The Apparation

"I rather thou shouldst painfully repent, Than by my threatenings rest still innocent." - John Donne

I don't have any idea if I know what this poem is actually saying, but the questions in the book helped a little. I'm going to do my best; I may be wrong, but I'll find that out later. The speaker seems to be imagining if he were to die. He would leave the earth and his lover would be alone. I think he wishes that if this were to happen she would mourn his death and not move on. He wishes that if he came back he would not see her in another man's arms. I think this is pretty selfish of the speaker. He basically wants her to live her life as if he were alive, but never get to see him. That's unfair to her. But it's a possibility he suspects that she is cheating on him, which is what brings about this wish to be a ghost in the first place. If that's the case, then he wants her to just confess and ask for forgiveness instead of him going through trouble to prove her unfaithfulness. 

Hazel Tells LaVerne

"well I screams ya little green pervert an i hitsm with my mop an has ta flush the toilet down three times" - Katharyn Howd Machan

I think this picture pretty much sums up the poem. Up until Princess Tiana actually gave in a kissed the frog, this poem was spot on with The Princess and the Frog! Hazel hits the frog with a mop; Tiana hits the frog with a book. They're very similar. I honestly thought she was going to kiss the frog and something miraculous and royal was going to happen. It was such a letdown to keep reading to find out she wasn't going to be a princess. I guess I watch too many Disney movies. I feel like I can't analyze this poem though. It seems just like a normal story that one lady is telling to another while they get their hair done at the salon. Maybe the ending can be analyzed? She seems to reconsider the whole crazy idea when she says "me a princess". Maybe she looked back and wished she would have at least tried. Who knows, maybe Hazel could've been the next Princess Tiana.

My Mistress' Eyes - Satire

"And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare."

The first time I read the poem I was kind of offended on behalf of whoever Shakespeare was speaking to. I then realized it was mocking the typical lovey-dovey poems we're used to hearing about. I honestly didn't expect this out of Shakespeare, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. He is basically telling the truth while shooting down sappy, romantic similes and metaphors other poets had used. No one can honestly say their lover's eyes are "like the sun", because they are just eyes. Their lover cannot be a goddess, because she is clearly human. All of these are lies that have been told to women in the past as flattery - that works. Shakespeare continues on and makes a great point at the end of the poem. He says that his love is unique and true, but it does not need to be represented by these cliches. Shakespeare hints that women do not need to look like flowers or the sun in order to be beautiful, because that is impossible. He simply wants to let his lover know how he truly feels without having to make up ridiculous comparisons that really make no sense. 

Just in case you didn't want to reread the poem, you can listen to Daniel Radcliffe read it instead!

Dover Beach - Imagery

"Ah, love, let us be true to one another! for the world, which seems to lie before us like a land of dreams, so various, so beautiful, so new, hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain" - Matthew Arnold

The questions in the booked helped me tremendously with this poem. The imagery clearly suggests the speaker is near a beach right around dusk. I can picture the tide rolling in and out and the mist flowing through the air. The aspect of faith that enters the poem around line 21 dominates the last 2 stanzas. The speaker is referencing the problems in the world and how faith seems to not be as important. It was once a top priority, but now it's just faded into the distance. The speaker has no remedy for the world's problems. Nothing could possibly solve everything that's gone wrong. The poem began with such a calm tone, but it soon became somewhat depressing and dark. The mention of "the eternal note of sadness" really just puts a damper on the beautiful beach images that were entering my mind.

Getting Out - simile

"Finally locked into blame, we paced that short hall, heaving words like furniture." - Cleopatra Mathis

This simile is comparing words thrown out in the heat of an argument to furniture being heaved. Just as furniture is heavy and bothersome to move (trust me, my mom is obsessed with rearranging), the words the fighting couple says to each other are sometimes tough to say. I think this couple tries to work things out, but they are just not meant to be. They have "matching eyes and hair" which I believe means that they are far too similar to have a working marriage. I pictured this couple as one that is blissfully in love for the beginning of the relationship, but then it takes a drastic turn where fighting seems constant. The poem starts off talking about getting out of the house during a fight, but it ends with getting out of the relationship. Although their breakup seemed messy and angry, I think the couple tries to regain some semblance of a friendship. The woman speaking still has feelings for the man since she's "startled by men who look like [him]". This poem was very realistic of so many relationships today when they couple is in love until things get tough, then they realize that friendship is much easier.

