Zephyr

It whirls and twirls around and 'round it goes
It weaves and dodges, over, 'neath and through
And where it stops, well no one really knows
But if it stops it tells a story true

Of lands afar and knights of bravest deed
Of midnight rides and damsels in distress
And other tales of people and their need
Who's rescues are effective, more or less

Beyond these tales, but closer to the home
There are stories of generosity
Of selfless love no matter whats to come
Of star-crossed pairs, a curiosity

Surpassing all stories, as if a dream
Are images of land and mountain range
Of jungle, river, forest; they all seem
To be unreal, to be mystic and strange

It flits and plays along until the end
The breeze, the storm, Zephyr, the gale, the wind.

Writing by Jan Dean

This poem is unique in form and idea. The first stanza has no capitalization of punctuation. It starts coherently enough, but as the lines continue, the spelling gets progressively worse. The writing reflects a person is shock. I had some trouble understanding what it was about the first time I read it because of the spellings. After I read it again, I was able to see part of the image the author was describing. The way it was written also made me think about a child. It looks like it could have been written or seen through a child's eyes. The last stanza seems like someone, probably a teacher, commenting on the first stanza. It talks about good grammar and spelling and length. Dean is really making the argument that good writing doesn't depend on structure, even if the teacher can't see that.

Many Red Devils by Stephen Crane

I loved this poem. As I read it, I could see the red imps dodging a seemingly large eraser. Then the poem turned a little bit darker when Crane talked about writing with the muck. This imagery is a bit more gruesome as it forces the reader to imagine all the devils that had to be smashed to create the muck. I think Crane intends the poem to mean different thongs for everyone. All poems are interpreted differently by others, but this one is more that way because of the meanings of the devils. They can be struggle, sin, trials, anything. Whatever they represent to each person, it will be very personal. Things that reflect on people negatively are usually kept secret or at least downplayed. Because of this, the poem connects with nearly everyone. Another part of this poem that I really like is the way it makes the reader think. It has many layers to it as is common in several of Crane's poems. I enjoyed this poem a lot.

I like how in class we are able to remember distinct author styles. It gives me some hope for the test :)

For A Lady I Know by Countee Cullen

This poem, while short, is full of bitterness. Cullen was an African-American born at the beginning of the 20th century. Cullen's life experiences are encompassed in this poem. It is about a woman, presumably white, that thinks that, even in heaven, she will be served by "black cherubs". This shows the impossibility of the idea of equality for blacks and whites in the 20's and 30's.  If a woman thought it so natural to be served by blacks that heaven would be that way, the fight for equality would be hopeless. The poem is very simple consisting of two couplets and an ABAB rhyme scheme. It flows well and is almost forgotten as soon as it's read. It is so short that it has to be read several times in order to grasp the full meaning. The images of heaven and cherubs throw the reader off a little. Both are usually associated with good and positive messages, but on closer inspection, this poem is not about an uplifting subject.

When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer by Walt Whitman

I love Walt Whitman, and this poem is no exception. It flows very nicely and has a pleasant rhythm. It reminds me of the poem by that one guy about beating poems with a hose, except Whitman is talking about nature instead of poetry. I like how he says he is soon unaccountably tired and sick after listening to a lecture by an astronomer. In the first section, Whitman uses words that are very factual and straightforward, like "proofs", "figures", and "diagrams". All these words are very mathematical and precise. In the last three lines, Whitman uses language more often associated with poetry. "Mystical”, "gliding", and "moist". These words all create pleasant and soft images. They make the reader feel more comfortable than the hard, precise words used in the beginning. The last line about the perfect stars reminds me of the millions of stars that can be seen on a clear night in the mountains. It is too beautiful to qualify and analyze. I think that this is the point that Whitman is trying to make: the astronomer may be smart and analytical, but he is probably missing the true beauty of the nature that he is studying and picking apart.

Questions We Have About Scholarships

Why isn't a 4.0 enough?
What are scholarships?
Why do there never seem to be scholarships for normal people with good grades?
How come we need scholarships?
Why does college cost so much?
Can I have a scholarship?
Can't I get into college without a million scholarships?
Who decides who gets scholarships?
Why are they called scholarships anyway?

The Day Millicent Found the World by William Stafford

Apparently I haven't done this poem yet. I've read it several times but I've never blogged about it. This poem is one of my favorites. It is easy to read because it is laid out like a story. The language is fairly easy to understand, which is extremely nice. I liked the overall theme of the poem too. I think it was about coming of age. The woods are a metaphor for life. Everyone eventually has to go off and explore on their own. I see Millicent as a shy person. She explores slowly with a safety line of being able to see the edge of the forest. Some people I know wouldn't bother and would jump right in. I think I'm a bit more like Millicent, a bit more attached to my home. I think in the middle stanza, Millicent discovers the sense of freedom that goes with being on your own. It is very tempting, but her Aunt calls her back, "that time". This implies that Millicent eventually grew up completely and went off on her own. The poem as a whole has the element of childish discovery. This, I think, is what makes the poem so relatable. Everyone remembers that feeling of astonishment and wonder from their childhood. In some ways, I hope Millicent never grows up. I hope that she is constantly astonished by the new things life brings her. This hope is a bit reflective of my hopes for life. We'll see how it turns out.

