Catherine of Alexandria was a devout Christian. Her task in life was to prove to the emperor that persecuting Christians was cruel. Catherine of Alexandria converted many Christians and was imprisoned for her doings. In addition, she was a poet, preacher, and was interested in science throughout her life. From a young age she was dedicated to school, which was not the gender norm for women back then. In the poem written by Rita Dove, the author writes about Catherine of Alexandria’s conversion to Christianity. Beginning the poem with “Deprived of learning and/the chance to travel,” (1-2), Dove describes how Catherine of Alexandria was deprived of her passions and was not happy with her position in life. Dove then states, “no wonder sainthood/came as a voice” (3-4). From this personification, the author uses the word “voice” as if to describe her calling as a missionary to have been fate/a true calling. Also, that her decision of becoming Christian came from within and seemed like a flawless plan. Another use of personification from Rita Dove was when she describes Jesus in the second and third stanza, “…what went on/each night was fit/for nobody’s ears/but Jesus’./His breath of a lily.” (6-10). A lily universally known for being white, pure, and gentle. The color white is known to represent friendship, goodness, new beginnings, and virginity. Catherine of Alexandria was famous for being a virgin martyr. By comparing Jesus to the color white, Dove describes how he will always be there for Catherine of Alexandria, and the decision of being his follower will be a positive experience of new beginnings. The last line of the poem is written with a metaphor stating, “…a kept promise,/a ring of milk” (16). This refers to later after she became a Christian and has had many life experiences. The metaphor “a ring of milk” represents Jesus keeping his promise of taking care of Catherine of Alexandria like a parent would. Milk represents the nurture like a mother would, and ring as in surrounding and protecting her always.
Throughout the poems we have seen, the motif of women is clearly present throughout all of them. Each of them shows the role women play in society. The poem that stood out was “Tou Wan Speaks to Her Husband Liu Shang”, by Rita Dove. This poem talks about the oppression on women and their role to “please the man”. Each stanza in the poem mentions the wants of the man (Liu Shang), how the woman (Tou Wan) will please him, and how the tone of Tou Wan creates a sarcastic feel to it. The first stanza talks about what the man needs for “the journey”, and what the woman will supply for it. Later, it talks about what the man can do when he “is bored”, and what the woman will do to supply it. Finally, it talks about how the woman will care for the man’s body when he is dead. This is quite peculiar, because if the woman talks about what what she will do for the man, then that means she is sure the man will die before her. Also, when Tou Wan says stuff like “my conqueror”, it doesn’t really create a serious tone or picture in the reader’s mind, showing that she is displeased with her husband. She also mentions the fact that her husband pretty much cheats on her, when she talks about “the girl you most frequently covered”. This poem shows the dissatisfaction with women and their husbands, relating to today’s society when women are still often mistreated and underappreciated for their actions.
I agree with what you said about the theme of women being prominent in each poem. Your peculiar thought about women assuming that men will say first is very common. In most Asian cultures it's rare for the husband to die first. Something that you probably should have mentioned was the point that women are seen as "objects" and needing to be "owned" by a man. I strongly agree with your last sentence and the fact that this poem is something we can connect to in today's society from being mistreated and objectified.
I also agree with you saying that the tone of the poem shows Tou Wan's dissatisfaction with her husband. While reading, I thought that there was a more sarcastic tone, especially when she says "and a statue/ of the palace girl you frequently coveted" (38-40). Here, she references her husband's affair with another woman, which I find it strange that she would want a statue of her husband's mistress in his final resting place. The tone is very sarcastic again on line 19 where is says “but you’re bored”. This reminds me of how women aim to please men, like you said, because she goes on with her “tour” of his tomb, and what she will build for him. Also, I like how you included how Tou Wan calls Liu Shang “conquerer” and “emperor” because it shows men as powerful as opposed to women, which is a theme in these poems and throughout history.