Mr. Z

"Disclaimed kinship with jazz and spirituals; chose prudent, raceless views of each situation." - M. Carl Holman

The last question about this poem in the book reads "What is Mr. Z's color?". I think Mr. Z is African American. The text supports this in multiple places, beginning with the first line. The speaker references how Mr. Z was taught that his mother's skin was wrong. After learning about the civil rights movement during my entire school career, African American was the first race that popped into my mind. Saying that Mr. Z didn't want associated with "jazz and spirituals" didn't really disconnect him with his heritage in my mind; it simply meant that he wanted to be more than just an African American. He didn't want to be labelled. The reference to "cornbread, yams, and collards" also hinted at the African American culture. The poem's 4th stanza is about Mr. Z's success, but it's not always positive. He defied stereotypes and became "one of the most distinguished members of his race". That ironic statement contrasted everything the poem had said up until the end. Mr. Z didn't want to be defined by his race, but in the end that's exactly what happened.

APO 96225 - Situational Irony

"So after a while, the young man wrote, 'Dear Mom, sure rains here a lot.'" - Larry Rottmann

I literally laughed out loud when I read this poem. Well...actually, I chuckled to myself, because it was silent in class and it would've been awkward if I laughed out loud. I really did enjoy this poem. The situational irony in it was priceless. I'm sure the mother of the soldier in Vietnam did want to know some details, but she couldn't handle the truth. It's not that the son was lying to his mother, he simply left out all the gory details that no one really knew about. I can just imagine the son trying to avoid the topic in his letters, but eventually he gave in. I think his mother was waiting for a letter that gave a few details about the war or the people he was facing, but his comments were unexpected. This relates to how the American public felt about the war. They wanted to know everything that was happening in Vietnam, but when they found out they wished they had never asked. 

Sorting Laundry - Metaphor

"Folding clothes, I think of folding you into my life." -Elisavietta Ritchie

The speaker is comparing the love of her life to laundry. Romantic, right? This metaphor sort of explains the entire poem. The speaker clearly has many memories with this man. I'm not exactly sure if he left or if he died, but I do know that the speaker misses him. As she physically folds clothes, she is thinking of this man and the impact he had on her life. This relates to the metaphor used at the end of the poem that says "a mountain of unsorted wash could not fill the empty side of the bed". No matter how much she reminisces, she will never have anything that could fill the void left by this person. That comparison of a mountain to a pile of clothes is also an overstatement, or hyperbole. I think the speaker is kind of blowing everything out of proportion; she might have finally gone a little insane. I didn't know someone could make so many comparisons between clothing and relationships.

Batter my heart, three-personed God - Symbol

"Yet dearly I love you and would be loved fain, But am betrothed unto your enemy" - John Donne

I can't tell if this poem is being serious or sarcastic. I'm going to take it as if it was written seriously; I think it was written as a prayer. The symbolism in the poem mainly represents sin and forgiveness. The "heart" that's being battered and the "enemy" the speaker is fighting both represent sin. The speaker is asking God to lead him away from sin, but he/she knows how difficult that is going to be. The verbs "breathe", "shine", and "burn", mentioned in the beginning of the poem, represent the Holy Spirit. I'm not sure how people who aren't religious are supposed to understand the poem. It's obvious to me that the Holy Spirit breathed life into the apostles and then appeared to them as burning fire, but not everyone knows that. Maybe that means I'm completely wrong? 

Barbie Doll - Satire

"Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs."- Marge Piercy

This poem is satirical in a way that isn't ridiculously difficult to understand, which I appreciate. The excerpt above is very ironic. It's clear that no one thinks that puberty is magical, especially not when they're going through it. The problems the girl in the poem deals with isn't uncommon by any means, however, the way she handled the situation was a bit drastic. I think the poem is saying that she committed suicide, which furthers the satire by showing the extreme lengths that people go to in order to fit the "perfect Barbie" mold that society wants. The girl is most like a Barbie Doll when she is lying in her casket. This really forces readers to see the negative effects of our society's obsession with perfection. I think this poem makes people rethink how they view perfection or just self confidence in general.

Aren't these Barbie Dolls awesome?!?!

I taste a liquor never brewed

"When Butterflies-renounce their "drams"- I shall but drink the more!" - Emily Dickinson

I would love to start by directing your attention back to the picture above. It is totally awesome, especially because this poem specifically talks about a "drunken Bee". Granted, none of the things in this poem should be taken literally. Which brings me to my actual point. This extended metaphor compares alcoholic intoxication with the intoxication of nature's beauty. The speaker feels that the air, dew, bees, butterflies, and nature in general give off a comparable thrill and excitement as alcohol. The more the speaker sees in the beautiful land surrounding him/her, the more enthralled they become. This drunkenness stems from beauty, but  is set to the extreme of liquor. Dickinson seems to enjoy giving hints on how to analyze her poems in the titles. From the beginning, the speaker say the liquor they're speaking about has never been brewed. That's because no one can brew nature; it's not alcohol. Nature is something almost magical that can intoxicate one's soul.

