Thursday, October 2, 2014
Sensory imagery and Allusion
Your task this week is to choose either one or two poems to illustrate and discuss the imagery and allusion in the poem. You may do imagery on one poem and allusion on another; or, you may find a poem that illustrates both. Please choose poems that are not going to be covered in class. Be sure to identify the genre of poetry in your discussion. Also, in your explanation, explain what the poem/s evoke emotionally in you, if at all. Be sure to copy the poem/s here in your blog too for us to see.
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Nothing Gold Can Stay - Robert Frost
ReplyDeleteNature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
In Robert Frost's poem, "Nothing Gold Can Stay" he makes several references to natural endings such as the end of autumn and the end of each day. When "leaf subsides to leaf" (5) it begins to loose its radiant autumn "hue" (2) and will eventually die and fall. Autumn is the time when leaves are most beautiful, when they "gold" (1). In the same way, "dawn" (7) can be considered the most glorious time of day when the sky is painted with shades of pink and orange that eventually fade into blue. As "dawn goes down to day" (7) the sky becomes less breathtaking and its splendor is gone. "Gold" (8) in this poem refers to the best, brightest, and most stunning part of something. That is way Robert Frost alludes to "Eden" (6) in his poem. In the Bible's Book of Genesis, "Eden" (6) is the garden where Adam and Eve, the first humans God created, live. Eden consisted of "every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food" (Genesis 2:9). There is also a river that flows through Eden and into the a different land where the "gold is "good" (Genesis 2:12). So, when Robert Frost compared Eden to gold, it was not a far stretch. Eden is viewed as perfection; a land that God created for man before they sinned. Therefore, like the "dawn" (7) and the autumn "leaf" (5), Eden was the most incredible form of Earth, and it "sank to grief" (6) just as "dawn goes down to day" (7) and "leaf subsides to leaf" (5). His poem has a pattern of aa bb cc dd, meaning that every pair of lines rhymes. Also, several of his pairs begin with the same letter; "Nothing" (1) and "Nature's" (2), "Her" (3), and "Her" (4), and "So" (7) and "So" (8), although those two do not rhyme at the end. This helps the poem to flow easily and the rhyme never seems forced because it is a very simple poem. It's true value is in the meaning.
Leaning in the Afternoons - Pablo Neruda
DeleteLeaning into the afternoons,
I cast my sad nets towards your oceanic eyes.
There, in the highest blaze my solitude lengthens and flames;
Its arms turning like a drowning man's.
I send out red signals across your absent eyes
That wave like the sea, or the beach by a lighthouse.
You keep only darkness my distant female;
From your regard sometimes, the coast of dread emerges.
Leaning into the afternoons,
I fling my sad nets to that sea that is thrashed
By your oceanic eyes.
The birds of night peck at the first stars
That flash like my soul when I love you.
The night, gallops on its shadowy mare
Shedding blue tassels over the land.
Pablo Neruda is one of my all time favorite poets and I was determined to share one of his poems with all of you! "Leaning into the Afternoons" has quite a bit of imagery and most of it relates to "the sea" (6), something that I think we are all familiar with and that evokes a lot of emotions. For me, this poem made me feel desperate for affection in a lazy way, as if two people were sitting side by side and one wants to hold the others hand but wonders what the point is. Somehow, it took me back to my grandfather. Between the age of ten, when I moved here, and 12, when my grandfather died, we must have taken he and my grandmother on a million car rides. He loved autumn best because the hills around St. Marys were alive with flaming leaves. Anyway, I was brought back to this because my mother always drove with my grandmother in the passenger seat. Then I sat behind my mother and my grandfather was beside me. He always reached his hand over and held mine. That's what this poem reminded me of even though I returned his love; it was the same sort of lazy love I imagined here, just holding hands.
