Literature for the Illiterate

Prose Blog

2006-01-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

Dear pilgrims in a quest for knowledge...

Please bear in mind that a new prose blog has been set up. Click on 'View my complete profile' and you should see the full list of blogs for literature...

It's 'Literature for the Illiterate II' or you can try this link http://pathologicalprose.blogspot.com/

Comparison: The Chimney Sweeper

2005-08-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

Timed Assignment

Both poems were written by the same poet, regarding the same subject matter, yet the poems paint a different view of the life of a chimney sweep.
Critically analyse BOTH poems, showing how the poems are different or similar, paying attention to imagery and diction.

Poem A:
The Chimney Sweeper
by William Blake

When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!
So your chimneys I sweep, and in soot I sleep.

There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head,
That curled like a lamb's back, was shaved: so I said,
"Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your head's bare,
You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair."

And so he was quiet; and that very night,
As Tom was a-sleeping, he had such a sight, -
That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, and Jack,
Were all of them locked up in coffins of black.

And by came an angel who had a bright key,
And he opened the coffins and set them all free;
Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run,
And wash in a river, and shine in the sun.

Then naked and white, all their bags left behind,
They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind;
And the angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,
He'd have God for his father, and never want joy.

And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark,
And got with our bags and our brushes to work.
Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm;
So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.

Poem B:
The Chimney Sweeper
by William Blake

A little black thing among the snow,
Crying weep, weep, in notes of woe!
Where are thy father & mother? say?
They are both gone up to the church to pray.

Because I was happy upon the heath.
And smil’d among the winters snow:T
hey clothed me in the clothes of death.
And taught me to sing the notes of woe.

And because I am happy. & dance & sing.
They think they have done me no injury:
And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King,
Who made up a heaven of our misery.

a smile to remember

2005-08-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

~ Charles Bukowski

we had goldfish and they circled around and around
in the bowl on the table near the heavy drapes
covering the picture window and
my mother, always smiling, wanting us all
to be happy, told me, "be happy Henry!"
and she was right: it's better to be happy if you
can
but my father continued to beat her and me several times a week
while
raging inside his 6-foot-two frame because he couldn't
understand what was attacking him from within.

my mother, poor fish,
wanting to be happy, beaten two or three times a
week, telling me to be happy: "Henry, smile!
why don't you ever smile?"

and then she would smile, to show me how, and it was the
saddest smile I ever saw

one day the goldfish died, all five of them,
they floated on the water, on their sides, their
eyes still open,
and when my father got home he threw them to the cat
there on the kitchen floor and we watched as my mother
smiled

What is the theme and subject matter of the poem?
How is the character of the persona's mother portrayed?

Comparison: Tithonus & To One Shortly to Die

2005-08-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

For my PU1 students:
This one is kinda interesting. A unexpected take on the usual. Analyse any one of the poems in detail (the poem that you find easier to deal with) first , only then do you use the points that you have identified for the first poem and show how these ideas are the same/different in the second poem. This should ensure that you have identified possibly similar themes or subject matter for the 2 poems, although they might have different angles. By doing it this way, you would have analysed both poems in detail, as you should have picked out nuances and subtleties that are unique in each poem, rather than glossing over these nuances in an effort to draw direct parallels!
No two poems are exactly alike!
Don't assume that the themes/concerns/subject matter/ideas must be EXACTLY the same! They might have different or opposing views regarding the same topic! (A big hint!)

Critically comment on the following poems, stating how the concerns in one aids in the understanding and appreciation of the other.

To One Shortly to Die.
~ Walt Whitman

From all the rest I single out you, having a message for you:
You are to die—Let others tell you what they please, I cannot prevaricate,
I am exact and merciless, but I love you—There is no escape for you.

Softly I lay my right hand upon you—you just feel it,
I do not argue—I bend my head close, and half envelope it,
I sit quietly by—I remain faithful,
I am more than nurse, more than parent or neighbor,
I absolve you from all except yourself, spiritual, bodily—that is eternal—you
yourself will surely escape,
The corpse you will leave will be but excrementitious.

The sun bursts through in unlooked-for directions!
Strong thoughts fill you, and confidence—you smile!
You forget you are sick, as I forget you are sick,
You do not see the medicines—you do not mind the weeping friends—I am with you,
I exclude others from you—there is nothing to be commiserated,
I do not commiserate—I congratulate you.

Tithonus (excerpt)
~ Lord Alfred Tennyson

The woods decay, the woods decay and fall,
The vapours weep their burthen to the ground,
Man comes and tills the field and lies beneath,
And after many a summer dies the swan.
Me only cruel immortality
Consumes; I wither slowly in thine arms,
Here at the quiet limit of the world,
A white-hair'd shadow roaming like a dream
The ever-silent spaces of the East,
Far-folded mists, and gleaming halls of morn.
Alas! for this gray shadow, once a man--
So glorious in his beauty and thy choice,
Who madest him thy chosen, that he seem'd
To his great heart none other than a God!
I ask'd thee, "Give me immortality."
Then didst thou grant mine asking with a smile,
Like wealthy men who care not how they give.
But thy strong Hours indignant work'd their wills,
And beat me down and marr'd and wasted me,
And tho' they could not end me, left me maim'd
To dwell in presence of immortal youth,
Immortal age beside immortal youth,
And all I was in ashes. Can thy love
Thy beauty, make amends, tho' even now,
Close over us, the silver star, thy guide,
Shines in those tremulous eyes that fill with tears
To hear me? Let me go: take back thy gift:
Why should a man desire in any way
To vary from the kindly race of men,
Or pass beyond the goal of ordinance
Where all should pause, as is most meet for all?

