Last Blog!! the lesson of the falling leaves

the leaves believe
such letting go is love
such love is faith
such faith is grace
such grace is god
i agreed with the leaves

Lucille Clifton

I have read a lot of poems by Clifton and she has become on of my favorite poets. Her poems seem clear and easy to understand. It seems like she wants you to get the same feel that she has from the poem and not perceive it differently like a lot of other poets do. She says what she means and whats her audience to see it that way as well. This poem is a little different though from her traditional pro women out look. Clifton also believed that through poetry, audiences could see that "everything is connected" just like she personally believed.
Elizabeth Alexander, a poet who teaches at Yale University, believed Clifton was a brave poet.
"There are some poets who are interested in writing at the edge, and face-to-face with death," she said. "And Clifton is the bravest in that regard." That is exactly how her poem "the lessons of the falling leaves" comes across. I believe that Clifton is relating this "letting go" to death. Death is always a very hard topic to talk about and deal with, and relating it to something as common as leaves letting go gives it a much less intimidating view.

For a Lady I Know

Frederick Cullen was a pioneer black activist minister. He established his Salem Methodist Episcopal Church in a storefront mission upon his arrival in New York City in 1902, and in 1924 moved the Church to the site of a former white church in Harlem where he could boast of a membership of more than twenty-five hundred. He is known for his writings on African American traditions and history as well.


She even thinks that up in heaven
Her class lies late and snores
While poor black cherubs rise at seven
To do celestial chores.

Because Cullen lived in the time of black people being under slavery, this poem makes me think that the women he is talking about were upper class white women that he worked for. They felt that blacks being their slaves is what God intended and even expects the same treatment in heaven. The poem is very short and to the point. It gives these ladies a racist outlook overall.

Hamlet Quote

A quote that I think represents Hamlet well is the one he makes right after he has discovered his father had been murdered by his uncle.

"Rest, rest, perturbèd spirit!—So, gentlemen,
With all my love I do commend me to you,
And what so poor a man as Hamlet is
May do, to express his love and friending to you,
God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together,
And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.
The time is out of joint. O cursèd spite,
That ever I was born to set it right!
Nay, come, let’s go together."

This quote starts off the impression the audience gets from Hamlet perfectly. The entire story is based upon lies, deceit, and betrayal and that's exactly what this quote shows. Hamlet has just met his dead father's ghost and figures out the lie his uncle has had about his brothers death. It starts the story off with secrecy and mystery as well. It also shows the reason Hamlet becomes so mad throughout the story. His thirst for revenge drives him to death.

What the mirror said (makeup for 3/13)

Lucille Clifton was an American writer and educator from Buffalo, New York. Her most common topics of poetry include the celebration of African American heritage and feminist themes with an emphasis on the female body. This poem is a perfect example of Clifton's common theme, the female body. Clifton is addressing her image in the mirror and does so with the reoccurring "you." It is a sort of self analysis of what she views her body as, and how she wants it to be portrayed to others. "listen you a wonder. you a city of a women. you got a geography of your own." This statement shows the uniqueness Clifton feels towards her body and her pride in it. It's her own and no one can take that away from her. In order for another to understand it, "somebody need directions to move around you." This also shows the power she feels in her own body.

Many red devils...

Stephen Crane has been known to for his notable works in the realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. He has also been thought to be on of the most initiative writers of his generation. He befriended other writers such as Joseph Conrad. He ended up dying very young at the age of 28. The first thing that I thought of when I read this poem was contradicting ideas. I know that when I have been giving a project of debating something-whether it be abortion, steam cell research, or other controversial topics-I'm surprised at what initially comes from my pen onto the paper. When Crane says, "Many red devils ran from my heart And out upon the page," that is what I think of. It seems like Crane is shocked at the attitude he has towards this particular topic. It all comes rushing out once he puts the pen to paper. The poem also seemed to have a feel of relief to it as well. Once his thoughts started to pour out and the only thing he could do was keep writing, it lightened his heart.

you fit into me

Margaret Atwood has been know to be an environmental activist. She also writes many poems and short stories inspired by myths and fairy tales. When I first read this poem, I thought Atwood was describing some kind of relationship that either she experienced or just on in general. I thought of the first stanza, "you fit into me like a hook into an eye" This gave me the image of a very working and compatible relationship like that of one between a hook and eye of a dress. Then the next stanza gives the relationship a sort of painful feel. "a fish hook an open eye" This gives the readers a feeling of betrayal and hurt that rests in this relationship. The structure is very unique as well. It is really short and straight to the point which really leaves no room for questioning.