The speaker appears to be a man who is addressing, although not out loud or in person, his "distant female" (7). Her "absent eyes" (4) are "oceanic" (2). This is what formed a picture of a woman sitting on a porch starring blankly at the landscape with conflicted and stormy eyes. The speaker compares his love for her to the "drowning man's" (4) thrashing movements. He is hopeless and relentless at the same time, just like the "sad nets" (2) and "red signals" (5) of love he throws out into her "sea" (6). The setting of the poem is the countless "afternoons" (1) he spends gazing at her while she remains "distant" (7). His poem is a free verse and that contributes to the feeling of disconnect between the speaker and the women he loves because the poem is as ever changing and inconsistent as she is.
Ann, excellent blog!
DeleteI really enjoyed your first poem choice, Nothing Gold Can Stay. Leaning in the Afternoons was very nice as well, but Nothing Gold Can Stay really stood out for me. First of all, I love fall. I don’t think anyone can argue the fact of the beauty of fall. It is be odd, because for the past month or so, I have been pondering on one question that can relate quite well to this poem. Everyone loves when the leaves change color, but they are only changing their color because they are dyin. So really, we look forward to their death, downfall, and decay. Isn’t that kind of sick? I don’t know, I just found it odd, and that maybe this little circle could be related to people, too. You only really love and appreciate things when it’s too late to go back.
I loved the comments you added in relating the “gold” to “Eden.” It is true, nothing gold can stay. I also enjoyed your little analysis you added at the end explaining the framework of the poem.
Leaning in the Afternoons was an excellent poem as well. I loved the description of “oceanic eyes” in line 2. I’ll be honest, a lot of blue eyes scare me. I’ve watched one too many horror movies with electric blue eyed villains. I’m not saying I hate blue eyes at all though, because this is not the case. I just get nervous when i see them staring at me. However when i pictured “oceanic eyes,” (2) it really was a relaxing image. Although I did like Nothing Gold Can Stay a tad bit better, Leaning in the Afternoons was extremely well written as well with an intelligent vocabulary.
Congratulations on another blog well done, Ann! This might be off topic, but I didn’t have a chance to talk to you last night. You looked lovely! I hope you enjoyed your senior homecoming!
Free Will Life- Darla McGinnis
ReplyDeleteI once veered from the road less traveled
And gazed upon the minion sheep
Watching as they followed
Their mindless paths
My soul begin to weep
For the endless torture they had unraveled
Led by dictation
Fed on tribulation
Never once seeing
An open mind equals an open heart
I want to shout
I want to scream and shake them
As if waking them from a dream
And tell them to realize
The world around them is a lie
Not what they are programmed to see
But in this free will way of life
In Darla McGinnis’ poem Free Will Life both imagery and allusion are present. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this poem at first, but the more and more I read over it, the deeper in love with it I fell. It tells of the speaker taking a step back from her normality in life and realizing that society has taken over the minds of the people without them realizing they have. The poem’s allusion is to how over time things become habit and from this they are unable to be changed easily. “Not what they are programmed to see” (16) is my favorite line in the entire piece. In a way, sort of like a dictatorship [“led by dictation” (7)] but less violent and obvious, it’s telling that people are forced to believe and act the way society tells them to sort of like the press and such has “programmed” them. “Minion sheep” (2) is an allusion to someone who cannot think for themselves for fear of something such as torture. People who cannot think for themselves are often considered “vegetables” or “worthless” because of their inability to act on their own accord. This is another reason the speaker talks of “minion sheep” (2) because minions are strict followers of a higher power, the higher power being society.”I once veered from the road less traveled” (1) reminds me of Robert Frost’s poem A Road Less Traveled. In this particular poem however, it is referring to taking a step back from the norm and seeing that things are truly not under each individual’s free will. Even though everyone has free will, the poem’s allusion tells how the “minion sheep” (2) are tricked into thinking they are doing whatever they want when in all reality they are being “fed on tribulation” (8) of their own lives.
Imagery isn’t as apparent in the piece, but is still there. When the speaker mentioned “... a road less traveled” (1), I pictured a path that isn’t as defined as a main road. Seeing the road covered in leaves from the trees and the path starting to fade away due to lack of travel. “My soul began to weep” (5) is different because it is impossible for someone to physically hear a soul weep, but it is equally possible to feel the pain of one’s stomach turning and an ache in their heart due to the unsettling thought of losing your free will to something out of your control. “I want to shout” (11) allows the reader to imagine the frustration and relate the poem back to a time when they screamed out of irritation.