Thistles

2005-07-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

by Ted Hughes

Against the rubber tongues of cows and the hoeing hands of men
Thistles spike the summer air
And crackle open under a blue-black pressure.

Every one a revengeful burst
Of resurrection, a grasped fistful
Of splintered weapons and Icelandic frost thrust up

From the underground stain of a decayed Viking.
They are like pale hair and the gutturals of dialects.
Every one manages a plume of blood.

Then they grow grey like men.
Mown down, it is a feud. Their sons appear
Stiff with weapons, fighting back over the same ground.

Hoping my students have a good idea of what it is...

Introduction
P
Subject matter: Thistles and Nature
Themes: Resilience of thistles, the courage and fighting spirit of nature, against all odds, the idea of war/fighting.
Q
‘Against’
R
From the quote at the very beginning of the poem, we sense that thistles have opponents as the word against gives the connotation that one is at opposition with another group. Only with the further reading of the poem do we clearly understand that the war that is being fought is to gain control of the land, as we know that weeds and man do try to wrest control over the ground constantly. The idea is also introduced at the very beginning as we notice that thistles are pit against cows and man who hoes. The words Q‘mown down’ shows the numbers of the thistles who have died. RMown is literally a figurative language that is reminiscent of farming and also shows large swathes of grass or in this case, thistles being cut down.

Paragraph
P
The idea of war is shown. Thistles are personified as being warriors who fight in war.
Q
Splintered weapons, stiff with weapons
R
The holding of the thistle literally breaks the thistles, with its spikes breaking. The audience is aware of the fact that the thistles are seen to be weapons. The mention of weapons reminds readers of the possibility of war. In addition, the idea of having splintered weapons shows us that the weapons are broken and seem to be destroyed. Perhaps hinting of the violence of war and the breaking of the weapons. It seems as if there is a war going on as we realise that it could be man who wages war against the thistles. With the ‘grasped fistful’ readers sense that man has harmed thistles, by trying to crush the thistles.
The idea of grasp used in this context is an action that is a quick, a grabbing of the thistles. The image of having a fistful of thistles adds to the idea of control, trying to win or a sign of victory.
Unfortunately, the victory over the thistles is short lived as the thistles do return to fight.
The idea of being ‘stiff’ gives a connotation of being unyielding and strong, and it can show thistles being at attention and ready for war.

Q
Against the rubber tongues of cows and hoeing hands of man
R
From the very first word ‘against’ the reader is introduced to the idea of the thistles having opponents and contrary to cows and men. It is at this point that readers are aware of possible enmity between thistles and the rest, the others that inhabit the land.

Q
Vikings
R
In addition, the thistles are compared to the barbarians and warriors; Vikings. Vikings are commonly associated with violence and a warring nature. Yet they are known for their strength and ruthlessness. We are aware of the strength of the thistles as we see that like the Vikings, the thistles seem to share the same qualities as the Vikings, to have pale hair, blond hair. This is reminiscent of Vikings as we know that they are a race from the Scandinavian lands and are rumoured to be blond.
Furthermore, we sense that the thistles spring from the decayed bodies of the Vikings. Firstly this gives us the idea that the thistles’ growth are a result of feeding off or from the bodies of Vikings, as if the Vikings are the source of food and nourishment for the thistles, and thus, it seems to give the thistles the strength.
If we were to read it in another way, one can say that the thistles are seeming descendents of the Vikings, sharing with the Vikings the same traits. This is reinforced when we see that the thistles also share the ‘guttural dialect’.
The ‘guttural dialect’ can also be said to show the roughness of the thistles, as the word guttural shows a coarseness in language, seeming rather barbaric. It also gives a fearsome connotation as it is a sound word and reminds readers of the rough sounds associated with the warlike people.

Paragraph
P
The war between man and thistles seem to be one that is on-going and never-ending.
Q
Feud
R
A feud has the connotation of an ongoing battle as it is used to refer to quarrels that are long standing between families. This reinforces the idea that the war between man and thistles have been going on for a long time.

Q
Sons, resurrect
R
In addition, “the sons” who appear again show that generations take up the fight over the land, that the thistles leave a legacy behind. The generations after the original thistles have been “mown down”

R
The idea of resurrect is to come back to life again. It is highly reminiscent of the Christ figure. Yet, this comparison only goes to show how the thistles are contrasted against the figure of Christ. It is ironic as the thistles do not give blood nor do the thistles save, but rather, the thistles aim to hurt. To come back to life also shows a resilience, that they have not given up even when they are crushed by human hands, by fists. And this resilience lends impact to the idea of an ongoing battle that will not cease as the thistles carry on fighting.

Paragraph
P
The thistles are seen as revengeful and avenging plants.
Q
Personification, and revengeful burst
R
Revenge is an emotion that is commonly associated with humans, by saying that the thistles are revengeful; it gives the idea that thistles have a grudge and show anger. By making them seem human, it creates in readers a sense that the thistles have human qualities and perhaps it can evoke a sense of pity or admiration in readers, seeing how the thistles fight valiantly despite being ‘mown’ down. It could also create the effect that thistles are a plant that can be dangerous.

