Thanksgiving Poem

Thanksgiving is about family and friends and giving thanks
and about being a little bit sloppy.
We stuff our faces
with green bean casserole and cranberry sauce,
with delicious rolls and stuffing,
with pumpkin pie an ice cream,
and, of course, with turkey.
But we must remember the thanks,
we must remember family and friends,
and, above all, we must remember the giving.
To give thanks for family,
to give patients with family,
to give time to be with family.
So this Thanksgiving,
visit your parents, your grandparents, your family,
and sit, and eat, and give.

The Possibility -- Poetry Response #12

"The Possibility," by James Fenton sounds depressing. It made me think of someone with a writer's block of sorts; Fenton can't seem to do anything that he should be able to. When Fenton talks about the flower that was beautiful yesterday, he is referring the worth in life. He can't see the beauty and worth that he could see before. Throughout the poem, Fenton talks about what used to be. I get the feeling that Fenton feels stuck; he knows that he should be able to see the good in his work, that he should be able to see the beauty, but he can't. I think the possibility that Fenton refers to is a dream. When a person starts out, there is always the possibility of making a difference in the world or becoming famous, but after a while, a person can become depressed and discouraged. I think the possibility of doing something good seems to be fading for Fenton, which is why nothing seems beautiful or worthwhile anymore.

A Work of Artifice -- Poetry Response #11

"A Work of Artifice" by Margret Piercy is a very interesting piece. It is feminist. It is set in Chinese imagery; the bonsai tree, the bound feet. The bonsai tree is used to represent a woman. The gardener is society. Society dictates that a girl fit a certain mold. The mold is small and refined, delicate and gentle. This is image is almost universal. It seems like men would rather watch women than listen to them. I think that this has been changing though. Women are becoming more equal to men, and in some ways are considered superior. For example, a woman in engineering is automatically seen as smart and strong. It is assumed that this is needed to make it in engineering. Piercy's poem is a little outdated, but nonetheless, a comment on society and women.

Acquainted with the Night -- Poetry Response #10

I loved "Acquainted with the Night" by Robert Frost. It is dark and gloomy. When I picture this poem, I see is as a impressionistic painting of a person with his hands in his pockets and his head bowed, dragging his feet along a barely lit street. I think Frost was describing isolation. I know that when I feel alone, I feel as if  I could leave and no one would even notice my absence. Frost uses the background of London because London can be perceived as a dark and dangerous place. We know that Frost is talking about London because he refers to the "luminary clock" which is Big Ben. London can also be seen as full of life. When I think about London, I usually think about busy streets and crowds in the day time. I think that Frost, by emphasizing the night, is talking about what's under the surface, emotionally. I think the fact that Frost is talking about isolation in London shows that he can be surrounded by people, but underneath it all, he still feels like it's fake, like he's isolated.

Halloween!!

Mrs. White,

I am going to skip this weekend because of Halloween.

Sincerely,
Becky

The Human Condition -- Poetry Response #9

"The Human Condition" by Thom Gunn is a very odd poem. Gunn uses the fog to represent life. It is the distraction and struggles in life. He say that lights "press beams painfully / In a yard of fog around." I think this Gunn is saying that light, which usually represents good or a goal to reach, makes the distractions and struggles painfully obvious. When I read this, I thought of how sometimes goals seem unattainable and how trying to reach these goals can make a person feel overwhelmed. Take my college applications; I really want to go to Stanford or MIT but sometimes, I feel so overwhelmed by all of the work I have to do. It seems like I will never finish. I saw this as the light (college) showing the struggles (all the application work) in a painful way. I also think it is interesting that Gunn says "I am condemned to be / An individual." Usually people want to be individual, people don't want to conform. Gunn, however, seems to think that being individual is an inescapable thing and that it is a bad thing. When Gunn refers to "individual", I think he means "alone". I think the fog makes Gunn feel solitary. Fog blocks eyesight, and I think that Gunn can't really see anyone else, especially when the lights shine on the fog. Sometimes life gets so hectic and overwhelming that we forget that we have others to rely on. I think feeling alone occurs when nothing seems to be going according to plan. The lights and the fog represent this feeling.

A Study of Reading Habits -- Poetry Response #8

A Study of Reading Habits by Philip Larkin is surprising. There are three stanzas, all depicting a different stage of life. The first is when he is a boy. He shows himself as a smaller boy who probably tried to stay out of every one's way, but escaped into his books where he was the hero. He could beat up anyone that picked on him in the books. The second stanza depicts the next stage of his life. At this point, he thinks it's more fun to be evil than good. The characters he related to were more violent and bloodthirsty. Finally, the third stanza shows probably middle age. This is my favorite stanza because the end of it is a surprise. This stanza talks about not reading much because the speaker is depressed by books; when he reads, he identifies with the minor characters with no backbone or courage. Then he says "Get stewed: Books are a load of crap." This is the surprise. It is almost startling. I didn't see it coming the first time I read the poem. It is almost as if the speaker goes from to depressed to angry in a second. I enjoyed how Larkin was able to capture different mind sets.