The Joy of Cooking

"I will have my brother's heart, which is firm and rather dry" - Elaine Magarrell

Soooo far from what this poem is about.

I understand certain aspects of this poem better than others. The first stanza is referencing the speaker's sister, but not in the way mention. Which I guess makes this an ironic poem - saying one this and meaning another, right? I think the speaker was envious of their sister's personality, because they are not as outgoing and well-spoken. And judging by this poem, they also seem a little bitter toward their relatives. 

The second stanza clearly refers to the brother, and even more specifically this time, his heart. I think is is less ironic and more symbolic than the first stanza. The speaker states that her brother's heart is "firm and rather dry", and that it would "need[s] an apple-onion stuffing to make it interesting at all". I'm sensing a little jealousy here. 

Toads - Metaphor

"Why should I let the toad work Squat on my life?" - Philip Larkin

At some point in our lives we've all had this negative outlook about work at some point in our lives. Just as we all do, the speaker realizes that work is inevitable at indeed is what "dreams are made on". Now scroll down to the bottom of this paragraph and watch the video for the song "Hey Now" from the Lizzie McGuire movie. It'll make sense if you listen. Now back to toads. This negativity the author has toward this toad of work pushes him as far as to contemplate the lives of the homeless. There's irony in the statement "no on actually starves", because I think the speaker knows fully that people do starve. The speaker soon realizes how lucky they are to have work.

The attitude toward this toad changes abruptly into something that seems almost positive. I believe the idea of work almost nags at the speaker's thoughts. "And will never allow me to blarney my way to getting the fame and the girl and the money all at one sitting." This toad won't allow him/her to get to materialistic, but only to work hard to get what is needed. I think we all need a little of the second toad in our lives.

February - Paradox

"But it's love that does us in." - Margaret Atwood

Saying that this poem was strange is the understatement of this unit. However, despite the oddities in this poem, I  found truth in this paradox stated above. The speaker is saying how easy life would be if love had never entered the picture, when almost everyone else on earth feels that love is the greatest attribute we possess. People complain about their love lives all of the time, but in the end they know it's all worth it. Finding that perfect someone is what life's all about right? This paradox functions to reverse the common thought about love and all of its grandeur, which in turn makes readers realize how truly wonderful love can be. It sets us apart from the cats and sharks in our world. But it love's not really your thing, this poem is sure to have something that is! The last lines, "Get ride of death. Celebrate increase. Make it be spring." should surely put a smile on your face. 


I can't even post a picture to go with this blog, because it would be disturbing no matter what part of the poem I focused on.

Dream Deferred - Simile

"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin?" - Langston Hughes

It's raisin man!

This poem is bursting with similes. There are 6 similes in an 11 line poem - that's impressive. I think the main point the speaker is trying to get across is that dreams are on the verge of being indescribable. The speaker tries their best to put a dream into words, but all the have is questions. I think the speaker is talking about past experiences, or dreams, that he/she had. Maybe a dream that faded away, or a bitter dream that was never reached, were the meaning behind the harsh comparisons. When the speaker says "does it explode?", I think there could very well be two meanings behind that. On one hand, it could be positive; the dream became a reality. On the other hand, it could very well be negative; the dream absorbed the speaker's entire life to a point where it was overwhelming. I guess that's why the first question is "what happens to a dream deferred?", because no one truly knows.

The Panther

"As he paces in cramped circles, over and over, 

the movement of his powerful soft strides 

is like a ritual dance around a center 

in which a mighty will stands paralyzed." 

- Rainer Maria Rilke

This poem confused me, as is the norm for me with a lot of literature at first. At first glance I thought this poem was about a panther in captivity. After discussing with my small group, we all decided that the poem must have meant a little something more than just simply a panther. Our best analysis ended up being that Rilke was telling the story of a prisoner on death row. It makes sense if you think about it. The "panther" starts out behind bars, shut out from the world. The powerful yet vulnerable creature paces in circles trying to accept its fate. After calmly awaiting his/her fate, the prisoner's muscles go tense and he/she dies. Honestly, that makes a  lot of sense in my mind because I was a part of the thought process that came up with the group explanation, but I don't know if it will make sense to other people. Does it?

The Convergence of the Twain

"...Or sign that they were bent By paths coincident On being anon twin halves of one august event," - Thomas Hardy

I think the "twin halves" the speaker focus on are symbolic of a few different things, some of which are probably not right.