R
The use of personification, showing the thistles having ‘pale’ hair, is to further liken the thistles with Vikings, as Vikings do have blond hair. As mentioned, Vikings are a dangerous race. Showing such similarity between the thistles and Vikings again reinforce the idea that the thistles do come from the blood of Vikings, possessing the Vikings indomitable spirit, or are as vicious as the Vikings.

R
With the ‘guttural’ of dialect, it can show that the thistles are rough, just like the Vikings. The word guttural means a rough or raspy sound. It is can be used to signify the readiness or willingness to war. It can also refer to the rough and barbaric culture of the Vikings, further drawing a similarity between the two.

Paragraph
P
The thistles are not strong, yet this only serves to emphasises their resilience and the effect of awe from the reader
Q
Icelandic frost, mown down, pale hair, grow grey
R
On one hand, to be compared to Icelandic frost does highlight the coldness and perhaps the brutal nature of the thistles, as they are without mercy or warmth. Each thistle seems to be blood thirsty, angling for a plume of blood. The idea of a plume shows that it is a relatively substantial amount and highlights again the warring nature of thistles.

R
Yet, upon realising that the thistles are compared to pale hair, the reader is aware that the thistles seem weak, as they are compared to objects which are almost insubstantial or thin, like hair. Thistles then seem weak as the idea of ‘pale’ can be seen to mean weak or without strength.
Frost also has connotations of being ephemeral, lasting for a short period of time, as they ice crystals that it is commonly associated with are delicate.
We sense that the thistles are fighting a battle they cannot win as we see that they are ‘mown’ and cut down, or destroyed in large numbers, in swathes. Readers are aware of the weaknesses of the thistles as we see that thistles also age and grow weak. The idea of ageing is commonly associated with becoming weaker.

R
Despite all the adversity that thistles face, they never give up the fight, highlighting a sense of admiration that the poet has.

Paragraph
P
The language used in the poem emphasises the strength of the thistles.
Q
Crackle, burst,
R
Onomatopoeia, makes readers think of the actions that are fast and often forceful. These sound words are used to refer to the forceful actions that the thistles have.
The relatively long lines and discordant words slow the pace of reading.
SO?The use of hard consonants such as ‘grasped’ and ‘gutturals’ shows forcefulness.
WHY?
What's the EFFECT?

The Old Playhouse

2005-07-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

Kamala Das

You planned to tame a swallow, to hold her
In the long summer of your love so that she would forget
Not the raw seasons alone, and the homes left behind, but
Also her nature, the urge to fly, and the endless
Pathways of the sky. It was not to gather knowledge
Of yet another man that I came to you but to learn
What I was, and by learning, to learn to grow, but every
Lesson you gave was about yourself. You were pleased
With my bodyÃ’s response, its weather, its usual shallow
Convulsions. You dribbled spittle into my mouth, you poured
Yourself into every nook and cranny, you embalmed
My poor lust with your bitter-sweet juices. You called me wife,
I was taught to break saccharine into your tea and
To offer at the right moment the vitamins. Cowering
Beneath your monstrous ego I ate the magic loaf and
Became a dwarf. I lost my will and reason, to all your
Questions I mumbled incoherent replies. The summer
Begins to pall. I remember the ruder breezes
Of the fall and the smoke from burning leaves. Your room is
Always lit by artificial lights, your window always
Shut. Even the air-conditioner helps so little,
All pervasive is the male scent of your breath. The cut flowers
In the vases have begun to smell of human sweat. There is
No more singing, no more a dance, my mind is an old
Playhouse with all its lights put out. The strong manÃ’s
technique is
Always the same, he serves his love in lethal doses,
For, love is Narcissus at the waterÃ’s edge, haunted
By its own lonely face, and yet it must seek at last
An end, a pure, total freedom, it must will the mirrors
To shatter and the kind night to erase the water.

What are the Subject Matter and Themes of the poem? (4)
Describe your impressions of 'You' and the relationship between the persona, paying attention to the use of imagery and diction. (6)
Discuss the ways in which the metaphors are explored and examine their effectiveness. (6)
What is symbolic about the use of the word Narcissuss? (3)
Discuss the attitude of the persona, and how it is conveyed appropriately to readers. (3)
Discuss the structure in the poem and state its effectiveness in conveying the concerns of the poem. (3)

Possible Analysis:

Subject Matter/Theme

Relationship between man and persona, husband and wife. Marriage far from satisfactory.
Oppression of the persona by her husband as he seeks to confine her and ‘tame’ persona. He is the one who controls the persona, so much so that the persona would even forget herself/identity and what persona likes.
Loss of identity in marriage
Power or hierarchy within marriage can also be mentioned although the students should explain that there seems to be power play involved.
Evidence is seen because the persona ‘cowers’ beneath the husband’s ‘monstrous ego’
Love as a selfish emotion. Man needing to love himself and forcing the other to be him, to reflect him, erasing her personality. (Narcissus motif)