Free Will Life is an epic and is very relatable to me because of the world we live in today. Once in a while I step back and realize my life isn’t where I want it to be because I let society and the press take over my thoughts and “control” me. I often see this in my friends and family around me. They are more interested in fitting in and doing what they are told is right compared to what they want and what they feel is right. This poem made me both happy and angry. It brought on feelings of anxiousness, anxiety, melancholy, and bliss. The diction throughout was simple but also showed how words such as “tribulation” (8) can be used with simpler words and have a greater impact on something because of the easier language surrounding them.
Jessica,
DeleteI really liked the poem you chose. My favorite word in the poem was "dictation" (7) because it summed up society, like you mentioned. We are all are made equal in this country, but others are not set up like ours. I agree that we are influenced by the government, people, and experiences. They all play with our minds making us think that we have to be like everyone else. We are all "minion sheep" (2) whether we want to believe that or not. People feel the need to be like others to be a part of the "in-crowd." Others want to stand out, but most likely it is expected of them to be expressive. These people are the ones that various people look to for their own personal advantage. They want to be seen as "expressive" also. Society rules us all. They have us tied around their fingers pretending we are marionettes, and we allow them either because we do not know better or find it easier to ignore the facts.
I saw the connection you made between the first line and Robert Frost's poem. I need to read it to further my understanding of the poem you picked. I love that! It makes me have to think, and I do not mind that. I want to read it to get the true feeling of Darla McGinnis's poem. Like you, I really loved this poem. I can relate to it very well. Great job!
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
ReplyDeleteTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
This poem start out at a crossroad "diverged in a yellow wood"(1), in the midst or beginnings of fall. Where the speaker silently debates which path to take. As he stood there he followed each path to "where it bent in the undergrowth" (5). Then decided to take "the other, as just as fair/And having perhaps the better claim," (6,7). When those first leaves fall are scattered on the path that "no step had trodden black."(12). Although the speaker "kept the first for another day!"(13) he doubts "if I should ever come back."(15). For "I took the one less traveled by,/And that has made all the difference."(19,20), that separate path has given him a joyous life. This poem allowed for a colorful image to be designed, and imagined by its words.
One can imagine seeing this scene unfold before our very eyes. A weary traveler/ hiker is out for a hike. When he comes to a fork in the road, where he can take either path. He studies each path, by surveying it to the point that it disappears in the undergrowth. Then he decides to take the tougher of the two paths, doubting that he should never return to where he started. After years have passed since he has chosen that path, he looks back on his journey and is glad that he had taken that path. Not only could it paint this image/story of these two paths in can also have other meaning.
This poem can also be an allusion to our lives as individuals, and our paths we choose. We have all been given a gift of free will, that gift can be a burden or a luxury. God gave us this gift, so no two people would act the same way or think the same. This becomes clear in the last stanza "I took the one less traveled by,/And that has made all the difference". Because of his choice so long ago that is what made him the man he is today. I can actually relate to this today in my own experiences.
When I had to decide between transferring to ECC and staying at Ridgway, I was torn between two paths. Both had something that I liked and disliked. I didn't mind ECC's dress code, or their smaller class sizes where I wouldn't be another face in the crowd. But I didn't want to put my mom into any finically troubles, since we're renting out my uncles two bedrooms. Then at Ridgway I knew everyone, and how the school ran day-to-day operations. If I decided to leave I'd be leaving all of my friends and basically I'd be starting a new life. I was just so torn between friendships and my academics that I choose the path that would benefit in the long run..
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDevyn,
DeleteI absolutely love this poem! It was a great choice! The imagery you pointed out was good, as I could picture the story happening before my eyes as you described it.
