionate trees bend in,
    The trees of loneliness, the trees of mourning.
    They stand like shadows about the green landscape ---
    Or even like black holes cut out of it.
    A widow resembles them, a shadow-thing,

    Hand folding hand, and nothing in between.
    A bodiless soul could pass another soul
    In this clear air and never notice it ---
    One soul pass through the other, frail as smoke
    And utterly ignorant of the way it took.

    That is the fear she has--the fear
    His soul may beat and be beating at her dull sense
    Like Blue Mary's angel, dovelike against a pane
    Blinded to all but the grey, spiritless room
    It looks in on, and must go on looking in on. ("Widow" 1-40) 



When going through Sylvia Plath's poems, I was searching for a poem that grabbed my attention. First, I was just looking at titles that caught my eye. However, I realized that there were a lot of titles that caught my eye. One of the poems that not only caught my eye with the title but allowed me to immerse myself in the content as well was "Widow."  It isn't a happy poem. In fact, it is a pretty depressing poem. However, it is a depressing poem that is written beautifully.  In this poem, Plath does a wonderful job of portraying all the emotions that widows go through when losing their spouses.  The tone of the poem seems to be bitter especially in the stanza where it describes the widow as a "bitter spider." Also, there is a bitter tone when she states, "A widow resembles them, a shadow-thing." By comparing the widow to a shadow, she is bitter in saying that they do not have much value.  However, the tone is not all bitter in the poem. It also seems as if the tone is desirous in that there is a longing to have him near her again.  This is shown in the fourth stanza when she says, "A second time, to have him near again..." Another aspect of the poem that I found interesting was the parallelism she used. She repeats the word "widow" and has different interpretations of the word "widow." For instance, in the first and second stanza, she states widow as a "word" and a "syllable." In the third, fifth, and sixth stanzas, she uses metaphors to compare a widow to a bitter spider, a great vacant estate, and the bending of trees.  Finally, there is a wide variety of imagery that Plath uses in this poem. One example of imagery that I love is in the first stanza when she says, "a sheet of newsprint on the fire." I thought this was great for showing how something alive (person, love between two people) is now gone. Overall, the theme of this poem seems to be that even though the husband is not there physically, he is always with her and a part of her. In general, Sylvia Plath is incredible at transforming something depressing into a beautiful work of art.

Gwendolyn Brooks Reflection #2

"Truth" by Gwendolyn Brooks (pp. 62-63 in book)

    And if sun comes

    How shall we greet him?

    Shall we not dread him,

    Shall we not fear him

    After so lengthy a 

    Session with shade?

   Though we have wept for him,

   Though we have prayed 

   All through the night-years-

   What if we wake one shimmering morning to 

   Hear the fierce hammering 

   Of his firm knuckles

   Hard on the door?

    Shall we not shudder? - 

    Shall we not flee

    Into the shelter, the dear thick shelter

    Of the familiar

    Propitious haze?

   Sweet is it, sweet is it

   To sleep in the coolness

   Of snug unawareness.

  The dark hangs heavily 

  Over the eyes. ("Truth" 1-23)

This is the other Gwendolyn Brooks poem that really caught my attention. My interpretation of this poem was that it was talking about how truth is something that we all desire but we don't always embrace it when it comes to us.  In other words, we all want to be honest in everything that we do. However, there are moments when we are afraid to face the truth or tell the truth.  We don't want to face the truth because it hurts us too much.  Also, it might be that the truth is something that we are not familiar with and that scares us.  In the end, I think she wants readers to understand that as long as we continue to run away or avoid the truth, we will continue to only do what is comfortable to us which leads to a dark place. One aspect of the poem that I really enjoyed was how she uses symbolism with the sun to represent truth and the shade/haze to symbolize lies and deception. In general, a sun is depicted as being bright and positive which fits with the idea of truth. On the other hand, shade/haze is described as being dark and hard to find a way to escape which fits with the idea of lies. Another aspect of the poem I really liked was the personification that Brooks uses. By giving these objects human qualities, it made me connect to the poem more. For instance, when Brooks writes,

              What if we wake up one shimmering morning
               to hear the fierce hammering
               of his firm knuckles
               hard on the door? ("Truth" 10-13)

I love the personification that she uses here as well as the fact that this personification also portrays the theme of the poem. In all of our lives, we face situations where if truth comes knocking on our door, do we answer it or not? Overall, Brooks's tone in the poem seems to be a questioning tone.  

Gwendolyn Brooks Reflection #1

"the mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks (pp. 4-5 in book)

    Abortions will not let you forget. 

    You remember the children you got that you did not get

    I have heard in the voices of the wind the voices of my dim
    killed children.

    If I stole your births and your names,

   Your straight baby tears and your games,

   Your stilted or lovely loves, your tumults, your marriages, aches,
   and your deaths,

   If I poisoned the beginnings of your breaths,

   Believe that even in my deliberateness I was not deliberate.

   Though why should I whine,

   Whine that the crime was other than mine? - 

   Since anyhow you are dead. 

   Or rather, or instead,

   You were never made.

  You were born, you had body, you died.