Impressions of the husband

Wanting to be in control. Domineering personality. In every facet of the persona’s life, every ‘nook and cranny’. Chauvinistic male figure, where the persona is taught to serve him, and to please him. Her desires are forgotten, what she wanted to learn ‘by learning, to learn to grow’ is not taught, rather he teaches her what he wants her to be.
Self-centred, in giving himself pleasure. Self-serving.
To ‘tame’ a free bird, to ‘hold’ such a creature that needs space, ‘hold’ takes on a claustrophobic connotation, too little space to move.
Fearful person
‘monstrous ego’
Especially seen in relation to the persona, who is a ‘dwarf’ one who ‘cowers’. Visually, the husband might take on giant proportions while the persona seems to shrink.
The husband doles out love in ‘lethal doses’, that he gives out poison and is thus dangerous
Perhaps he abuses her. But the students should note that this is not taken for a given, but is only suggestive. ‘Weathers’ changing emotions of persona, that might lead to ‘shallow convulsions’ of crying. Seen in this context of being confined, abuse
Crude/ forceful
To ‘dribble spittle’. It is probable that the act of kissing is painted in a disgusting manner.
The act of love-making is also seen as an embalming experience, the lust is ‘poor lust’ and what he pours into her is ‘bitter-sweet’ juices. (students might not need to list this at all though)

Relationship

Not loving, master-servant relationship. Take note of evidence that states the husband seems to have control. Who is the one who gets 'taught' to perform chores?
Not a real marriage perhaps? Linking it to the idea of the artificial playhouse, where it is only a mere depiction of life?

Metaphors

Idea of old playhouse
Characters and roles that the persona has to take on, assume although it isn’t truly her. She is ‘taught’, and becomes a dwarf. Persona doesn’t seem to embrace the idea of being a wife, seeming to be a wife in nothing but in name, thus, taking on a role. To be ‘called’, but persona doesn’t say she is his wife. Doesn’t seem proud of that fact.
Similar to acting a role, thus the entire marriage is a sham, an act, thus the similarity to a playhouse, for his entertainment
‘Old’ because unlike a playhouse that serves to entertain and is most probably lively, we see that there isn’t happiness nor is it fun.
The similarity between being his domain, the room, where there is no freedom, and like playhouse, lights are artificial.
There are cues to follow ‘at the right moment’ to give vitamins and the answers persona gives are not her own, but ‘incoherent’ to her. Life is not her own, not her will, playing role.
Nature in the room, the flowers are also a mockery of real nature in the real world. What goes on in a playhouse/drama is a mere representation of real life.
Her marriage is not real, more like a prison.
Being mummified in marriage, being constrained.
Some form of living death. To be ‘embalmed’ is a process done when one is dead, and it is saying that the husband embalms/preserves the persona with his being. And a mummy is but a mere reflection of former living self, the persona is also not herself. We see that she has been taught to forget all her natural self.
Room as marriage, but a room that is confined, the room is all about the husband, pervasive, just like scent fills the room and is pervasive. From the smell of flowers to the breath
Persona as swallow. Bird is free, but one that is tame, is one that is confined.

Narcissus

legend of a guy.
Fell into water. Too much in love with self. Only wants to see himself. And to be with himself only. Can be inferred by the name Narcissus/narcissistic.
Students should be able to at least infer the idea of reflection, wanting to see himself (a mirror, water’s edge, haunted by its own lovely face)
But if the students do not know who Narcissus is, saying he is an ‘it’ or take it to be an emotion ‘Narcissism’ it should be accepted also.
The husband seems to love himself only, thus, forcing the personal to be like him, to teach her all that he is, and not allowing her to grow.
Destroying even the very thing that reflects Narcissus, to shatter the mirror. The idea that the persona will be destroyed in the end.

Attitude of persona

Resentful Sees husband as scheming, ‘planned’ to tame a swallow and as a cruel man, trying to make her forget her nature.
Resigned We do not see the personal trying to break away from her husband. Seemingly powerless, she replies to ‘all’ questions he wants and the idea of ‘was taught’ past tense, perhaps showing that she has learnt and come to accept it.
Fearful Perhaps a sense of being beaten/abused/mentally or physically. The idea comes mainly from ‘cowers’, as one cowers if one is afraid. ‘Weathers’ changing emotions of persona, that might lead to ‘shallow convulsions’ of crying. Seen in this context of being confined, abuse of some sort seems highly probable.
DetachedBecause she is resigned
Suddenly talks of the husband in the third person voice, very detached, as if it is a commentary on men in general and how these men will make others love him in ‘lethal doses’, calling it a ‘technique’, a practice or a system of doing something.

Structure

Enjambment lines/ run on lines. The effect is to highlight the words that come immediately after the break. Some examples are ‘Yourself’, highlighting self-centredness, ‘Beneath’, to show that the persona is beneath or under his control, the technique is ‘Always’, a procedure that happens all the time.
The break in the poem. The first verse is a lot longer, and the word ‘technique is’ acts as a break. This causes us to note the word, and we can see it as a practice or system of strong men, reinforcing an idea of possible cruelty. It is odd that there should be procedure in marriage, reinforcing the detached tone.
The first verse is a lot longer, reminiscent of the monstrous husband figure and the dwarf –like persona, one who is beneath and cowers before the husband. So structurally it reflects, quite similar to concrete poetry. And the idea that the verses not equal, like the persona is not equal to husband.