Frida Khalo was a surrealist, Mexican painter who was most known for her self portraits. Although often remembered for her somewhat dark sense of humor, Khalo was always described as a lover of life, and she always strived to be honest with herself. In the poem, Dove compares the beauty of Khalo with the eternal nature of death by using visual imagery and death related diction to create a grieving mood in the reader. Frida Khalo was considered a beautiful women by many, and Dove shows this with the verse, “lovely Frida, erect / among parrots” (2-3). Dove notes how Frida is so extraordinarily beautiful, she stands out among even the prettiest of people, who Dove compares to parrots. Frida’s beauty is again described with: “wildflowers entwining the plaster corset / her spine resides in” (5-6). Nature is commonly described as beautiful, making wildflowers a naturally beautiful occurrence. The plaster corset suggests that this beauty is eternal, as plaster is intensely durable. The death related diction appears simultaneous to the the visual imagery regarding beauty. Dove writes, “the women with one black wing / perched over her eyes” (1-2). Khalo, along with being dead, lived a life under constant stress. Whether from her painting, her marriage, or the fact that she was born right before the Mexican Revolution, Khalo never got a free pass. Khalo’s art style was highly influenced by the Marxist ideology, which is why Dove wrote, “Lenin and Marx and Stalin arrayed at the footstead” (9). The three men, all of which were dead by the time of Khalo’s death, represent the hopelessness Khalo feels, and the inevitability of Khalo’s death. If they were all dead, and they influenced her work, surely she was soon to follow.
If someone researches the Greek King of Pylos, Nestor, they can find a large amount of information about him and his participation in the Trojan War. When they try to research Nestor’s wife, Eurydice they will find little information about her, only that she had two names and numerous children. This is a reoccurring theme throughout history. In the poem “Nestor’s Bathtub”, Rita Dove uses auditory imagery, symbolism, and situational irony to show that women are often left out of history, leaving the past incomplete. The poem describes how Nestor is always away, while his wife is working at home. Eurydice finds an importance in their home (unlike Nestor), but it is burnt down, leaving only Nestor’s bathtub left. Auditory imagery is used when describing the fire that takes place in the home, saying “blasted/ by the force of olive oil/ exploding in the pot”(15-18). Dove uses verbs that remind readers of combustion and puts the verbs at the end of lines to emphasize the destruction of the home that Nestor’s wife had worked so hard to make.This contrasts from the beginning of the poem, where the author explains the lavish conditions of their home. When Dove writes “oil spreading in flames to the lady’s throne”, she emphasizes the unimportance of women, especially in this legend. Nestor’s wife’s throne is demolished, along with the memory of her. The throne is a symbol for women, and how the viewpoint of women is forgotten, just like Eurydice is forgotten in the legend of Nestor. Irony is also used in Rita Dove’s poem. After Nestor’s home burns down, the only thing that is left is one of the only things that truly belonged to Nestor, his bathtub. This is ironic because Eurydice is the one that works very hard on her home and spends the most time there, but only her husband’s belonging is left. Now when people see the ruins of their abode, they will only remember Nestor, even if Eurydice was the person who made it a home.
I couldn’t agree with you more about women being overshadowed by men. The time and place was just not preferable since women were tied down to cook and clean while men went hunting. There was no appreciation given since cooking and cleaning seemed like a given instead of a benefit. This sort of lifestyle even exists to this day but at least women are being given more chances to thrive such as education or equal rights. In addition to your analyses, I would like to add the following literary terms, free verse, alliteration, and ballad. While I was reading the poem, I couldn’t find a clear rhythm. It just felt like I was reading a story or a ballad. I would also like to add alliteration as for the first stanza, “While his wife with her white hands” (Line 11). The letter W is being used at the first letter of 4/7 words in the line. The purpose for alliteration is to help the sentences flow at the same time drawing the reader’s attention. -Ethan Nguyen
Canary by Rita Dov focuses on the talented musician, Billie Holiday. Holiday had a tough childhood growing up. Her parents married when she was three but soon divorced leaving to be raised by her mother. Holiday’s challenges in life shaped her into the woman she grew up to be. The whole second stanza is a metaphor which focuses on her drug addiction. It begins referring to “cooking” (Line 5) which translates to cooking drugs. Then Dov describes Holiday’s spoon and needles as magic. Dov is implying that her drugs are magic and make her feel like she is on top of the world. The last line of the stanza writes a “mirror” (Line 8) and “your bracelet of song” (Line 8). The mirror’s purpose is to have Holiday look herself in the mirror and see what she’s done with her life through drugs. Lastly, the bracelet of song refers to Holiday’s music holding on her to her tight similar to a bracelet. Music can be a strong influence on a person’s life and could change someone for the better. What stood out to me in the poem happened to be why the second stanza was in parenthesis? Like a book, you don’t read what’s in the parenthesis but you notice it and skip pass it. Just like Holiday’s drug problem, she wanted to hide it from people. But people did know since Dov wrote, “drummer to base” (Line 5). Drummer to base infers that the whole band knew she was “cooking” but didn’t say anything about it. The parenthesis had a strong effect letting me know on a deeper level without actually reading it what Holiday was like.