Song of Powers

I really like the metaphor in this poem. The whole thing kind of explains the game of rock-paper-scissors. The first stanza is like the intro to the poem. It is very structured and gives the background of the rock. The structure is very bold and clear just like the rock. The next stanza flows more and abstract while talking about paper. The entire stanza seems to be one idea with only one period whereas the first stanza was really broken up. The third stanza talks about the scissors and comes across more harsh. It is snappy and jaded just like scissors. The last stanza is a lot longer and brings all of the pieces together. The fourth line, "all end alone," refers to the game. In the end the paper, rock, or scissors stands alone destroying the other. Mason relates this to people as well. "They all end alone. As you will, you will." It gives me the idea of being a self reflecting poem. Like Mason is describing an event in his life and is almost giving warning to his readers.

Questions About College

What college will I end up at?
Will it be the right one?
Will anyone there like me?
How will I pay for it?
What am I going to study?
Will I fall into peer pressure?
Who will be there for me?
What happens if I don't go to college?
Did God go to college?
Will he be there with me?
What if there was no college?

Introduction to Poetry

This poem is a lot more straight forward than most we have read. Collins starts it off in the first 5 stanzas by explaining what he thinks audiences should do with poetry. How people should just take it as it is and explore what it has to offer. He uses a lot of metaphors and similes to bring this wanted image across. Each stanza is very strong on its own and gives a new perspective added on each time. Then the last 2 stanzas display how audiences actually view poetry and how they treat it. The imagery continues through these stanzas just as well as the beginning. Collins believes we as readers try to force a meaning out of poetry instead of exploring it and in a way having fun with it.

One thing that I noticed in Collins poem was his use of capitalization. The word "I" is always capitalized like it should be but the word "they" is never capitalized even at the beginning of a stanza or sentence. In my mind, this adds to the affect of what Collins WANTS audiences to do and what THEY actually do. They in a way being a sort of enemy or lesser person.

Of Mere Being

Of Mere Being
The palm at the end of the mind,
Beyond the last thought, rises
In the bronze distance.

A gold-feathered bird
Sings in the palm, without human meaning,
Without human feeling, a foreign song.

You know then that it is not the reason
That makes us happy or unhappy.
The bird sings. Its feathers shine.

The palm stands on the edge of space.
The wind moves slowly in the branches.
The bird’s fire-fangled feathers dangle down.

The seventh and eighth lines really stick out to me in this poem. When he says, "You know it is then that it is not the reason That makes us happy or unhappy," it gives me a sort of image that happiness comes to people from within. You may not know where it is from or why it is there.

This poem is very hard to dicier what Stevens wants his readers to get out of it because it is so out there. The diction is full of imagery which leaves it open to so many interpretations. The ryme scheme and break up of the stanzas seems to be more like free verse and slightly blocky.

Cottonmouth Country

Cottonmouth Country
by Louise Gluck
Fish bones walked the waves off Hatteras.
And there were other signs
That Death wooed us, by water, wooed us
By land: among the pines
An uncurled cottonmouth that rolled on moss
Reared in the polluted air.
Birth, not death, is the hard loss.
I know. I also left a skin there.

Louise Gluck was born in New York City in 1943 and grew up on Long Island.
I think in the second to last line when she says, "Birth, not death, is the hard loss," Gluck is referring to the fact that life is a lot harder to live than it is to die. And saying "I know. I also left a skin there," is just referring to her own life that she has lived. I also like the way she says, "Fish bones walked the waves of Hatteras." The image of fish bones walking really catches the audience and creates a vivid image for readers to hold on to.

Sort of a Song

The second stanza looks more like a side note than a stanza itself. Especially with the partheses and the blocky puncuation towards the end. The two stanzas don't even look like they belong together either. The more I look at it the more it seems like the first stanza is the bulk of the poem and the second stanza is just commenting on the first stanza. It comments on the metaphore made in the first couple of lines.
"Let the snake wait under
his weed
and the writing
be of words, slow and quick, sharp
to strike, quiet to wait
sleepless."

The Cat

Miroslav Holub once said, "I prefer to write for people untouched by poetry. ...I would like them to read poems in such a matter-of-fact manner as when they are reading the newspaper or go to football matches. I would like people not to regard poetry as something more difficult, more effeminate or more praiseworthy."
Holub is known for writing in free verse close to prose which this quote by explain completely. I like the fact that he makes his poems easy to read and not as intimidating. Holub is also known for writing intellectual and hard-hitting poetry.

As for his poem The Cat the simile Holub uses in the first stanza really catches my attention. "Outside it was night
like a book without letters."
This gives a really good image of the poem and sets it up perfectly. In the last stanza of the poem, I think he gives a synecdoche when he says,
"But you can hear her
sometimes,
when it's quiet
and there's a northerly wind
and you listen intently
to your own self."
It is like he is saying the cat is within each of us and is restless inside ourselves.