Local Poet: Cyril Wong

2005-07-06T05:53:00.000-07:00

Hope I do not infringe any copyright laws...
Cyril Wong is a Singaporean poet. He has published 4 collections to date. The 2 poems found here, minor epiphany and I watched as father are found in his first book, Squatting Quietly.
Those who are interested in his poetry should check him out at http://www.cyrilwong.com/

minor epiphany

Looking out
of the window at
infinite drops of rain.

Each one
exquisite and whole.
Perfectly shaped.

But they
hit the ground.
Every single one.

Simple poem. 2 things to note.

What is the Subject Matter?
What do you think the Theme is?

I watch as father

I remember my sister was lying in her crib,
red and crying from being born just
a few hours ago and how when both
of you approached, your bodies rose
over her like a dark, inescapable wave.
And how she reached up with those soft,
tiny fingers to embrace the keepers of her prison.
It has been twenty-five years
since then and your crushed faces still look
as if this was something you never wanted
to do, even though you pretend otherwise, and
we become the charred, broken victims of your
repression. Now, I watch as father
spills his artificial laughter which quickly
dissolves into the acid of his temper, as mother
does the laundry, the bubbles like hideous
boils on her branch-like arms. And
every now and then, I promise my sister we
will leave this life of death together.

Critically comment on the persona's attitude towards his family, paying attention to use of imagery and diction.

Morning Song

2005-07-06T05:46:00.000-07:00

by Sylvia Plath

Love set you going like a fat gold watch.
The midwife slapped your footsoles, and your bald cry
Took its place among the elements.

Our voices echo, magnifying your arrival. New statue.
In a drafty museum, your nakedness
Shadows our safety. We stand round blankly as walls.

I'm no more your mother
Than the cloud that distills a mirror to reflect its own slow
Effacement at the wind's hand.

All night your moth-breath
Flickers among the flat pink roses. I wake to listen:
A far sea moves in my ear.

One cry, and I stumble from bed, cow-heavy and floral
In my Victorian nightgown.
Your mouth opens clean as a cat's. The window square

Whitens and swallows its dull stars.And now you try
Your handful of notes;
The clear vowels rise like balloons.

A poem I gave students in their first 3 months to shock them. Image-rich, in almost every line, every word. Difficult, but worth a try.

Identify the different imageries used in the poem.
What is the persona's attitude towards the child? Evidence?

Guiding questions & hints:

Students might be tempted to put 'Birth' or 'Motherhood' as a theme, but it is too vague. The poem aims to explore not only the physical aspect of the process but the maternal bond between a mother and her child. It also examines the mixed emotions that arise from such an event.
'Love set you going like a fat gold watch' - What is the simile here? Why is it appropriate? (Hint: Heart)
What is the irony we see when we re-read it, 'Love set you going'?
What is compared to the 'new statue'. Why would it be appropriate?
What is the significance of the 'drafty museum' and why is there ambivalence in the line 'your nakedness/shadows our safety'? Could there be a double meaning?
'I am no more your mother... wind's hand' verse 3. What is the persona trying to say? What is her attitude at this point in time?
What is the significance in using the words 'moth-breath' to describe the child? What are your feelings towards such a child? Why? How does the poem make you feel that?
What does the persona compare herself to? Why? What is the effect?
What is the effect of the last verse, where 'the windowsquare/Whitens and swallows its dull stars'? Could there be more than one meaning to it?

The Flea

2005-07-06T04:42:00.000-07:00

by John Donne

Mark but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is;
Me it sucked first, and now sucks thee,
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be;
Thou know'st that this cannot be said
A sin, nor shame nor loss of maidenhead,
Yet this enjoys before it woo,
And pampered swells with one blood made of two,
And this, alas, is more than we would do.

Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare,
Where we almost, yea more than married are.
This flea is you and I, and this
Our marriage bed and marriage temple is;
Though parents grudge, and you, we are met,
And cloistered in these living walls of jet.
Though use make you apt to kill me,
Let not to that, self-murder added be,
And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.

Cruel and sudden, hast thou since
Purpled thy nail, in blood of innocence?
Wherein could this flea guilty be,
Except in that drop which it sucked from thee?
Yet thou triumph'st, and say'st that thou
Find'st not thy self nor me the weaker now;
'Tis true; then learn how false, fears be;
Just so much honor, when thou yield'st to me,
Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee.

What could the intention of the poet be when he wrote this poem? Comment on the attitude of the speaker, paying attention to the imagery.

You're

2005-07-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

by Sylvia Plath

Clownlike, happiest on your hands,
Feet to the stars, and moon-skulled,
Gilled like a fish. A common-sense
Thumbs-down on the dodo's mode.
Wrapped up in yourself like a spool,
Trawling your dark as owls do.
Mute as a turnip from the Fourth
Of July to All Fools' Day,
O high-riser, my little loaf.

Vague as fog and looked for like mail.
Farther off than Australia.
Bent-backed Atlas, our traveled prawn.
Snug as a bud and at home
Like a sprat in a pickle jug.
A creel of eels, all ripples.
Jumpy as a Mexican bean.
Right, like a well-done sum.
A clean slate, with your own face on.

Critically analyse the poem, paying attention to the use of imagery and how it aids in our understanding of the persona's attitude.

Who could the persona be addressing? Take a guess, using the images depicted as a clue...
So, how do you think the persona is feeling?

