"Can't I use my wit as a pitchfork and drive the brute off?" -"Toads" by Philip Larkin
When reading this poem, I first noticed the sarcasm with which Larkin speaks. I carried that sarcasm on longer than the author probably intended and thought that he was upset with the injustice he faced through poverty. I realized Larkin is disgusted but for a different reason. He is unhappy with the way he comes about his livelihood. He would be much more content with having good luck than to waste his time working toward financial security. He also would rather have nothing at all like "losels" in the alleys. This made me question two things. Why doesn't he acknowledge the fact that he can live simply? Also, what is the significance of the toad to represent material wealth. I believe the most plausibel explanation to the first question is that it seems like he has no family to comfort and strengthen him like the "losels" ("their nippers...unspeakable wives). The best explanation I can give for the metaphor of a toad would be that toads are ugly, reclusive, and not discussed frequently. The pursuit for wealth can also be described as ugly and somewhat taboo. We sometimes make choices for the sake of wealth that negatively affect our personalities, and we don't nescessarily talk openly about gaining wealth; we just do it naturally.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Panther
"...the movement of his powerful soft strides." -"The Panther" by Rainer Maria Rilke
This poem intrigued me more than most of the poems in this set. I believe because the reasonable interpretations were limited, the author is looking for the reader to get more out of the imagery and our own imagination than the simple allegory itself. First, I took some context clues to conclude that the poem must be about a prisoner and not an actual animal. An animal would not think of life behind bars as a life with "no world" (essentially no hope.) He would merely think of it as the new normal. Also, only man can have a will described as "mighty." With animals instinct can be masked as will. Humans truly desire and pursue goals. What I took from the poem was that humans can often times be thought of as panthers. Although we live in families and communities, we spend every waking minute of each day with ourselves. We corrupt ourselves and this leads to a powerful will to either do good or evil. However, when this will is suppressed either by physical imprisonment or social situations, our feelings become stronger. Maybe we once again long for social interaction or imaginative freedom. When we desire these but realize we cannot have them, we experience a spiritual death from the lack of hope. It is almost a form of torment. We can visualize what we want but cannot have it.
This poem intrigued me more than most of the poems in this set. I believe because the reasonable interpretations were limited, the author is looking for the reader to get more out of the imagery and our own imagination than the simple allegory itself. First, I took some context clues to conclude that the poem must be about a prisoner and not an actual animal. An animal would not think of life behind bars as a life with "no world" (essentially no hope.) He would merely think of it as the new normal. Also, only man can have a will described as "mighty." With animals instinct can be masked as will. Humans truly desire and pursue goals. What I took from the poem was that humans can often times be thought of as panthers. Although we live in families and communities, we spend every waking minute of each day with ourselves. We corrupt ourselves and this leads to a powerful will to either do good or evil. However, when this will is suppressed either by physical imprisonment or social situations, our feelings become stronger. Maybe we once again long for social interaction or imaginative freedom. When we desire these but realize we cannot have them, we experience a spiritual death from the lack of hope. It is almost a form of torment. We can visualize what we want but cannot have it.
A "Titanic" Distance
"In a solitude of the sea deep from human vanity." -"Convergence of the Twain" by Thomas Hardy
Although this poem was fairly straightforward in regards to meaning and style, I found some notable nuances. First was the tone. Hardy takes a very sarcastic approach when speaking of the famed ship. He speaks of its "vaingloriousness" and refers to it as the "smart ship." The sarcasm is also supplemented by the other factors in the poem. He talks about how the "Iceberg grew too." The second method I noticed was Hardy's seemingly deliberate separation of the physical levels of the situation of which he is describing serve to continuate this sarcasm. However, the levels are not in order of importance. He talks about the indifferent sea creatures after he talks of the shiny and pretentious ship. The ship is normally on a level greater than that of the sea creatures but in this case is brought down to their same level. Then, on a pedestal higher than all entities is the "Spinner of the Years" who determines the fate of all levels, as evidenced by the decline of an esteemed level into indifference.
Although this poem was fairly straightforward in regards to meaning and style, I found some notable nuances. First was the tone. Hardy takes a very sarcastic approach when speaking of the famed ship. He speaks of its "vaingloriousness" and refers to it as the "smart ship." The sarcasm is also supplemented by the other factors in the poem. He talks about how the "Iceberg grew too." The second method I noticed was Hardy's seemingly deliberate separation of the physical levels of the situation of which he is describing serve to continuate this sarcasm. However, the levels are not in order of importance. He talks about the indifferent sea creatures after he talks of the shiny and pretentious ship. The ship is normally on a level greater than that of the sea creatures but in this case is brought down to their same level. Then, on a pedestal higher than all entities is the "Spinner of the Years" who determines the fate of all levels, as evidenced by the decline of an esteemed level into indifference.