I liked your analysis and how you connected each stanza to her problems with drug addiction, and how you saw the format of the poem represented Billie Holiday's life. You could also mention how a lot of the drug references both relate and contrast with the life of music. Such as how she mentioned that they were cooking "drummer to bass" and how she mentioned Billies "burned voice". Both of these show how the life of drugs and the life of music can be so close, knowing that everyone was doing it, and how the drugs had interfered with her life to the point of changing her voice. I thought it was very interesting how Rita Dove compared these different lifestyles. -Isaac Livingston
I agree with what you said, especially the part about the mirror. Mirrors are often used in literature to represent what people have become. It is the Hollywood cliche to have a character look at themselves in the mirror, see their past selves in relation to who they are today, and become frustrated. Dove could have done this same thing to make the reader think about what they have done in their life, where they have changed for the better, or for the worse. I think Dove uses the entire poem to talk about how out of control life can get.
Through this poem, Rita Dove emphasizes the lifestyle of a slave, specifically a “house slave”/servant. Initially, the day begins for slaves before the sun even rises. They’re awaken and controlled by horns. The slave who is narrating, was separated by his/her sister. The conditions aren’t well and life is tough as the slave lives each day one at a time not focusing on the future. Dove uses abundant amounts of visual imagery to make the audience feel as if they were in the same situation. For example, “the whip curls across the backs of the laggards” (9). By using “curls” the whip is described as much firmer, quicker, and more dangerous. In addition, juxtaposition and visual imagery was used to describe the sleeping conditions, “I lie on my cot, shivering in the early heat” (12). Shivering is not something one does while the weather is warm outside. Instead, this quote proves how there is constant fear in the life of a slave (which is what is controlling the shaking). Also, this comparison can additionally be a metaphor for slavery, in a sense that it’s corrupting the minds of slaves. How everything they knew before (i.e. shivering when cold), is reversed because of the cruelty and inhumane treatment. Furthermore, Dove’s use of personification emphasizes the fact that people are the ones being cruel to the slaves and that slavery isn’t natural. In the last stanza, the author writes, “the fields unfold to whiteness” (13). “Whiteness” is a symbol that represents white people and how they are controlling and the racial majority.
I agree with your analysis, but I don't think your example of juxtaposition is actually juxtaposition, but rather a paradox. A juxtaposition is the placing of two unlike ideas side by side. This would be like a hero and villain being compared in the same lines of a poem. A paradox is self contradictory but contains truth, like "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others" from George Orwell's Animal Farm. Your following analysis of the meaning of "...shivering in the early heat" (12), is something I agree with and stumbled upon in my color marking myself, I just disagree with the lit term you identified it as.
I analyzed The Abduction and its context is based on the movie, 12 Years a Slave. The structure of the poem relates to the context of the ballad. Each stanza is decreasing by one line therefore putting emphasis on how Solomon Northrup’s story is taken a turn for the worse. The poem begins describing Northrup being in a happy place as he has free papers in his pocket, a violin under his arm, and two new friends by his side, Brown and Hamilton. But the ballad takes a turn when, “the wine, like a pink lake, tipped” (line 11). Northrup is being drugged to be taken as a slave and the poem concluded with one line. By having the last line also being alone and one, gives a darker and greater feel when the last line reads, “I woke and found myself alone…” (Line 15). It’s not a coincidence that the writer had the last line of the poem be one and having Northrup finding himself alone. Such a horrific and dark place does not deserve to be written in detail. The setting Northrup ends at resembles the end which relates to the last single line being the conclusion. Besides the structure, there is imagery in the following poem. Auditory imagery was seen a few times during Brown’s and Hamilton’s objective to drug Northrup. For example, “I remember how the windows rattled...” (Line 10) and “I was lifted-the sky swiveled, clicked into place” (Line 12). Northrup wanted the reader to understand what he himself was going through. Little details such as sound can paint a clear picture for the reader.