You Fit into Me

2005-07-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

by Margaret Atwood

you fit into me
like a hook into an eye

a fish hook
an open eye

My Papa's Waltz

2005-07-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

by Theodore Roethke

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

Questions
1. What do you think is the Subject Matter and Theme of the poem?
2. Describe your impressions of the persona/boy's father. How would you characterize the relationship between the boy and his father? Pay attention to the diction and imagery used.
3. How does the persona’s mother respond to the father and son dancing together? Why do you think the poet uses the word “countenance”?
4. What is the simile used in the poem? How does this simile change your understanding of the poem?
5. Discuss the function of rhyme in the poem and state its effectiveness in conveying the message.
6. What do you think the waltz is a metaphor for? Explain your answer.

Analysis

Subject Matter/Theme

On a literal level, the drunken father is just dancing with his child, but the action seems less loving and instead rough through the violent imagery associated with his hands.
The students should note that the waltz can symbolise more than that!

Description of father and what feelings are aroused

o Drunkard, waltz or be unsteady
o Rough, note the words such as ‘romp’, meaning to frolic or dance around, showing the energy in the father as he waltzes with the persona. (The students can say that it is a positive connotation, but should also note the negative imagery that follows and overshadows it.)
o Unfortunately, the word ‘romp’ overshadowed by negative connotations of violence, and there seems to be excessive energy that borders on the verge of violence as the pans slide off the shelves.
o "The hand that held my wrist" rather than holding another hand. A sense of helplessness on the speaker’s part as the speaker is being controlled and cannot let go should he wish.
o This can show that perhaps, that the child waltzes unwillingly.
o Also, the idea that the boy is “small” it highlight the persona as a helpless person, who is already made unsteady “dizzy’ merely by the smell of the alcohol. Shows us how vulnerable, easily affected the persona is, and we feel afraid for the persona.
o "battered on one knuckle"(The students cannot just state the above alone though! Must have sufficient evidence!)
o The fact that this hand is “battered on one knuckle” connotes violence. Battered is different from wounded or hurt. The father, because of his knuckle, seems belligerent and potentially violent.
o "You beat time on my head/ With a palm caked hard by dirt."The word beat is rougher than ‘keep time’ and this reinforces the idea that the father is rough, as the word battered was used in previous stanza. This hand is not only dirty but hard, more a club than a hand
o Dirty/Unwashed
o Hands caked with dirt.
o The dirtiness and hardness of the father’s hands is not a nice image and feels uncomfortable.
o The fact that the father seems to be dragging the persona along rather than having a real waltz, makes the father seem uncaring even violent. The students should comment on the persona scrapping his ear, and on a “buckle” of a belt/shoe. This might give the idea that the persona falls or trips. “Waltz” here in the 2nd last line, can also mean a quick movement. The father also doesn’t seem to care as he just puts the persona to bed, ‘waltzes’ without taking time to check for injuries.
o Note, there is the word “every” step missed, The boy got injured/abused quite often, and shows that it might be quite often with a buckle that repeatedly scrapes his ear and a dirty and hard hand hitting the persona’s head constantly as an excuse of keeping time for the waltz.

Relationship with father
o Persona seems afraid of the father, as the persona shows no struggle despite being ‘”scraped”. There are certainly points that might show positive relationship with the father as words like ‘romp’ are used, but this is contrasted with the negative aspects. This is seen when the persona begins with a frightening image: “The whiskey on your breath / Could make a small boy dizzy” and their romping has consequences that remind us again of the violence as pans fall from the shelf, and the persona’s mother frowns in disapproval.
o Yet, the persona might love his father. “Still clinging to your shirt” perhaps telling us that the persona is unwilling to let go. “Cling” has a connotation of unwilling to let go, and when we read that the child doesn’t complain, (but admits to readers that it was difficult, “was not easy”) despite the father’s rough handling, perhaps the persona can be said to love.
o The dirty hand image in the last stanza, i8s contrasted by a relatively soothing/comforting idea of persona being ‘’waltzed” to bed, seemingly in a happy manner. With the positive and negative connotations in the poem, it seems to suggest that the persona might love and be afraid of the father, or is ambiguous to the father.
o There are contrasting ideas of the father being shown. (Is father fun to be with, ‘romp’ or violent? And why then does the persona cling on to the father’s shirt?) The speaker’s ambiguous recollection, with a lot that is unsaid (no complains) and double meaning of the idea waltz, might show us that the relationship might not be that good.

Role of the mother

o “My mother's countenance / Could not unfrown itself."
o The idea that the countenance/facial expression has control over itself is odd, emphasising persona being aware that his mother is unhappy but does not or cannot do anything to stop the father.
o To countenance is also to tolerate or put up with. And it shows that the mother cannot tolerate the ‘waltz’ as it could not unfrown/ shows disapproval. Yet she does nothing, showing that both mother and persona are helpless.
o The frown “could not unfrown” itself, giving an idea of helplessness, as the words could not show that there is nothing one can do.
o The mother shows disapproval of this scene (she cannot help scowling) and her inability to do anything about it except scowl, intensify the danger of the situation

Rhyme

o Rhyme scheme is an abab cdcd.
o Highlights a nursery rhyme quality, poems associated with the young, reinforcing the idea that the speaker is young, and perhaps helpless.
o The rhyming cadence seems to mimic/ show the ordered steps of the dance alluded to in the poem’s title.
o Yet, it serves to show up/contrast the happiness that one thinks of/ associates with a waltz. The orderly rhyme contrast with the actual rough pace of the “waltz”.