"Creation" of Spring
"A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning in Eden garden." -"Spring" by Gerard Manley Hopkins
I chose this particular poem due to its upbeat tone and balanced imagery. For this reason I will attempt to answer some of the most relevant questions in the Blogging Requirements. If I had to write a theme for this poem, it would go: The beauty of God, creation, and the Creation Story itself can be found in the annual renewal that is Spring. There was some diction that could have added to the understanding of the story. I looked up "thrush" (a songbird) and "cloy" (to sicken with excess sweetness.) After finding thrush, I found the word very approporiate and fitting for the tone. The word itself has a much more positive connotation than "to disgust." Also, instead of explicitly stating that Paradise was ruined by sin, Hopkins puts it more lightly by suggesting that Adam and Eve were merely sick of constant happiness and chose responsibility. Another literary technique in use was juxtaposition. At the start of the poem, Hopkins talks about the beauty of spring, then goes into "weeds...shoot long and lovely and lush;..." Weeds are usually not associated with beauty and lovliness, and that is why the placement is effective. It calls attention to the very first lines and illustrates a theme Hopkins elaborates on. He is trying to make the point that all things created through God are meaningful and have a purpose.
I chose this particular poem due to its upbeat tone and balanced imagery. For this reason I will attempt to answer some of the most relevant questions in the Blogging Requirements. If I had to write a theme for this poem, it would go: The beauty of God, creation, and the Creation Story itself can be found in the annual renewal that is Spring. There was some diction that could have added to the understanding of the story. I looked up "thrush" (a songbird) and "cloy" (to sicken with excess sweetness.) After finding thrush, I found the word very approporiate and fitting for the tone. The word itself has a much more positive connotation than "to disgust." Also, instead of explicitly stating that Paradise was ruined by sin, Hopkins puts it more lightly by suggesting that Adam and Eve were merely sick of constant happiness and chose responsibility. Another literary technique in use was juxtaposition. At the start of the poem, Hopkins talks about the beauty of spring, then goes into "weeds...shoot long and lovely and lush;..." Weeds are usually not associated with beauty and lovliness, and that is why the placement is effective. It calls attention to the very first lines and illustrates a theme Hopkins elaborates on. He is trying to make the point that all things created through God are meaningful and have a purpose.
Imagery and its Effects
"How the Chimney-sweeper's cry. Every black'ning Church appalls;" -"London" by William Blake
When used in a poem, imagery does much more than add vibrancy and interest. In most of the poems in this unit, the imagery is an effective indicator of the tone, or the attitutude the writer or speaker takes toward the subject. I personally found it very helpful in the majority of the poems. In "Those Winter Sundays," Hayden's line of "love's austere and lonely offices" helped me piece together the probability that the speaker now notices his father's love even though he did not know as a child that it could take a cold, "austere" form. Other times it led to my confusion. "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain" prompted me to think Dickinson was moving through a process of successful mental inquiry because of the image of "I heard them lift a Box," but group discussion convinced me that she is in fact coming upon insanity. The quote at the beginning was one of the most useful in determining the tone. Not only does Blake regret the world he lives in, he, like the Chimney-sweep and Church, strongly detest what their society has forced upon them. The graphic visuals suggest a world in which no sane person would want to grow.
When used in a poem, imagery does much more than add vibrancy and interest. In most of the poems in this unit, the imagery is an effective indicator of the tone, or the attitutude the writer or speaker takes toward the subject. I personally found it very helpful in the majority of the poems. In "Those Winter Sundays," Hayden's line of "love's austere and lonely offices" helped me piece together the probability that the speaker now notices his father's love even though he did not know as a child that it could take a cold, "austere" form. Other times it led to my confusion. "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain" prompted me to think Dickinson was moving through a process of successful mental inquiry because of the image of "I heard them lift a Box," but group discussion convinced me that she is in fact coming upon insanity. The quote at the beginning was one of the most useful in determining the tone. Not only does Blake regret the world he lives in, he, like the Chimney-sweep and Church, strongly detest what their society has forced upon them. The graphic visuals suggest a world in which no sane person would want to grow.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
A Poem by Bill Carlos
"The plumtree is white today with masses of flowers." "The Widow's Lament in Springtime
I chose this poem because I feel it is the best test of Perrine's guidelines which I feel so obligated to employ. After reading, I knew that unlike a number of the poems in this unit, the "Widow's Lament" used many symbols, which Perrine described as meaning more than their literal interpretation, unlike metaphors. The challenging aspect was coming up with a non-contradictory or assumption-heavy explanation. Obviously color plays a major role in the exposition of this poem. White is life, new beginnings; yellow and red are fire and passion; dark symbolizes the unknown. My interpretation is that this is the first time the widow has endured a new beginning like spring without her husband. She had a passionate and personally fulfilling relationship with him. Now she, prompted by her son, is pondering a new, equally exploratory but promising life-this is the unknown, the "heavy woods." She wonders if she immerses herself in this curious new life, maybe she can find the right meaning for her altered fate. The reason I placed the plumtree quote above is that it is the most puzzling but important symbol in the poem. I believe it may symbolize their marriage. It has just come out of hibernation. Instead of dying off altogether, it has endured the winter and is producing flowers of a new season: a journey they are both still living even though he is gone.