Random Story, Part II

The Sun awoke at dawn and looked down upon the sleeping Daphne, still fast asleep after her encounter with the Moon the night before. Sun gently warmed Daphne face with rays of light until she blinked awake. Satisfied, the Sun proceeded across the sky.

Daphne lay still for a few minutes gathering her thoughts. It was a good day to start a journey. Sun was cheerful in the sky with no clouds to darken his mood. She was glad Brock was accompanying her. He was an elf, so they could go through the Elvin Tunnels. That would make the journey go faster.

“Are you ready, your majesty?” asked Brock from a moss clump a little ways off.

“Yes, I think I am,” replied Daphne. “Will we use the Tunnels?”

“That was my plan.”

Brock reached the queen’s moss nest and offered Daphne a slice of acorn. She took it and ate quickly. Then she reached for a thick blade of grass and tied it around her eyes. This was her least favorite part of the Tunnels; elves couldn’t knowingly reveal the location of the many entrances to the Tunnels, so Brock had to blindfold her. Daphne had traveled this way enough though, that she could probably find the entrance without Brock.

The Elvin Tunnels are beautiful, created by the ancient spirits of the world. The elves, being the most ancient of the peoples, were in charge of safeguarding the Tunnels. They were originally built just as a magnificent piece of artwork, but the alternate use of travel was soon discovered. Not only do the Tunnels lead to virtually anywhere, but they are so spectacular that Time himself slows as he walks through them.  Those that can resist the beauty can gain on Time, a very handy ability for traveling.

After about half an hour of above ground travel and a quick decent, Daphne removed the blindfold. As always, she was spellbound by the swirling iridescent patterns, ebbing and flowing to form images that almost immediately dissipate. Brock tugged Daphne along muttering something about it being easier to just leave the blindfold on. They continued this way for some time until Brock suddenly froze.

“Mother Earth!” he exclaimed.

Daphne jerked and looked in the direction he was staring. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The wall of the Tunnel, normally brightly colored, was mixture of blacks and sinister blues. It was still irresistibly beautiful, but it was a cold, cruel beauty.

“What’s happened?” inquired Daphne.

“I’ve only heard of this once before,” replied Brock, suddenly pale, “in the ancient story of Cat. He was vain and wanted all the power of the Moon and Stars, but the ancient spirits gave Moon and the Stars free will, and they could not be controlled by one lone faerie. So Cat kidnapped a weak star, Beetlejuice, and used its power to attack the ancient spirits in their tunnel. The Tunnels turned black for one whole day before the ancients could regain control. They condemned Cat and his children to life a four-legged creatures. Even now, all of Cat’s relatives are the vainest creatures on four legs.” Brock’s voice was shaky by the time the story was over. “That was when the ancients were strong and awake. They have been comatose for several millennia.”

“We have to prevent this from spreading!” cried Daphne, ever the practical one. “We have to find the source.”

“Yes, we must find Jack Frost.” Brock started off down the tunnel in a rush. “The faster we find him, the better.”

Of Mere Being by Wallace Stevens

I like Wallace Stevens' writing. I liked the poem Disillusionment at Ten O'Clock. Of Mere Being is a bit more coherent than Disillusionment at Ten O'Clock, but it still has several possible interpretations, as demonstrated in class. To me, the poem is about life beyond human experience. Stevens seems want the reader think about the simplicity of things. Not everything has another meaning. The bird in the palm just is, it doesn't mean anything, it just is. Some people in class thought that the poem has to do with religion. I can see that, but I don't necessarily think that it is specifically about religion. I think has more to do with the feeling that existing on a basic level gives a person. It reminded me of when I go hiking and feel an inner peace because I am surrounded by nature, a beautiful thing that will exist whether or not I do. It is a freeing feeling because it releases me from all obligations, for a while at least. I would classify this as faith or spiritual, not religious. I think this is the idea represented by the palm at the end of the mind. In class someone made the observation that the bird was probably a phoenix. This idea stuck with me because a phoenix usually represents rebirth. This idea lines up with my idea of faith. When I go hiking, or some other activity with similar effects, it is kind of like a cleansing. I am rejuvenated and re-centered. This could be considered a rebirth on a small scale.

Cottonmouth Country by Louise Gluck

This poem is a bit difficult to understand completely. The title is referring to the cottonmouth snake. The poem seems dreary. It has a sense of loss to it. The fish bones, I think, represent dead animals. The line that confused me the most is the line: "Birth, not death, is the hard loss." Usually death is considered a loss, but in this case, birth is. Maybe it refers to the shedding of skin mentioned in the next line. When the snake leaves its skin, it leaves a little of its protection behind. I think the poem is about starting life and the struggles that occur. Sometimes it seems easier to stay as we are and not grow, but it is important to take risks and become better by growing.