I like how you connected the poem with something you can relate you and better understand. However, I disagree with your statement on why the poem increases each line. I think Dove did that to emphasize that as the days go on, there is less and less hope for Soloman. Also, the last line is concise and dark for the dramatic affect and shock, not because of the fact that Dove didn’t want to describe the scenario. In fact, if she had written about it, it would be easier for readers to emotionally connect and understand the poem.
I agree with Brittany in the aspect of the lines decreasing with each stanza. I believe this is to symbolize his hope disappearing as his life goes on as he has less to look forward to and less hope of living a good life. I do like your analysis of the last line as it does set a dark mood and it effectively portrays the life of the author.
I did my analysis on David Walker (1785-1830). Throughout these poems by Rita Dove, it is easy to see the poems deal with the issue of slavery and other inhumane acts towards African Americans. David Walker was an abolitionist who made prominent works for anti-slavery propositions during the early 1800’s. The first stanza talks about how lucky he was to be “free to walk”, meaning that he was born into a free family. He was known to move around a lot , eventually moving to Boston creating a clothing store that sold to black sailors. This is shown in the first stanza when he talks about the slop shop, being at the counter, and fans on the ceiling, which all represented parts of the shop he was working in. The sailors would smuggle his abolitionist pamphlets the parts of the south, Which is shown in the poem when pamphlets were stuffed into trouser pockets. The italicized parts in this poem are excerpts from those pamphlets. Some of these pamphlets were eventually discovered and led to an uproar, as singing at the end of the second stanza. David Walker also was on the abolitionist speakers circuit. The jeweled canaries refer to the audience, as both men and women wear gloves to evening entertainments. Finally, Rita Dove talks about John Walker's death, as he had died suddenly. He was had thought to have died of poisoning, but it could have also been tuberculosis. Rita Dove uses this poem to describe the sad life of an African American and how he managed to change the world. -Isaac Livingston
I agree with your historical analysis of this poem and how the poem represents the life of David Walker. Another thing I liked about your analysis is that you explained part of the third stanza, and about how he was a speaker in a abolitionist speaker’s circuit. One thing that I found in this poem was in lines five and six, where it says “white caps, ale-stained pea coats. Compass needles eloquent as tuning forks, shivered, pointing north”. These lines depict the movement of escaped slaves through David Walker’s clothing shop. After doing some research, I found that white caps were commonly worn by slaves. In this quote, there is a simile used (eloquent as a tuning fork) to describe the escaped slave’s determination to reach the north. Eloquent means passionate and a tuning fork is an instrument used to set the a steady pitch. The simile means that the slaves path was set towards the north, because it was steady and passionate.
One poem that stood out to me in this section was “The Transport of Slaves From Maryland to Mississippi”. It tells the story of the attempted escape of a group of slaves while they are on a wagon ride. Dove uses different points of view in each section of the story, which makes it very interesting for the readers to see the perspectives of different people. The first perspective written was the woman who helped the driver, who was the reason for the group’s recapture. It contrasts with the next section, which has a style that may remind the reader of a newspaper. The woman shows readers the human side of the story. Even though she is treated inhumanly, she thinks “I am no brute. I got feelings. He might have been a son of mine” (12-13). She can feel empathy and has the ability to relate to people that continue to persecute her. In the second section, where there is a historical perspective of the events in the poem, there is a very unemotional tone and readers feel somewhat unconnected to the story. In the third and final section of the poem, the poem is in third person, but the thoughts and feelings of the Baggage man, Petit are shown. The narrator first describes the driver being clubbed from behind. Then, Petit comes in, finding the slaves without cuffs. What struck me here was that he uses racial stereotyping by thinking that the slaves will cower before him at the sight of his whip. In the poem it says, “Wait. You ain’t supposed to act this way” (29). He assumes that just because they were slaves that they could not be strong and are too simple minded to think for themselves. His ignorance not rewarded. Overall, the different points of view in this poem change the mood and show readers different sides to the same story.