Simile

o "But I hung on like death"
o The students can read it 2 ways.
o “Hangs on” means to cling on or hold on and in this case to hold on tightly. Death here can be read as to hang on with certainty, not letting go. (Death “hangs on” in the sense that it is permanent, death being certain). This simile introduces death to emphasize the danger of the situation or the negative side of the “waltz.”
o To hang on “like Death” can be read as the persona comparing himself to Death. And if the persona sees himself as Death, it shows the idea that the persona sees that he himself is in certain danger, thus, calling himself death.

Waltz

o The waltzing is central symbol of the poem, but it is not about dancing alone. Literally, yes, there might be a sort of dancing ritual before bedtime, but it is also about relationship between father and child/family.
o It is about a man who controls, possibly using physical force over his son. even as he loses control over himself
o The waltz probably says something about the way they interact, as the title “My Papa’s Waltz” emphasises the control that father has, suggesting unwillingness of the persona’s part (not OUR waltz).
o Bonus: Also, a waltz has a leader, showing the father’s control over his child. It is not the fact that the child is being led, but the way the father is leading (note the persona seems to be injured when father misses a step) that makes the dance “not easy.”
o It also suggests the father as unsteady, reinforcing the fact that he is drunk and thus the word is used to describe his movements. As a waltz moves in a manner that is not straight.
Yet, the use of waltz, as a idiomatic phrase, common saying, seems to suggest that the father’s waltz as a symbol (the child is being waltzed, figuratively and literally, to bed)

The Worker

2005-07-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

by Richard W. Thomas

My father lies black and hushed
Beneath white hospital sheets
He collapsed at work
His iron left him
Slow and quiet he sank

Meeting the wet concrete floor on his way
The wheels were still turning- they couldn't stop
Red and yellow lights flashing
Gloved hands twisting knobs- they couldn't stop
And as they carried him out
The whirring and buzzing and humming machines
Applauded him
Lapping up his dripping iron
They couldn't stop

The Soldier

2005-07-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

Robert Frost

He is that fallen lance that lies as hurled,
That lies unlifted now, come dew, come rust,
But still lies pointed as it plowed the dust.
If we who sight along it round the world,
See nothing worthy to have been its mark,
It is because like men we look too near,
Forgetting that as fitted to the sphere,
Our missiles always make too short an arc.
They fall, they rip the grass, they intersect
The curve of earth, and striking, break their own;
They make us cringe for metal-point on stone.
But this we know, the obstacle that checked
And tripped the body, shot the spirit on
Further than target ever showed or shone.

Analysis:

Subject matter: A soldier is dead. Literally.Theme: The futility of war, yet despite that, we cannot deny that the soldier has died gloriously. We cannot deprive the soldier acknowledgement that although the cause is not worthy, his life/death meant something.

Imagery: Extended metaphor. A Conceit. The soldier is compared to a lance, javelin-like. Also possibly a weapon; the sort that knights use. More likely a javelin as seen in the context of words such as 'hurled', somewhat similar to a spear, or foot soldiers’ lance. In addition, the words such as ‘missiles’ showing how a shaft or a lance such as the javelin would fall, its trajectory back to earth before it ‘ploughs’ into the ground again.Contrast the idea of lance with that of the action of ‘ploughed’. If it was stated that it could be knight’s weapon, there is a sense of loftiness about it before, and how it seems base as it lies there now, as it associated with that of the menial, the action of ploughing.

In addition, we see the lance lying ‘unlifted’ and ‘fallen’ on the ground. There is a sense that the dead soldier, like a lance or missile that has been hurled, it is discarded and deemed useless. The elements of ‘dew’, ‘dust’ and ‘rust’ are the only things that surround the soldier. It shows literally the death and resting place of the soldier, whereby the dew, dust and rust, possibly that of earth, the colour of brown earth and dirt. (Although this seems to be a minor point and relates far more to the lack of care and concern for the lance, hence the rust) Metaphorically, it shows how little care is paid to a soldier that is deemed useless because he has died.Like a lance, the soldier is seen as a weapon. Nevertheless, it is a mere object. A weapon is an object, and in this particular weapon, a lance is what one throws and thus, seemingly disposable. Lances are similarly disposable weapons, used to stab or thrust.

We also sense the idea of the lack of control and direction a soldier has in his own life. There is no one to lift the fallen, no one to care for the soldier. Also, we see the soldier, like a lance is ‘hurled’ showing that the direction a soldier chooses is dictated by the thrower of the lance; a soldier fights when ordered to do so.This in turn reinforces the idea of the word ‘unlifted’ as the it shows the baseness that the soldier has descended to, forsaken, a mere instrument of no importance.

But we sense the poets’ admiration for the soldier. Firstly, the title ‘The Soldier’, and not ‘A’ soldier, making the poem seem so much more personal, as if signifying the life of each and every soldier meaning something, that they are humans and not mere objects or tools of others.The poet says that we might not understand the meaning of war, even as we see the death of the soldier ‘we who sight along it’, to look ‘along’ the direction of the lance’s goal. If we were to see the direction or goal of a fallen soldier, as he lies, ‘still pointed’ even as the soldier dies. His reasons and direction is still known even as we know the soldier has died: his direction is to serve the command ordered of him.