  It is just that you never giggled or planned or cried. ("the mother" 1-2, 18-28, 31-32)

With this poem, I typed out the lines that really struck a cord with me.  In general, this poem is an emotional poem for me to read. I have not had experience with having children of my own. However, I have been around young children and it breaks my heart to think that with something like abortion, they do not get the opportunity to live life.  In this poem, Brooks displays a tone that is regretful.  She demonstrates a regretful tone when she states, "Though why should I whine, / Whine that the crime was other than mine?" (26-27). She is trying to show the internal struggles of mothers who have gone through abortions. Also, it seems like in a way she is criticizing these mothers and saying that they don't have a right to cry because they are the ones that have committed such a terrible crime.  Also, Brooks shows the uncertainty and struggle of these mothers by using paradox. One example of a paradox is when she says, "You remember the child you got that you did not get." I thought this was a really creative way to describe that these mothers have the child growing inside of them but in the end they don't have them. In addition, she uses parallel structure with repeating words such as "you" and "your." In my opinion, I think she does this to reiterate the tragedy of killing an innocent life. Also, I was thinking of this repetition of "you" and "your" on a larger scale in that a tragedy like this could happen to anyone. What I mean is that anyone's life could be taken away before it really begins.  In a way, I feel like Brooks is providing a voice for the voiceless especially when she states, "I have heard in the voices of the wind the voices of my dim / killed children." (18-19). She is saying that although these children are not physically alive, their memory and voice will continue to live on. Finally, I was thinking about how Brooks is like Rukeyser in that they both give voice to the voiceless through their poetry.

Muriel Rukeyser and Walt Whitman

Muriel Rukeyser "Gauley Bridge"

       Camera at the crossing sees the city
       a street of wooden walls and empty windows,
       the door shut handless in the empty street,
       and the deserted Negro standing on the corner

      Whistling, the train comes from a long way away,
       slow, and the Negro watches it grow in the grey air,
       the hotel man makes a note behind his potted palm.

      What do you want - a cliff over a city?
      A foreland, sloped to sea and overgrown with roses?
      These people live here. ("Gauley Bridge" 1-4, 26-28, 38-40)

Walt Whitman "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry"

     Flood-tide below me! I see you face to face!
     Clouds of the west - sun there half an hour high - I see you
     also face to face.

     Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes, how
     curious you are to me!
     On the ferry-boats, the hundreds and hundreds that cross,
     returning home, are more curious to me than you suppose,
    And you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence are
    more to me, and more in my meditations, than you might
    suppose. ("Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" 1-10)

I chose these two poems because I thought they both had similarities in them.  When comparing these two poems, I picked out a couple of stanzas from each poem that I thought had similarities.  One aspect that I found similar with these two poems was the form of the poems.  It seemed as if both poems were telling a story and they were giving an account of a slave in Rukeyser's case and a man coming home from work in Whitman's poem.  Also, I noticed that both of them seemed to tell their poems through the eyes of a camera.  With Rukeyser's poem, she states, "camera at the crossing sees the city." In Whitman's poem, he doesn't say it in a straightforward way. However, by the way he says, "I see you face to face!" and provides us with imagery, he makes readers feel as if they are looking through a camera.  In addition, they both seem to be intrigued by the people they are writing about.  In Rukeyser's poem, she seems to focus on the slave and provides descriptions of him.  Also, in Whitman's poem, he states that he is curious about the men and women who are on the ferry-boats. Finally, in both Rukeyser's and Whitman's poems, they go from addressing one person to a larger group of people. In Rukeyser's poem, she goes from talking about one person (the slave) to "these people." In the same way, Whitman goes from talking about the man coming home from work on the ferry to the "crowds of men and women." The movement of both poems seems to move closer and then farther away (view from microscope to telescope).

Angel in the House

"Angel in the House"

As I clean and cook
Portray a happy look
There is nothing I can do or say
This is the only way
This is the way it has to be
But in my heart I don't agree
I cannot let another day go by
Another day being selfless and shy
I know that it will not end well
If I do not stand up for myself and rebel
I want to experience and explore
Spread my wings and soar
Today my life will be made new
I will only believe in my own view

http://walrusandthecarpenter.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/op129.jpg

Muriel Rukeyser

"The Book of the Dead"

What three things can never be done? 

Forget. Keep silent. Stand alone.

The hill of glass, the fatal brilliant plain.

pushed forests down in an implacable walk 

west where new clouds lay at the desirable 

body of sunset;

But planted in our flesh, these valleys stand,

everywhere we begin to know the illness, 

are forced up, and our times confirm us all.

There touching radium and the luminous poison, 

carried their death on their lips and with their warning

glow in their graves. 
("The Book of the Dead" 13-15, 28-30, 67-69, 97-99)

In "The Book of the Dead," Rukeyser is able to use diction or word choice as a way to help readers visualize the tragedy as well as better understand how devastating it was.  There are a variety of examples that show this. One of them is when she writes, "The hills of glass, the fatal brilliant plain." In this example, her word choice for describing the plain as "fatal" contributes to the overall theme of death. Another example is when she writes, "Where new clouds lay at the desirable / body of sunset." (29-30).  With "clouds lay," Rukeyser creates imagery that is dark and gloomy.  Also, with "body of sunset," Rukeyser uses the idea of sunset as a way to portray death in the poem.  In addition, she states in the poem, "Everywhere we begin to know the illness" as a way to show how much of an impact the tragedy had on peoples' lives.  She continues to create the theme of death when she writes, “These touching radium and the luminous poison, / carried their death on their lips and with their warning / glow in their graves.” (97-99). By using words such as “poison”, “death” and “graves” she is able to get the idea of death across to the reader. 

When I read this poem, I thought it was very powerful and made me feel as if I were experiencing this myself.  I really like how she used “docupoetry” because she was able to provide an account of what happened in poetic form.  Also, I love how she is able to paint pictures with the words that she uses.  This poem is informative but at the same time written beautifully.  Overall, I really enjoyed reading this poem. 

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