Alone

Edgar Allan Poe is very well known for his mystery short stories and poems. He is seen as one of the founders of science fiction along with publicising detective-fiction. This poem seems to be very different from that type of theme. Poe grew up not really knowing his mother or father which I think he is touching on when he says,
"From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were-I have not seen
As others saw- I could not bring..."
As a child, your days are full of parenting and getting to know the people in your family. Poe never got to experience that. He was unofficially adopted by the Allan's but always felt alone. He died at the age of 40 from an unknown cause but people think it was due to drugs and alcohol.

As for the poem's structure, I really like the traditional musical rhyme scheme it has. It makes it flow really well but almost contradicts the "alone" theme in my opinion.

Untitled

After talking about this poem in class, I agree with the general idea of what everyone thought the poem was about. It reminds me of someone at the end of their life looking back on everything they have done and all of the memories that they have. When the creature takes a bite of his heart, he admits that it is bitter but is okay with that. It is like he understands that everything that happened may have caused him to be bitter and he might not have been the best person through it all, but it is still him. There is nothing that he can do about that and accepts it. Stephen Crane is more know for his novels and short stories than he is poems. However the poems that he does write have themes such as fear, spiritual cries, and social isolation. In this poem I feel a sort of spiritual cry. He is having a sort of epiphany and closure. Crane also believed in realist ideas, naturalism, and impressionism.

Hamlet Act II end of scene 2

Polonius enters the room anouncing the arrival of the players who then follow him into the room. Hamlet then askes on of them to give a speech on the fall of King Troy. He then invites them into the guest room and tells them he will be giving a speech on The Murder of Gonzago the following day. Leaving the room, Hamlet becomes very upset thinking about the players speech full of passion and love towards dead people he knew nothing about while he can't even take action for his father. Hamlet decides to find a way to make Claudius watch a play that has a similar plot to the one of him killing King Hamlet. If Claudius is guilty of the act, it will be visible in his actions and Hamlet will have hard evidence against him.

Hamlet Act I

While standing guard outside Elsinore Castle in Denmark, Bernardo (a watchmen) and Marcellus (another watchmen) try to convince Horatio (a friend of prince Hamlet) of a ghost haunting the castle. The ghost is thought to be King Hamlet who has recently died. The 3 men suddenly see the ghost and watch it vanish. Horatio confirms the King Hamlet look alike and believes it is a warning of impending misfortune for Denmark-military. He thinks Fortinbras, Prince of Norway, is ready to attack. They want to tell the Prince hoping the ghost will talk to his son. The next morning, King Claudius (King Hamlet's brother) announces his marriage to his brother's widow. The rumor of Fortinbras appears to be true. Laertes decides to go back to France. Claudius bashes Hamlet for still mourning and urges him to stay home and not go back to schooling. Hamlet is upset and especially with his mother's marriage. Hamlet is then told of his father's ghost. Laertes warns his sister Ophelia of falling for Hamlet. Polonius wishes his son Laertes good bye and echos Laertes advise to Ophelia. Hamlet and the men see the ghost at night and the ghost beckons Hamlet to follow. Hamlet follows and the men watch over him. The ghost claims to be his father's spirit and tells Hamlet of his murder-Claudius poisoned him. His father tells him to seek revenge and be easy on his mother.

It was a dream

The author of this poem, Lucille Clifton, was born in New York in 1936. While growing up, Clifton was taught a lot about African American heritage and traditions. She carries this aspect of her childhood into her poems a lot of times. She also touches on feminist ideals with the female body in it as well. Throughout this poem specifically, the words her and she are used 6 times. If she is referring to herself or someone else I am not sure.

Another interesting thing Clifton often speaks about is the fact that the girls in her family are born with extra fingers. Clifton had her two extra fingers amputated at a young age and refers to them as her "ghost fingers." In this poem Clifton says, "...with her extra finger whirling in a gyre of rage at what my days had come to."

Much madness is divinest sense

The thing that I have noticed the most about the writers we have encountered lately is their lack of formal writing. From McCarthy, we saw zero punctuation and little care towards a formal duologue. That is exactly what Emily Dickinson reminded me of. She gets her point across in as little formality as McCarthy. Dickinson is known for her short lines in her poems and her lack of titles in all of them. She is also very known for her nontraditional punctuation and capitalization. This even becomes obvious in the title of her poem. As for the content, it reminded me of writers in general. Not very often do you see super "normal" writers. There is always something different about them which in my mind makes them more creative and better writers. Dickinson says "Much madness is divinest sense To a discerning eye, Much sense, the starkest madness." Dickinson was known to lock herself in her room for days on end without letting anyone know. She was also a very private person which added to her "madness." Even her own sister didn't know about her love of writing until after her death.