I would have to say, though, I believe that this poem alludes to something different from your view. After reading the poem a few times, I came to the conclusion that it could be alluding to the time of slavery in the United States and the Underground Railroad. This may seem odd, but imagine how white folks had to decide between what was right and what was wrong. They had to choose whether or not to follow their peers and accept slavery (the road taken by most) or to listen to their conscience and help bring slaves to freedom (the road not taken). There was a lot to lose with this decision, but if they were to choose the road not taken, they would not have any regrets.
Although I may not agree with you, your statements were good. I think you thought outside of the box with your
Devyn, I also wrote about this poem in my blog. Although I used it as something my poem reminded me of, my mind took a look back to reading this before and remember how much I loved it. Robert Frost is an amazing poet and has an incredible way with words. I wish you would have mentioned more about what allusion the poem had, but your examples of imagery were good. I guess I just have few questions. Do you think “yellow” (1) means something more than just the color surrounding the speaker? Why do you think taking that alternate path made the difference? Would the difference be the same for everyone? I like how you brought in a personal aspect to make it more relatable, however, I’m not quite sure just how much it relates, I understand you were torn, but I think you could have possibly worded it differently and that would have made it more relatable and understandable. Over all, good work!
Delete"My Sin the Man" by Sharon Olds
ReplyDeleteSuddenly his shoulders get a lot wider,
the way Houdini would expand his body
while people were putting him in chains. It seems
no time since I would help out on his sleeper,
guide his calves into the shadowy interior,
zip him up and toss him up and
catch his weight. I cannot imagine him
no longer a child, and I know I must get ready,
get over my fear of men now my son
is going to be one. This was not
what I had in mind when he pressed up through me like a
sealed trunk through the ice of the Hudson,
snapped the padlock, unsnaked the chains
appeared in my arms. Now he looks at me
the way Houdini studied a box
to learn the way out, then smiled and let himself be
manacled.
"My Son the Man" a free verse poem written by Sharon Olds created a work of literature alluding to Harry Houdini. This poem is about the speakers son, and how—in my opinion—she is scared of the men in this world. She is not comfortable with the idea that her baby is growing older. Personally, I feel she has been wronged by men time and time again. She is a single mother raising her son by herself. After being wronged by so many men it is understandable as to why she would be frightened that her son would become like them. Alluding to Houdini helped further her worry.
Harry Houdini was an escape artist known by many people. He used "magic" to trick his audiences. He is the man who many escape artists look to today. In Sharon Olds poem, she describes how "Suddenly his shoulders get a lot wider,/ the way Houdini would expand his body/ while people were putting him in chains." (1-3). The influence of men on her son makes him feel like he needs to appear to be just like them, but he would escape from the facade as soon as he felt comfortable. However, his mother is afraid that he may one day not "unsnake the chains" (13) and "appear in my arms" (14), which could be any mothers' worst fear. That their child would lose their way home one day.
Imagery was harder to find within this poem. Albeit, she "would help out on his sleeper,/ guide his calves into the shadowy interior,/ zip him up and toss him up and/ catch his weight." (4-7) making me feel the heaviness of a child in my arms when they were exhausted from a long day of being a child. She may always feel that heaviness from her son, but in a way where she had to carry him through life. Helping him become a successful man that was not like the others she had dealt with. I felt the "snapped padlock" (13) in my hand, clicking as it opened. The "unsnaked chains" (13) slithered off my shoulders and "appeared in my arms" (14). It felt like I found something in life that suddenly clicked and set me free.
Kaitlin, you picked a very interesting poem. Reading it was an adventure, and I became lost in the feelings that the woman feels. Many woman, especially in today's society, fear men. This is warranted and sometimes unwarranted. Yet, this poem depicted a woman who had been wronged many times by males. I actually thought tht maybe she'do been raped and had chosen to have her baby. This baby, now as years have gone by, has filled out to be the man he was born to be. She fears the potential he holds to become like the men she fears.
DeleteYour analysis of imagery and allusion were great. It was interesting how she chose to compare him to Houdini, a man who was known for his illusions and tricks. I like how you got that the mother feared her son would never return to her. This was not something I had picked up on, but it was interesting to notice. Your last paragraph was excellent, especially how you described the feelings that the poem evoked in you. This poem was an excellent choice and I really enjoyed it and your analysis. Good job!
