A Blessing by James Wright

I chose this poem because of my ability to actually paint a picture in my mind of what this poet is writing about. He uses such wonderful imagery and descriptive words that it is very easy to really understand what the poet is speaking about. I also really like the tone that is provided in the poem. I think that is makes the reader fell a sense of calmness because of the calmness of the ponies and their meeting with the friends. What is also interesting is that the poet tells us that the ponies love each other, how does he know that? I believe that it is sensed by his meeting them and seeing them graze together. The last lines of the poem really show the great expression that is coming from the people that have met the ponies. They feel such wonderful feelings that to woman believes that if she were having an outerbody experience that she would be in blossom like a flower. This poem is beautiful in many ways but I really love the way that it makes the reader feel.

The Picnic, an Homage to Civil Rights

I liked this poem because it relates something a simple as a picnic to our freedom as citizens of our country. The idea that we are free to set up "camp" and enjoy the environment is something that we take for granted. I think that his poem opens up the readers eye to this and the importance of our forefathers and all they did for us. This poem brings about new language in a way about being free. I would not normally think of freedom and a picnic as going hand in hand. Yet, they are so similar in a way. On a picnic one is free to enjoy the outdoors and not be shut up in a house. We are able to eat our food prepared from the earth and enjoy it while sitting on the very ground that it came from. This in a way is poignant because you are enjoying both events in nature. The idea of being with your family is another thing that this poem points out and it is all about being silly and free with them. Being able to do what you want and enjoy the day together is what family is all about. Without our civil rights we would not be able to play baseball or jump in a community pool. I think that this poem is one that allows this freedom to be thought about on a deeper level.

Keeping Things Whole by Mark Strand

After reading all of the assigned poems for today's blog I came back to this one only. This poem to be is very interesting because it is written about a topic that no one ever really talks about. The idea that the space that you are occuping is no longer filled with air, but with you, is an idea that is odd to think about. Yet, the idea is still there, when you are somewhere, that space is then different. I think that this poem holds a lot of poignancy within it because it does address the idea that when you are somewhere, you are the absense of that very place. Does this make you feel empty inside? Because when you are just in air's space, does that mean that your insides don't count. To be wherever you and be what is missing in fact is something that is hard to understand fully. I had to go over this idea in my mind before it made sense to me, I think that is what I like about this poem exactly. This idea of occupying a space but then becoming what was in that space before is reason enough to keep moving to keep things "whole". This poem deals with the time/space measurement because in a way you are measuring what is taking up the space at the given point in time. This poem to me poses an interesting idea and I think is written well.

Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson

I like this poem because it speaks the truth. It is often the person that has everything that essentially has nothing. The story of this man that had everything and the way that peopled admired him made me believe that something bad was going to happen to him, therefore I guess you could say that this poem is predictable. But, in a way it is very poignant because it is full of wisdom. The idea of having everything you could ever want is something that most people dream about, but what is there to look forward to in life without a dream. I think that Richard Cory's life is very much kept private from outsiders but they all see him walking down the streets and make a stereotype about him. They want to know more about his life and in the end, I guess they get what they want because once he is dead they will probably know everything that they wanted to know. This poem is teaching us that no matter how much you have in life you will not necessarily be happy, you must be happy with what you have and have a goal and live for that goal. It sounds very "fantasy like" but in all honesty it is true. "Too much of a good thing is never enough" is a common saying that expresses so much of what this poem is all about. I think that the author of the poem got their point across very clearly.

The Middle-Aged by Adrienne Rich

I choose this poem because of the new language that it held for me. This poem speaks of the idea of happiness not really being our in our parent's house. It was their happiness and we just lived in it. It was them who made the nice atmosphere and the comfort of our bedrooms. What is interesing to me, poignant maybe, is that when we become middle-aged ourselves is when we are able to see that this was not our happiness in our childhood homes and that all the secrets that you were unaware of are more conscious now. I think that this poem is speaking about public life because it is something that happends to everyone, as believed by the poet. I, believe that you are happy IN your families happiness, you add to it and make it your own. I think that this poets belief is rather negative. I would like to believe that after returing to your childhood home you remember all the great things that occured there and remember the fond memories that were made there. The idea of getting old in a house is happiness, but it is shared with those who occupy it. I'm not sure if I am taking this poem too literally, but I think of this idea of unhappiness and it makes me disagree, that is my stand on the poem.