I chose this poem because I feel it is the best test of Perrine's guidelines which I feel so obligated to employ. After reading, I knew that unlike a number of the poems in this unit, the "Widow's Lament" used many symbols, which Perrine described as meaning more than their literal interpretation, unlike metaphors. The challenging aspect was coming up with a non-contradictory or assumption-heavy explanation. Obviously color plays a major role in the exposition of this poem. White is life, new beginnings; yellow and red are fire and passion; dark symbolizes the unknown. My interpretation is that this is the first time the widow has endured a new beginning like spring without her husband. She had a passionate and personally fulfilling relationship with him. Now she, prompted by her son, is pondering a new, equally exploratory but promising life-this is the unknown, the "heavy woods." She wonders if she immerses herself in this curious new life, maybe she can find the right meaning for her altered fate. The reason I placed the plumtree quote above is that it is the most puzzling but important symbol in the poem. I believe it may symbolize their marriage. It has just come out of hibernation. Instead of dying off altogether, it has endured the winter and is producing flowers of a new season: a journey they are both still living even though he is gone.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Perrine
As I read through Perrine's guidelines for interpretation, I was at first brought back to my feelings toward Nabokov. I thought his explanation of poetic justice would be a highly specific and personally satisfying set of rules on which he has befallen after countless years of study. Perrine's guidelines were much more reasonable and attainable. Before reading this script, I had a fixed idea of poetry as an artistic expression. I would have argued for open interpretation because art is supposed to be a spiritual and personal expression. I now realize that poetry is as much a literary form as a sensual experience. It is also much more calculated and scientific. As Perrine suggests, a work may have many close interpretations but the author composes one with context and details that can ultimately mean only one thing. For me, this was an implicit challenge to interpret poems with acute logic.
For the sake of intellectual advancement, I accept this challenge. It is something that takes time; that is why Perrine can speak so fluently and convincingly of its attainability. The only part of his explanation that confused me was his dialogue over Blake's poem. After reading through the end of the script, I expected him to condemn Blake's poem as being too vague-for leaving too much to the imagination for the reader. On the contrary, he goes back to his stance of logic, no contradictions, and economy. He essentially says the fault lies with the reader who makes an interpretation that does not meet his guidelines. This to me seems like a flagrant contradiction. If I am to make a logical conclusion but given a text in which the symbols could stand for a plethora of different higher meanings, then how can any explanation be wrong. I believe Perrine should have made a distinction between poems in which the author focuses the diction to a specific purpose and those whose meanings are vague. Could it be perhaps that a poet is amused by the various takes on his work? I know if I were a poet, it would be amusing if people who admired my work made logical debates. It brings out human creativity.
For the sake of intellectual advancement, I accept this challenge. It is something that takes time; that is why Perrine can speak so fluently and convincingly of its attainability. The only part of his explanation that confused me was his dialogue over Blake's poem. After reading through the end of the script, I expected him to condemn Blake's poem as being too vague-for leaving too much to the imagination for the reader. On the contrary, he goes back to his stance of logic, no contradictions, and economy. He essentially says the fault lies with the reader who makes an interpretation that does not meet his guidelines. This to me seems like a flagrant contradiction. If I am to make a logical conclusion but given a text in which the symbols could stand for a plethora of different higher meanings, then how can any explanation be wrong. I believe Perrine should have made a distinction between poems in which the author focuses the diction to a specific purpose and those whose meanings are vague. Could it be perhaps that a poet is amused by the various takes on his work? I know if I were a poet, it would be amusing if people who admired my work made logical debates. It brings out human creativity.
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