"Two Fusiliers"
ReplyDeleteBy Robert Graves
And have we done with War at last?
Well, we've been lucky devils both,
And there's no need of pledge or oath
To bind our lovely friendship fast,
By firmer stuff
Close bound enough.
By wire and wood and stake we're bound,
By Fricourt and by Festubert,
By whipping rain, by the sun's glare,
By all the misery and loud sound,
By a Spring day,
By Picard clay.
Show me the two so closely bound
As we, by the wet bond of blood,
By friendship blossoming from mud,
By Death: we faced him, and we found
Beauty in Death,
In dead men, breath.
This poem by Robert Graves is one of my favorites. It was written sometime around 1918, and it was written about the first World War. This poem is extremely deep and it always evokes emotions of strong friendship in me. This poem tells of the strong bond formed by two friends who both are in the military. There are three examples of allusion in this poem. The first two "By Fricourt and by Festubert" (8) references to two battles during World War I. Both were extremely violent and occurred in Germany, the seat of much of the fighting. For two men to go through these two battles together would bond them beyond any other circumstances. Many people who have had the opportunity to witness old army friends know that their friendship goes so deep to almost make them siblings. They have suffered through so much that they feel like they will always have each other's backs just like they did during the war. This reference makes the people see that these two friends have gone through extremely terrible circumstances together and allows the reader to see the truth of their friendship. The final allusion is to "Picard clay” (12) which to me refers to the way that the military And their leaders had formed them into partners in this life.
"Two Fusiliers" portrays a good amount of imagery in its three stanzas. The first stanza shows the origins of their relationship. It tells that by "War" (1) they have been bound close and do not need "firmer stuff" (5) to keep their friendship strong. Graves writes of "wire and wood and stake" that bind them together, which makes the reader think of trenches and no man's land where these materials abounded in deadly traps or safe walls. The "whipping rain" and the "sun's glare" (9) showed that these two fought through not only battles together but also weather that was just as lethal. Graves creates an atmosphere with his words for the reader to experience. He mentions "loud sound" (10) along with the previous phrases, and the reader begins to form a war zone in their own mind. We can see the bond forming while bullets fly and comrades die. And in the final line, we see the truth of war in the phrase "dead men" (18). These two have seen he deaths of all heir other friends and comrades to be the only two left. They have formed a bond by necessity.
I absolutely love this poem. Every time I read it I fall in love a little bit more. I've always been fascinated with the effect that war has on people. This poem shows just that. In a situation such as war, when all other things, the trivial gossip and frivolous materials mean nothing, all that's left is life or death and human nature. These two discovered this and created the closest human bond two non related human's can. They become friends in the oddest situations. I can always sense the flying bullets, pouring rain, and the clouding gunpowder that was the scene of such a friendship forming, yet I feel the sadness they feel as another companion falls to the mud, followed by another and another. It is a well written poem that paints a war scene in the readers mind that allows them to witness the friendship.
Hannah,
DeleteI know the feeling of brotherhood that comes from the servicemen and women of this country. It is truly outstanding that one person is willing to put their life on the line for another in the heat of a fire fight. Back then, especially in WWI, your platoon would basically be a family/brotherhood of sorts. Especially since the advancement in technology during that time made warfare more deadly than previous years. Talking to a veteran is like nothing you can ever read, they take you to the battlefield and explain every living detail that they remember. The only reason I know this is cause my grandfather was in Vietnam, it's not the same as WWI, but it's is truly humbling. But this poem is just like one of his war stories, that entranced me in my younger years.
Your analysis of the imagery, and the allusion, were spot on in my opinion. None of us can imagine what those soldiers went through during that time, unless we were there. From what we read in text books, or novels are merely glimpses to the real brutality of war. The phrase that truly caught my attention was "dead men" (18). For when your comrade was killed in those trenches you couldn't give them a proper burial. They were used for shields or as flooring for the bottom of the trench. Which I can't imagine doing in my wildest nightmares. (Hannah, this poem was a great choice I absolutely loved it.)