Edge by Sylvia Plath

I chose this poem because it is written purely about the public spectre of this woman's life. She, her dead body, is being viewed and people are commenting on her body and life. They say that she is of perfection and looks like she has accomplished a lot in her life by the way her feet look. I too, believe that you can tell a lot about a person by the way that they look, but it is of noone's business to be judging someone that way. I think in a way that the persona that this poem is projecting is one that is judgemental. This Greek woman, in her toga, is being judged on display. What is interesting to me is that the children that are around her are said to be "folded" back into her body. This image is one that is hard to put to life but I believe the poet is expressing that this woman was caring and loved children. I am not actually all positive that I am taking this poem the correct way, but I find it hard to see more into this poem that its literal language. I guess this poem to me is new language because I am unaware of what the last line of this poem is referring to. Is she actually a black woman? Is she the owner of slaves who follow her? What I like about this poem is that there are so many unanswered questions and there is a lot of room for interpretation.

Ave Maria by Frank O'Hara

This poem stuck me as interesting because of the poignancy that is related through the story. The poet is explaining the difficulty that children have when they lead sheltered lives, they are willing to try anything that they have not tried before and do not know what is wrong or right. On the other hand, he is explaining that children that are allowed to go out of their houses and experience life, even through the movies, have an understanding of life decisions and their effects. This is poignant to me because the children that lead sheltered lives are usually the ones that lash out against their upbringing once they are set "free", when the children that have been exposed to life are more respectful of their upbringing. The poet depicts the situation of being allowed to go to the movies because when you watch a movie you are almost in another world, you are allowed to leave your life and pretend to be in another. This experience is one that can not be imitated and the poet believes that it is an important one to experience. The way that he presents his poem is interesting because of his line spacing. In a way it looks like he is seperating different thoughts but when read together make sense. I think that this poem is teaching a lesson to parents and therefore is full of wisdom by the way that it is poignant.

La Migra by Pat Mora

I chose this poem for its poignancy. I believe that it is poignant because of the way that it expresses the situation that is so real to many people. I liked reading both stanzas to get both points of view. Each one is poignant in its own way, from the Border Control you sense their authority over this woman which makes you feel for the woman because she is in danger, yet she is doing something illegal. I think that it makes you rethink the legality of the situation. Then, on the other hand, you read the second stanza and understand the terrible conditions of the border and what the Border Control has to deal with everyday. The illegal "runners" know the area very well and are able to outsmart the Border Control in their own ways. Yet, in some way I don't feel as badly for the Border Control as I do for the woman running. I guess this is because there is such a truth, testimony, of the woman running, probably for a better life. This is a language that we are not familiar with living in the US which is why it is something that interests us as readers. This poet portrays an incident like this, one of which there are many, on a more personal level that is relative for a reader to understand.

Hanging Fire by Audre Lorde

I like this poem because I can see a bit of myself in it. Even though it is written about a young boy I am able to see myself asking the same questions that he raises. He wonders about "silly" sometimes little things that should not be worrying him and often I find myself doing the same thing. I often think about why I did not get something if I got a good grade even if someone did get the same grade as me. What I really like about his poem is that the poet puts to paper these thoughts that often are only found in our minds, we would not worry other people about these things but they are thinks that we find in our minds. Because of this I would say that this poem is reflecting the personal world of the poet, they could be writing about themselves or another person but a voice is definetly found in the poem. It is someone that is insecure and thinks a lot about his life. You can tell he is a caring person because he cares about others and maybe a little too much of what others think. But, I think that this is very common to readers and they can relate well to it.

This Be The Verse by Philip Larkin

I read this poem and immediatly thought that the person who wrote this poem is not a parent themselves or hates children for that matter. I think it is horrible to think that parents are ruining their children's lives by making them with their faults and then adding more. Also, the fact that parenting is a cycle, parents do it to their children and their parents did it to them. I would hope that parenting would be more about teaching your children the correct ways and letting them find their own faults. By giving them faults you are not allowing them to make mistakes for themselves, which is how we learn. This poem overall is very poignant because I think it talks about parenthood is a backwards sort of way. It is not about hurting our kids with faults it is about teaching them the right way so that they can make mistakes on their own. I guess that I see myself in this poem because I definitely want to be a parent someday and this is an example of something that I would not want for my children. I guess this is a reverse "how to" guide in a way. The language that is used could be looked upon as "new" language because I would never think about this subject with this type of language.