You’re analyses on the different perspectives of the poem was a great detail to point out. Each perspective and their views you talked about was thought out and on point. Also, you’re supporting quotes gave much more reassurance and extra detail about what you had to say for each person. Let’s take for example, “I am no brute. I got feelings. He might have been a son of mine” (12-13). By giving this specific quote, you are giving clear evidence on how she can have empathy while still remaining to relate to the people who hurt her. In stanza 3, the word “negro” and “negroes” is capitalized as if that were their names. By having the word being capitalized, I have the sense that the stanza was from a pro-slavery man’s point of view. It also gives the effect that the word negro was more than just a description but a permanent name. Plantation owners could care less of the worker’s name so instead called him or her negro. It was in the white man’s vocabulary exemplifying power beneath them. -Ethan Nguyen
Belinda's Petition caught my eye in this collection. It tells the story of Belinda, a former slave of the Royall family. Cheated out of money left to her by her former owner, Belinda presents a petition to the Massachusetts General Court. The poem is Dove's retelling of the petition. Dove selectively capitalizes nouns throughout the poem to draw attention to keywords. With the exception of “Lately” (8) and “Same” (9), every capitalized letter belongs to a noun. In the first stanza, four words stick out among the capitalized, “African” (3), “Slave” (4), “Time” (5), and “Life” (6). All four words appear as the last words in their lines. Together, these words are meant explain how slavery is lifelong normally. Belinda was lucky to be freed, and she knew that. However, she still experienced immense amounts of trauma. The second stanza features many more words being capitalized in the center of their respective lines in proportion to the end of their lines. It also contains the only words that aren’t nouns to have capital letters. Belinda compares the Revolutionary War to the plight of African Americans, which was a very common argument against slavery. If America has earned its freedom, shouldn’t slaves be freed? Shouldn’t a free slave be given what is rightfully theirs? Shouldn’t all humans be treated fairly? The final stanza describes Belinda’s childhood before slavery. The capitalized words are spread relatively evenly between the beginning, middle and end of the lines. Belinda mentions her place of birth, “Rio de Valta” (15). From that point on, the poem is about Belinda’s childhood abduction. Belinda grew up knowing nothing of the world outside her home, “Travelers were the Dead who returned / from the Ridge each Evening.” (17-18). Death is often related to the color black, so the Dead who return are really other Africans. It also could be in reference to being a slave until death. In contrast, the “Men with Faces like the Moon” (19), refer to the white slave traders who abducted her when she was twelve.
You’re analyses on the different perspectives of the poem was a great detail to point out. Each perspective and their views you talked about was thought out and on point. Also, you’re supporting quotes gave much more reassurance and extra detail about what you had to say for each person. Let’s take for example, “I am no brute. I got feelings. He might have been a son of mine” (12-13). By giving this specific quote, you are giving clear evidence on how she can have empathy while still remaining to relate to the people who hurt her. In stanza 3, the word “negro” and “negroes” is capitalized as if that were their names. By having the word being capitalized, I have the sense that the stanza was from a pro-slavery man’s point of view. It also gives the effect that the word negro was more than just a description but a permanent name. Plantation owners could care less of the worker’s name so instead called him or her negro. It was in the white man’s vocabulary exemplifying power beneath them. -Ethan Nguyen
In the poem, "David Walker (1785-1830)", it speaks from the point of view of a man who has seen mor turmoil and sadness in his life than any of us could imagine. He takes this emotion and pours it into his words in order to speak out against the atrocities he has faced his whole life. This poem effectively shows Walker's pure objectivity to his social status and the unfairness that life has dealt him. Literary devices are used to show emotion in the poem. The simile "They strip and beat and drag us about like rattlesnakes" shows how helpless they feel as they are unable to fight back. A personification is also used when it is said that, "Compass needles, eloquent as tuning forks, shivered, pointing north". This is used to set the mood of the poem, as shivering is associated with anxiety and being cold, both with negative connotation. The poem ends with a sullen mood as it is said, "his person... found face-down in the doorway at Brattle Street, his frame slighter than friends remembered". The gloomy mood here is showing the emotion of his life, as the disappointment and sadness felt by the reader in this moment shows the sadness felt by David Walker in his life.