Hannah, I never knew about your interest in wars and their effects! My dad along with my brothers love history and constantly talk about it. It always makes me feel a little bit left out, because history isn’t exactly my best subject. Now I will have to show them this poem! I’m sure they will love it, and it will give me a way to get involved in their conversation! Thank you, Hannah!
DeleteBack to your blog post, I really did think that this was a unique poem. It was very interesting and informative. It also was such a smart choice to use for this blog assignment as there were so many good examples as you listed! My favorite part is that this poem was related to a real event as opposed to my allusion being to a children's story. You seem to be extremely educated on this poem and the time of the war, and you really do a great job at explaining.
I always enjoy your blogs, Hannah. You are an extremely smart girl and you know how to express your thoughts so others can understand as well. You are great at analyzing, and I love reading what you write. It is as if you are really letting us get a look into your thought process.
Also, I would just like to add, thank you for the comment on my post! I appreciate both yours and Natalie’s opinions! After I read both of your views, I thought two things. Maybe I'm not as optimistic as i thought I was, and maybe I watch two much Law and Order. All of these tragedies must have gone to my head!
"Big Bad" by Veronica Schanoes
ReplyDeleteCan't you see can't you see the red
Back and forth I go back and forth
on the path between the trees
on the path through the woods
can't you see can't you read the red?
every day I get older every day
white flashes briefly in my dark red fur
axes stay dull baskets swing
back and forth back and forth
and I wait I wonder where you might be.
Can't you see can't you read the red?
Every day I pace out the same path I
wear out a groove waiting and looking
you should have been here by now
shouldn't you have been here by now?
I have stopped feeling, like clockwork
I go back and I go forth.
Off the path alone is just another path
and I have stopped feeling
heat fur where are you
off the path alone
my heart does not race
my pace is calm, cool, she curves we giggle
I want — heart race fire break
even this I want
in red in blood
in bone in tears
the path alone is boring
Who's afraid I'm afraid of
never meeting you again
now I have grown my own teeth
when will we meet again
now I have grown my own claws
Will we meet again
now I have grown my own arms
big enough, all the better to pounce
all the better, my dear.
We must meet again.
I am waiting for you
and now I am older.
Veronica Schanoes is a modern writer. I found her poem, “Big Bad,” amazing. I was honest shocked at how great this poem really was. Before reading it, I was expecting some silly little writing about how the wolf isn't so big and bad. I was so wrong. This poem was so creative and so realistic and used great examples not only of allusion, but also of imagery.
The poem was written as an allusion to the childhood story, Little Red Riding Hood. However, unlike the classic, “Big Bad” was neither an innocent story or intended for children to read. One line that stood out to me in regards to this allusion was, “big enough, all the better to ponce/ all the better, my dear.” (36/37) Although no where in the poem does it say that the “Big Bad” is a wolf, in lines 31 and 32, the speaker talks of their newly grown “teeth” and “claws.” The word “red” is also used a lot, a nickname that Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother called her. Throughout the poem the wolf gets anxious, wondering when he will see
“Red” again, thinking of how their encounter will be.
Of course, when I read this poem, one of the first things I thought of was Little Red Riding Hood. The second thing I thought of, was murder. I watch a lot of Law and Order, especially Special Victims Unit. While what I am saying still could possibly tie in with the allusion, it has more to do with imagery. While I was reading the poem, I could picture the entire scene in my head. I pictured two different scenarios. One with the prowling wolf, and one with the prowling victim. One with “teeth,” “claws,” and “arms,” and the other with weapons, knives, and guns. In my opinion, the third stanza contained the most imagery. First of all, the beginning of the third stanza is where my heart began to race. The waiting and waiting, the anxiety building. “Every day I pace out the same path I/ wear out a groove waiting and looking/ you should have been here by now.” Lines 12, 13, and 14 showed the predator becoming impatient, pacing hidden in the brush beside the path described in the first stanza. I also think that this was the climax of the poem. It is here that the reader realizes how severe the situation truly is, making them wonder how the innocence was somehow lost from the original, Little Red Riding Hood.