The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes

I like this poem because as I read it I am able to see this man playing his piano on the street and hear the song that is being sung. I think this poem is written very well for that matter, it uses a lot of descriptors which enhances the writing. I also really like the story that is being told about the older man. He is a poor, Black man trying to do what he enjoys but he sings the blues because of his life. This aspect of the poem sheds wisdom because the blues are sung because someone is sad about something and clearly this man is sad about his life. He even says that he would rather just die which is rather poignant due to the fact that he is singing about it. I think it is sad that someone would rather be dead than alive, at least he is expressing it poetically. His lyrics do form somewhat of a poem even if he does not use any rhyme scheme, but this is what I like about his poem because it seems real. It is something that I can picture clearly in my mind.

Frederick Douglass by Robert Hayden

I chose this poem because I believe it is written about a very important person to our history and because it sends a very strong message. There is a wisdom found within this poem that makes a person feel good about our country, our freedom. For someone to come from such a terrible situation to become such a figure of history is inspiring. I find the idea of freedom to be very poignant as well a part of wisdom because the poem speaks of freedom in two lights; as a terrible thing and then as a beautiful thing. I believe this to be because freedom to a slave was something that was not tangible so it was a horrible thing, but then once he was saved from slavery he was able to "feel" freedom so then it was a beautiful thing. I liked how this poem was written with a lot of imagery. I feel as though I am there, listening to this poet speak about Douglas's life, it is real.

All Hallows by Louise Gluck

I picked this poem from this specific group of poems because at first I did not like it, but then after awhile I believe that I have come to an understanding about it. Because this poem is written about such a celebrated holiday, which has such spiritual meaning behind it, I think the poet is emphasizing the religious aspect of the poem. The poet writes about the end of the harvest, the fields are bare and the animals are in the barn. It is late October and the earth is "going to sleep" in a way because it is not going to grow for awhile. This sense of death is brought upon the reader when the wife in the poem holds out her hand for the spirit. It seems as if she is feeding the spirit the seeds for it to grow. She is calling upon the spirit to come alive now that the earth is done harvesting. This poem is very poinant because in a way I see it as the death of the earth but the birth of the spirit. Even though this "death" does not last forever, neither does All Hallows Eve. Gluck is portraying this poem in this way to possibly shed more light in this holiday and give awareness to the true meaning behind the day.

America by Allen Ginsberg

I am choosing this poem because I like the way that it is written. The author writes this poem as a stream of consciousness. I like the fact that the persona of the poem is the writer of the poem, to me it makes it more believable. As a reader I feel like you have insight into what his mind is thinking, doing, and producing. I also think that this poem has wisdom because he seems to be watching the television and talking about all the things he sees on the news. All the negative aspects of America and how we need to make it a better country. I also think that this poem is very poignant because it moves along very well and the reader follows his train of thought rather easily. This poem is one that also opens up the eyes of the people that read it because you are getting someones view of the world and their opinions, which could be negative or positive regarding a person, place, or act. This poet seems to push their opinion rather strongly through their work.

We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar

I chose this poem because I think it could stand for many different things in life. There is a saying that people wear different masks everyday to show what role they are playing. But, I believe that we wear masks when we do not want out emotion to be evident to others. When something has upset us or made us mad we will sometimes hide this so that we don't have to confront it with other people. This poem speaks about covering up lies because masks cover our faces and eyes and people can't read a person when their eyes are covered. The poem then asks why should the world know about every tear that we shed, some things in life a meant to be personal and private, so the masks are looked at in a positive fashion. In the last stanza it speaks of smiles covering up cries of tortured souls and I believe that the author of the poem is speaking about how the African Americans had to cover up their faces but their souls still tried to show through. I like the poem for the truth that it speaks.

may i feel said she by EE Cummings

This poem was not one that stuck out at me the first time that I read it, I had to read it a few times to understand the way that the language was used in the poem. Then, I decided that I really liked it. The poem is written as a stream of consciousness and each line is a different thought from each person. The poem itself is about 2 people being intimate and the man is understood to be cheating on his wife. This does not stop him and he pleasures the woman regardless of his situation. I think that this is a good poem for people to read because it is full of emotion and lust. The people are so caught up in the moment that they are taken away from reality and as much as this is a horrible act to pursue it happens more times that we like to know about. Overall, I like the new language as it is presented in the poem and I like the emotion that is sensed from the two people in the poem because it makes it seem real.