• The most obvious- the actual halves of the sinking ship. The Titanic hit an iceberg and literally was split in two halves. One half sank slowly until the other half was basically 90 degrees from the water. It then plummeted under the water following the other half of the boat.
• It could mean the iceberg that the Titanic struck. The whole crisis could have been averted if the captain of the ship would have realized the iceberg he saw had a "twin half" underneath the water. That's what the ship really hit, and that's the real reason the ship sank. 
• It could also refer to the night of the sinking. The beginning of the night was bustling and people were having a grand time, just like any other night. Then drastically, the night turned into disorder. The second half of the night was still busy, but in an unexpectedly terrible way. 

Those Winter Sundays

"No one ever thanked him." - Robert Hayden

Question #6 on the handout states: "What is the central purpose of the poem, the poet's fictional point?" This poem is about misunderstanding and later regretting that. The speaker was always timid about their father, thinking he was angry and scary. Looking back, they realized he was simply tired from working so hard to provide for his family. While reminiscing, the author realized they did not treat their father with the respect he deserved. I think the dark and bleak imagery relates back to the purpose that the speaker feels bad for how they mistreated their father. The speaker's words echo the idea that they are filled with regret as they look back on their past. They seem almost ashamed of the way they treated their father, who worked so hard to provide for his family.

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

"And then a Plank in Reason, broke, And I dropped down, and down" - Emily Dickinson

I interpreted this poem as and extended metaphor. I think it clearly shows the stages of a funeral, but not how I'd expect. It begins with the mourners getting seating and the service beginning, then the casket is carried out, and finally it is lowered into the ground. All of this happens without any mention of sight. This poem relies heavily on sound words, which leads me to believe that it's not really physically happening. I believe the speaker is internally conflicted to the point where they are literally going insane. They are not imagining their own physical funeral, but instead the death of their sanity and reason. The quote I began this blog entry with is the final breaking point in the speaker's mind. After he/she was "buried" there was no way to regain what had been lost. I think the title of the poem is the first indicator that this funeral is internal; it clearly states "in my Brain". 

"Spring" - allusion

"A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning In Eden garden. - Have, get, before it cloy." - Gerard Manley Hopkins

Hopkins relates the innocence and new beginning of Spring to the garden of Eden. This reference immediately grabbed my attention, probably because I've known for the story of Adam and Eve basically my whole life. The descriptions Hopkins uses do indeed represent Spring very well, but the image of the garden of Eden bursting with life and lush green plants was most effective in my mind. I think he used this allusion for that reason exactly. There's nothing more pure and beautiful than the perfect oasis of Eden, which is exactly the point he was trying to prove. I think Hopkins might be comparing the innocence of children to this garden and springtime as well. I'm not 100% sure, but that's what I am getting from this.  Just as the garden was once perfect, the minds of boys and girls begin untainted by real life. Only after they begin to learn and adapt to their new environment are they no longer able to be considered innocent or untouched, just as Adam and Eve were no longer allowed in paradise after they sinned.

Perrine article

"Some interpretations do make more sense than others. More than one meaning may be valid, but not just any meaning can be."

I guess I'll start with the things I fully agree with (the 2 sentences above being one of those things). Perrine stated multiple times how poetry is more than just what the reader thinks is happening, although that does account for something. He talks about how "interpretation is acceptable which lies within that area", which makes perfect sense to me. I know that some people will adamantly say that poetry is 100% open to interpretation and that the reader's opinion is really all that matters, and I used to think like that simply because I'd never read real poetry. After reading 4 poems and being completely wrong about all of them, I realized that being guided in the correct direction of thinking is probably better than just going with the obvious. People who think that every interpretation of poetry is valid can continue to think that, but I disagree. A highly educated English professor or an actual published poet has a lot more knowledge and experience to back up their opinions than me, a 17 year old who's just trying to understand a simply Emily Dickinson poem. 

Although Perrine brings up a few points I agree with, there's also quite a few that I disagree with. His 2 criteria for interpreting poetry make sense, but I don't think they're always valid. He says that the best interpretation is the most logical one; I think that's completely false. Some poems are meant to be riddles, they're supposed to make you think. That's what makes poetry so difficult. He also compares poetry to science, which I think is very irrelevant and doesn't really make any sense to me. There's not much else I completely disagree with, it is more that I didn't realize how "wrong" I was. The 4 poems we were assigned to interpret made sense, I thought. I have a whole new perspective on poetry after reading this article. Perrine helped me to understand that there are multiple interpretations sometimes, but there are also limits to those interpretations. I think with a little guidance and a lot of hints, I will learn to actually enjoy reading/deciphering poetry.