Sort of a Song by William Carlos Williams

First of all, awesome name. I bet his parents had fun with that. This poem doesn't flow as well as many others. It is broken in odd places. The title sets up the piece. It is "sort of". The ideas are not quite there immediately. The poem seems to be about writing and the writing process. Williams talks about words and their purpose in a written piece in the first stanza. The snake in that first stanza might represent something that could stop the creative process. By staying in its place, it could allow the words to be what they are meant to be. The second stanza is talking more about the outcome or the creation of the writing. It talks about how people and stones can be compared and likened through metaphor. I think saxifrage is a metaphor for words. This flower grows in very harsh mountainous climates and is very delicate. It is known to grow into and deepen cracks in rocks. I think Williams is saying that with his delicate words, he can crack people. That he can use words to write of and understand people.

Reading Myself by Robert Lowell

This poem is really a self-reflection. Lowell uses metaphors to express his ideas. First is the metaphor of fire. The size of the fire seems to correspond with the value or the popularity of a piece of writing. He says he knows how to set a "river on fire". This would imply that he is a good writer, but he precedes this comparison with "memorized the tricks". This is almost like cheating. He is basically saying that he has memorized the tricks of others have come up with, that his appearance of greatness is a facade. Little of his merit is based on his original ideas. The other major metaphor he uses is the bee building the beehive. In essence, he is saying that no writer's work is done until he gives everything to it. And even then there is no guarantee that the work will be permanent.

The Book

Every time I moved
the memories were shelved
like an old book
rarely to be removed

Part of my past
locked between covers
of the volume of my history
meant to last

But life goes on
among the pages
stories infinitely expand
heaping into a mountain

Years pass
the book is opened
finally the stories
are revealed in mass

The people I know
some exactly as they were
some changed by time
some who no longer show

And the memories
well remembered or
vague and needing prompt
come flooding in as stories

The beginnings
of the stories
are vivid
but the endings

The endings are
not yet complete
they are continuously
written with care

The visit is over
the book is shelved
the stories once again
trapped beneath the cover

Waiting patiently for me
to pull down the book
and reminisce
about my history.

Song of Powers by David Mason

This poem seems childish at first glance, but it becomes darker upon closer examination. Mason uses "Rock, Paper, Scissors" as a model for this poem. Because this game is childish, the poem is playful. But then Mason uses words like "crush" "reams" and "ethereal". These words are defiantly a bit more intense than a childhood game. These words, crush especially, are associated with power in the real world. This makes the poem seem more serious. I think that Mason is really getting at the idea that no power is absolute. All powers have some weakness. I think he is saying that fighting will get us nowhere but will leave us alone. The poem's structure is not overly complicated. It has three sections for each of the powers and a final section to emphasize the loneliness. This poem was interesting, but it wasn't my favorite.

It was a dream by Lucille Clifton

I don't quite know what to make of this piece. I think it is about the "greater self" or conscience coming through in a dream. It is accusatory and points out all the flaws of the speaker's life. Clifton's poem is free verse with no consistent rhyme pattern or rhythm. She also doesn't capitalize anything except the last line. The last line is what the greater self is telling the speaker she could have done. This makes sense to emphasize. Clifton also emphasizes the last line with the punctuation. "This. This. This." It makes the last line very forceful. As a whole, Clifton uses a lot of imagery. When I read the poem, I thought of Ursula from "The Little Mermaid." I know she is not exactly akin to a conscience, but she can be very angry. I pictured her underwater with her hair fanned out and her face is red from screaming. It's not exactly a pretty picture, but I think it captures the image created by the poem well.

The Book by Miller Williams

"The Book" by Miller Williams is a bit morbid. The poem is about a book that a man found that was blank. The man kept it as a diary and later found out that it was bound in human skin. The man tells this to the speaker in the poem while the speaker holds it. I can't find any experience in Williams' life that would inspire a piece like this. He was born in 1930, so he would have been 15 when WWII started, but I don't think he served any time. He completed his master's in '52, at age 22. By this, I would assume that Williams didn't take any time off from school in order to serve. This poem was published with a collection of others. Several poems had central themes of death and suicide. For some reason, Williams wrote many depressing pieces around this time. The most interesting part of this poem is how the speaker reacts. Initially, the speaker is curious, fascinated with this morbid item. He wonders whose skin and who did it. Slowly, horror grows in the speaker. He is horrified that he once found the book beautiful. The way that Williams writes the reaction helps the reader visualize it: the fifth stanza is about who the skin is from. This leads naturally to the fourth stanza which is about who would do this. Finally, the sixth stanza shows the thoughts as the gravity of the book sinks in. This progression really gets Williams' idea across and is really the whole point of the poem. The lines leading up to these stanzas are all background information.