I Am by John Clare

I am choosing this poem because it is not something that I would normally choose to reflect on. I believe this because it is a poem about death, or at least it is to me. The person that is talking seems to be in conflict with himself, he doesn't like the place where he is at right now and believes that no one else cares that he is unhappy. You read the poem and realize that he is dead. His friends don't think of him anymore, the people that he loved think of him as a stranger now, and would like to be in an untroubled place. He lives his life in the quiet nothingness where he says that there are no joys. Yet, I believe that he is fighting these feelings and he misses the people that believe he is a stranger now and he is upset that he is in a different world. For me, this poem seems very poignant because once you die, you seem to be nothing to anyone, but in reality you are great memories to the ones that remember you and are still very loved.

The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks

I picked this poem out of the other selections because it is on such a controversal topic. We always hear so much about abortion and how it is either wrong or a right of women. And, when it is wrong or a right, I feel like we never hear the woman's side of the story. We never hear what this poet is saying, that she loved the baby and is saddened by the fact that they never had the chance to giggle, suck on their thumb, get married, or cry. She is saddened by the thing that she had to do, even though the reader does not know why-we feel her emotions. I feel like I do not really see myself in the poem, but I just feel for the poet and understand her emotions. I believe that this poem is very poignant because of all the emotion that is felt while reading it. She expresses her point by explaining her saddness.

A Marriage by Michael Blumenthal

After reading this poem I immediatly knew that I liked it. It reads rather easily but sends such a strong message. It is uplifting to me, I guess, to know that someone is writing about what a marriage REALLY should be. You are alone, making your way through life and all of a sudden someone comes along and is a helping hand for you and you now get through life together. I think that if more people thought like this we would hear less about divorce!! I liked the analogy that he used with the ceiling because it does seem like it gets lower and lower and it is shutting you in as things get thougher in life, but as soon as there are another set of arms to hold it up, you can take turns. And in the end, with each other's help, the ceiling will never fall, your lives will not fall apart.

Ellen West by Frank Bidart

I chose this poem not because I can see myself in it but because I can find a friend in it. My best friend whom I have grown up with faught like this during our last two high school years. I believe that she had many of the same thoughts as Ellen and struggled with this sickness alone. Many a time, my friends and I tried to talk to her about it, but much like Ellen she refused to believe that anything was wrong. Thankfully my friends story doesn't end like Ellen's, but it is such a problem that our society faces and I think that every person at some point has not been happy with what they see in the mirror, but it is their own personal way of dealing with it that we don't know about. In a way I am sad for Ellen because I think that she could have faught back at this sickness and overcome it but it overcame her in the end.

Up by Margaret Atwood

I picked this poem for the fact that I was able to see myself in it. I read this poem not so much for the last lines because I don't find myself feeling like I have to forgive someone, but because I understand the feeling of not wanting to get out of bed, for whatever reason. I sometimes feel that I would like to stay in bed with the doors shut and just be with myself for the day. I have had the feeling of not wanting to get out of bed because of the knowledge of what the day was going to bring. I think that the person in this poem didn't want to face what the day was to bring and tried to overcome this in their own way.

Dusting by Julia Alvarez

I like this poem because the subject that is spoken about is so simple but impacts a person greatly. The mother's act of dusting away her daughter's marks on the furniture in a way takes her "stamp" on life away. She wants to make a name for herself and be somebody. In the last lines of the poem she expresses this by saying that she doesn't want to be a nobody like her average mother. I believe that this girl is creative and wants her name to mean something one day and by dusting away her name her dream is being taken away as well.

First Class Meeting

I was surprised to find out that we were not going to be writing poetry ourselves, but in fact studying the words of poetry. Poetry is something that I have never really studied before in depth and I am hoping that it is something that I will find interesting.