Even if we cannot understand that order, ‘see nothing worthy of its mark’, and cannot understand the reason for war as the spoils of war seem worthless compared to the loss of life, we cannot brush off the soldier’s death as a wasted effort.Because we forget that as men, ‘Forgetting that as fitted to the sphere’ we are still men and imperfect. We are but of this earth and grand though our visions and hopes be, we cannot help but stumble. Our goals are lofty, but too often we fail in achieving them, as our ‘missiles always make too short an arc’ and fail to reach the full height or the heart of the target. Many a time we fail. In this particular case, the glory or rightness of war comes with it disappointments, and we fall and break.

The fall not only breaks the lance, but metaphorically the soldiers, possibly meaning their death, but also, hurts ourselves, as we are but of the earth, and cuts and ‘rips’ the curve of the earth. To plough is a relatively strong word too, possibly violent, as it cuts furrows into the earth, perhaps symbolic of the violent deaths the soldiers meet. The word ‘rips’ has strong connotations of violence and when seen in juxtaposition of the word ‘curve’ which as a far more soothing and gentle connotation, it appears our actions are violent and often self-destructive. It destroys the lances, the soldiers that fight as they too sacrifice their lives, ‘cringe for metal-point on stone’ and we note that the lances break.

Aural imagery is used as one can sense the grating sound that comes from metal on stone, and we sense the greater strength of stone, thus, the waste of pitting the lance against stone. If we are to read missiles as being constrained by the earth, and our missiles as actions or directions we take, our goals as the desired trajectory of the missiles, it seems to say that it is futile, because of our imperfection that will impede our desired outcome and trajectory.

In this instance, gravity is the obstacle, forcing the arcs made to be too short, in addition causing it to ‘fall’. As men, we ‘look too near’; we have no foresight and cannot see the real consequence of life and actions. Like gravity that drags missiles down, our lack in foresight and judgement causes the lives of soldiers to be lost.Yet it is in these very actions that men take, as soldiers lives are lost, that because they have fought and ‘still lies pointed’, depicting unwavering loyalty and determination, that the soldiers have not been failures. To fight and to have sacrificed, despite the short-sightedness of those who are in control and hurl the lance, is not the fault of the soldier.

Rather the soldier is to be commended because the soldier shows qualities which can be said to be exemplary, showing worthiness ‘Further than target ever showed or shone’ and their ‘spirit’ lives on. ‘Spirit’ can be taken to mean principles or values that still remain true, like a lance, or the idea of the ever after, whereby the soldier is deemed worthy of recognition and possibly peace.

Perhaps the ending of the poem can also be read as a eulogy to the soldiers who have fallen.

Checklist for analysis

2005-07-04T05:10:00.000-07:00

Title - Appropriate to subject, tone and genre? Does it generate interest, and hint at what your poem's about?

Subject Matter - What's the basic situation? Who is talking, and under what circumstances? Try writing a paraphrase to identify any gaps or confusions.

Theme - What is the deeper significance of the poem? What can be implied from the Subject Matter?

Structure -Does structure, rhyme, rhythm, odd breaks in the poem etc support content? If not, why?

Tone - What's the attitude of the speaker to the subject? Is it appropriate to content and audience (you): assured, flexible, sensitive, etc.? Pay attention to rhyme and diction and imagery to determine the tone.

Diction - Word choice. Is it appropriate and uncontrived, economical, varied and energizing? Do you understand each word properly, its common uses and connoataions? See if listing the verbs truly pushes the poem along. Are words repeated? Do they set mood, emotional rapport, distance?

Imagery - Metaphor, Simile, Personification. Are they striking but persuasive, adds to unity and power? Do they combine on many levels? E.g. Waltz in My Papa's Waltz.

Remember, your introduction should contain the Subject Matter, a general overview of the theme/s and a very, very short explanation of how you arrived at that theme.

PQR format
Connotations Mind Map
At least 2 pieces of evidence from the poem to substantiate your point and to ensure you are not going off tangent!

Literature for the Illiterate: A beginning of sorts

2005-07-03T04:56:00.000-07:00

Why this 'blog'?

A relatively painless way to ensure that the kids I am teaching will have access to materials should I fall sick. Occasionally messages get lost and my students do not get their hands on the assigned work I might have left for them.

Perhaps I am trying to fulfill my one ambition, to have saved at least one tree in this lifetime, hence, my contribution to the junk on the Internet. Just another useless site of clutter...

I have been collecting poems and prose pieces since I started teaching. Right now, due to extreme laziness, I am able to post poems on this blog, as they are far easier to locate on the net. As for prose pieces, it would be highly dependent on the generosity of spirit, which I doubt I have in high doses for the time being... Perhaps I will post extracts of prose as and when I feel an overwhelming need to accumulate good karma.

Along the way, I might post the analyses of some of poems that I might have discussed with students during lessons.

I would love to invite students to comment on the analyses I have posted, because I could have been blind to certain nuances contained in the poem. I would like to confine comments to members of this blog, but that would mean quite a bit of hassle for me to invite them... So as long as there isn't any derogatory remarks, the comments function would remain active, but that might change.

Challenge my assumptions. Like I said, analysis can be a bit of B.S. at times. But you would have to be convincing.