This poem was written in honor of Rosa Parks. The African-American rights activist was known for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man and moving to the segregated back of the bus. Dove wrote the poem in a consistent manner; each stanza has three lines, each with only one sentence besides the last one and the second stanza. The last stanza has two sentences to create a concise and dramatic mood to the writing. For example, “…when they bent down to retrieve her purse. That courtesy” (11-12). Breaking the thought into two sentences resembled almost a punch in the face. The whites were attempting to move Rosa Parks if she was not willing to move herself, so her sarcastic acknowledgement/thought showed that she wasn’t insulted by the gesture. That she was a bigger person and not willing to give up. The second stanza was broken into two sentences to show that Rosa Parks was an “Average Joe” so to speak. In line six, Dove states, “Her sensible coat” meaning that she was in comfortable clothes and not trying to make a scene/stand out. Similarly, Dove expresses how Rosa Parks was influenced by other rights activists such as Ghandi and Cesar Chavez by having a peaceful revolt. Rosa Parks realizes that “Doing nothing was the doing:” (7). This made Rosa Parks unique because she wasn’t willing to get into physical fights and kill for whites to understand African-American oppression. For one of the few times in history this battle was a peaceful and organized movement.
I agree completely with your analysis of this poem. I liked how you said that ending the poem by saying “that courtesy” was like “a punch in the face”. Also, I noticed that “doing nothing was the doing” is a paradox because it seems self contradictory and like it shouldn’t make sense. In this case, it shows the irony that Rosa Parks was arrested and caused such a huge scene for doing nothing and simply sitting there. Another part that intrigued me was in the first stanza, where it says “the time right inside a place/ so wrong it was ready” (2-3). I believe that the bus was so “wrong” because it was somewhere that promoted discrimination towards African Americans. The time was “right” because it was finally time to take a stand for rights and make a permanent change. This line meant to me that it was the perfect moment for Rosa Parks to make a change to a place so segregated.
Poem: “The situation is intolerable” It is not hard to see how Rita Dive feels about the issues of civil rights that America has had. In “The situation is intolerable”, it seems that Rita Dove uses first person narration to convey the thoughts that those who were/are not as privileged compared to those with “easier” lives. The issue that Rita Dove shows in the first stanza is how there isn’t really a difference between those who are segregated and those who aren’t. She talks about how everyone is civilized, as everyone had the same possessions or even looked the same; with shoes, shirts, pants, and even the right to their religion, using “we” to make a personal connection with the reader. Although there are all these similarities between them, African-Americans (or whatever group that can be exemplified) are still considered “intolerable”. She then talks about how both groups saw the same things and were raised in the same place. Talking about how everything around them was dark, and how there were flames around “us”, representing the lines dividing the different groups. Rita Dove then makes a final claim, talking about the awful conditions that they were born in, and how that would be like. Such as “born up a creek…knocked flat with a paddle..ain’t got a pot to piss in”, and so on. She summarizes the cruelty they felt saying how it wasn’t the people that are intolerable, but that “Our situation is intolerable”. This poem brings out the unjust conditions that people were experiencing, especially during the civil rights period. -Isaac Livingston
I agree with your analysis on “The situation is intolerable”. However, something that I might have misinterpreted in your blog was the fact that you said “they” when talking about the “born up a creek…” quote. I wasn’t sure if you were talking about both the African-Americans and whites, or just the African-Americans. If talking about both races, I disagree and think that the reason why it’s in its own stanza was to separate the thoughts of togetherness and the differences in black oppression. Therefore, Dove writes about the differences between the two races and how blacks are treated horribly.