Felicia,
DeleteThis was a great poem choice! As soon as I read the title of the poem I too thought of Little Red Ruding Hood. I also think that the poem has more meaning behind it. While reading, I pictured a little kid getting picked on for having red hair. I could see him promising himself that someday he would get his revenge, but only at the right time. This plays into the "everyday I pace out the same path.." (12) because he keeps hoping that his chance will come, but it never does. When he constantly sees red, he pictures his red hair and what it stands for.
Anyway, I can also see where you are coming from with your stance. After reading your opinion, I would also have to agree with you. It's certainly weird how people perceive different things in a poem, but that's what makes poetry so amazing. Overall, you examples of imagery and allusion were on point; great job!
Felicia, this is such an awesome poem! I totally enjoyed reading it, and your analysis was also well done. However, I got different things from this poem than you did. I took the poem to mean that the speaker is Little Red Riding Hood. When they say that they have grown their own "claws, teeth, and arms" I thought this was Red saying that she had become a predator too and is now able to protect herself. She has grown up from the vulnerable little girl to a woman with claws and teeth, willing to fight.
DeleteThis whole poem was one big allusion, and it really enforced the meaning behind the poem. Your analysis was well written and despite the differences in our understanding of the poem, I can see your point of view and the logic and thought that went into it. Your description of the imagery and how you related it to things in your life really helped me, and the other readers of your poem I would think, understand both side of this poem. You have a unique way of seeing things, and I always enjoy reading your blogs because of the fascinating things I learn and see.
Let me start off by saying, I also love SVU. Although it didn’t necessarily come into my head when I read the poem, I can easily see where you are getting it from. I appreciate how you brought in other aspects of not only your life, but also something that others, like myself, can relate to. While reading the poem you choose, I must say, Little Red Riding Hood popped into my head too. I was actually thinking of choosing this poem to write my blog on, but after deciding not to, I’m glad someone, — you—fell in love with it like I did. “Can't you see can't you read the red?” (11) had to be my favorite line in the poem. I feel like that line alone tells a story and shows imagery. Not only can you see the person in pain physically and emotionally, but you can also feel the pain and hear the sorrow. I agree though, most of the examples of imagery take place later in the poem.
DeleteI’m really glad you chose this poem and enjoyed the examples you selected. The allusion you spoke of was the one that I believed to be obvious to the reader. I one hundred percent agree with your thoughts on the matter. The fact that you proposed the question of just how innocent Little Red Riding Hood really was gave your blog a great twist. Good work, Felicia!
"Rapunzel" by David Trinidad
ReplyDeleteLike hair, the days and nights are growing longer
and longer.
Nothing interests me. The landscape's flat: paths and
dry fields,
villages, the same tiered orchard. My thick tresses
twist, spread
down, surround me like the moat at the foot of this
tower
in which I wait and waste my thoughts. The stone keeps
cold, corners
dark; cobwebs as abandoned as the lace above my
breasts.
Flies multiply on split fruit-skins in a wooden bowl
next
to the barred window. Dust layers stream in. The sun
lowers.
And each evening, the crone comes. Her crackled fingers
appear
pinching the key. She brings round loaves of stale bread
and water.
Carefully, she clasps my throat, lifts my face in front
of her
like a hand-mirror, moans, weeps. If only once she'd say:
"Here,
take this pair of scissors and cut your hair before it
twists
into spaces between the bricks like vines." I'd slit my
wrists.
The poem "Rapunzel," written by David Trinidad displays the reality of the famous Brothers Grimm story or to the Disney classic. It has several uses of imagery and it alludes to the Rapunzel story. Upon first reading this poem, I felt my heart break for my favorite Disney princess movie. Obviously Rapunzel is unhappy in her tower, but I never considered it to be so bad that she would be willing to commit suicide. The second time I read the poem, I really pitied Rapunzel. It wasn't her fault she was put in the tower, so why should she have to suffer anymore?This poem really brought my attention to how Rapunzel felt during her time spent in her lonely tower because of something stupid performed by her father. (If you aren't familiar with the Brothers Grimm version, the original, her father steals some rampion for his pregnant wife. The rampion belonged to an enchantress who decided that because they were stealing from her garden, they had to give their baby to her to raise. After some years, Rapunzel became a beautiful young girl, so the enchantress stuck her in the doorless and stainless tower in the middle of the forest.)
It is easy to see the flat landscape and the "paths and / dry fields" (4-5). The speaker's "thick tresses" (6) are twisting and flowing down and around her. The reader can feel the cold stone walls and the abandoned cobwebs. You can hear the flies on the "fruit-skins in the wooden bowl" (13) and feel the warmth of the sun disappearing. When the old woman comes into the room, you can picture her "crackled fingers" (17). You can feel her cold, bony hand squeeze your throat, as she does this to the speaker, and hear her "moans" and "weeps" (23). Finally, you can feel the relief that the speaker would have if only the old "crone" (17) would let her cut her hair "before it / twists / into spaces between the bricks like vines" (25-27).
"Rapunzel" alludes, obviously, to the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Her constant hair growth and long days and nights represent the amount of time Rapunzel spent in her tower. She was never allowed to leave her home, because the enchantress wanted to punish her for being so beautiful. Her hair could not be cut, though, or else the enchantress would not be able to climb the tower to bring her food or be sure that the girl was still in there. The allusion to the story of Rapunzel is also truly captured in the final stanza. The author describes the old woman, but also alludes to Rapunzel's feeling of hatred for the enchantress and hopelessness for a better life. Her mental state of mind was shot; there was nothing left to live for, not even the prince who had claimed he would marry her someday.
Natalie,
DeleteI loved this poem! First of all, I love Disney, princesses, and especially Disney princesses. But that is just the little girl inside of me. Like you said at the beginning, this poem is heartbreaking! You took that it was a poem about Rapunzel, but I saw it a little differently. I think David Trinidad was trying to show that even the most beautiful people suffer. Sometimes they suffer more. The reason I say this is because "Carefully, she clasps my throat, lifts my face in front/ of her/ like a hand-mirror, moans, weeps." (21-23). These lines created a scene in my mind. I pictured a girl lifting a "hand-mirror" (23) in front of her face. She did not see the beautiful girl that everyone told her she was. She saw the woman who brings her "round loaves of stale bread/ and water." (19-20), or someone who treats their own person or others poorly. I saw that she treated herself like dirt. It made me think that this poor girl only allowed her self to eat very little, and drink only water to stay smaller. It is a scary thought, but many people do this to their body because they are unhappy with who they are. They feel like are worth nothing. This poem made me feel like this girl thought she was nothing.
Rapunzel was a great character to allude to due to her having so long of hair. Her hair represented the journey she had taken, and the scissors were to stop the journey. This would mean suicide, like you had said. The poem evoked pain within my chest, and I wanted to help this girl that David Trinidad wrote about. Again, I loved the poem! Awesome job!
Natalie,
DeleteI loved this blog, not only because I was raised on Disney, but the poem is great. I too felt a bit disturbed my first time reading this. It makes me wonder about this piece a bit, like if she would've killed her capture could she have escaped. Also ,according to the Brothers Grimm, if the capture would leave and comeback there had to be a way outside, why didn't she find it?
Anyways when I read through the setting lines, it felt like a small village scene out of Robin Hood to me. But that's just my personal opinion of those two vague lines that describe the surrounding landscapes. Your interpretation of the inner tower was spot on, her prison is very evident. The cold stone, and implying the color of quarry grey, just makes her a more depressing character. The cobwebs however, uhm I don't know how to explain those, they are just a bit creepy adding character to the tower.
The allusion To the original Rapunzel was the only, one I picked up as well. In your last paragraph explaining Rapunzel's detestation for the enchantress, was very well spoken. Her hopeless state was the seal on the letter of her death. Not wanting anything of the outside world without a doubt is what drove her into a depressed state, then ultimately to her suicide.