I couldn’t agree more with your analyses on “The situation is intolerable.” We had similar ideas in the sense that Africans appeared to look the same compared to white people but were still considered intolerable. The way you interpreted the context of the poem really gave me a clearer understanding of what you were trying to say. Such as pointing out use of “we” or “us” to create a connection between the reader and Rita Dove. I would just like to add to the final claim of the poem where it reads, “Our situation is intolerable.” Going in more depth, Dove is trying to say that African Americans could never get a chance for a real chance at life. Nothing they could do could fix that because their “situation” was so bad. -Ethan Nguyen
The poem, “The situation is intolerable” centers on class structure and differing ideals. It’s in one of the opening line that it reads, “Aren’t we civilized, too?”(Line 2). By the questioning if one is civilized automatically points out the African American’s point of view. It’s obvious to say that African Americans had their challenges during the civil rights movement. Whether it was fighting to eat in an unrestricted area or attending the same schools with white people. What I took out of the previous quote I mentioned was that people appear to look the same yet remain different or intolerable. It’s in the last stanza that it explains, it doesn’t matter where you come from because they’re going to be judged wherever they are. People are being judged by the color of their skin rather what’s inside. In the modern era, people are caught up in the fact that how we represent ourselves presents a true definition of who you are. But there will always be someone who will not accept the way an individual. A huge connection is being seen between Dove’s poems about slavery to the poems about the civil rights movement. -Ethan Nguyen
In “Climbing In” Rita Dove uses allusion and dental diction to compare a bus driver to the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. In the story, a girl is on her way to her grandmother’s house through the woods and a wolf impersonates her grandmother in order to trick her into being eaten. Little Red Riding Hood becomes suspicious when she sees the wolf’s big mouth and teeth. In the poem, Dove describes the bus driver’s teeth as the “teeth of the wolf under Grandmother’s cap” (10-11). She compares the teeth of the bus driver to the wolf’s because they are both deceptive characters and hide behind false smiles. The bus driver is portrayed this way because he lets African Americans on the bus, but supports the rule that requires them to sit in the back. This rule is an example of the inequality hidden behind a false “smile”. Dove also uses dental diction when she writes “Pay him to keep smiling”( 13). This refers to his racism because the only thing that causes him to tolerate black people is the fact that he is on the job and making money. I think that if something was to go wrong on the bus involving the African Americans, he would be very cruel towards them, and is a very authoritative figure for black people. His false appearance is similar to the wolf’s because they both have deceiving looks, and make an artificial impression on others. Both of their thoughts and views do not match up to their facades. The wolf does this when he pretends to be a loving grandmother, while secretly plotting to kill the girl. In total, the author of this poem compares the bus driver and the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood by using description of smiles and direct allusion to the story itself.
I agree with your analysis completely. I'd just like to add that the teeth could also be compared to the doors of the bus. This is supported by the word "Metallic" (2). The doors are metal teeth, and interior is the belly of the beast (the bus being the beast). In some versions the grandma is eaten by the wolf, so Dove could be comparing African Americans to the grandma, and the bus to the wolf. Upon reflection, your analysis makes more sense, I just wanted to try and look at it from a different angle
I definitely agree with your analysis. I like this poem because it was very straight forward and easy to make connections with. Rita Dove uses a story that almost everyone has read in their lifetime; this story being Red Riding Hood. Using this type of allusion creates a connection with almost everyone and allows almost everyone to understand the message that Rita Dove wanted to convey, and I think that was a brilliant move by her.
In the Lobby of the Warner Theatre, Washington, D.C. comes across more as a work of prose than poetry. This is due to long stanzas, sentence structure, and characterization of the movie director and the woman in the wheelchair. Dove stultifies the producer while praising the woman in the wheelchair, causing the reader to feel like they are there with the narrator watching the scene play out. The director is “Elegant in a high-strung way” (4). The director looks impressive, but he is still obviously a nervous wreck. It is his movie, and he is relying on this woman to make him look good. He “cajoled her to come” (3). It seems like a sign of desperation, coaxing a woman in a wheelchair to come to an event. Further adding to his weak image is his physical description, “shoved half spectacles up the nonexistent / bridge of his nose.” (5-6). Shoving implies frustration, which shows his lack of equanimity. The quip about his nose implies that the narrator believes he is unattractive and inadequate, lacking a full nose to even hold his own glasses isn’t a trait of a man that the public would look up to. In comparison, the woman, although in a wheelchair was described with an aura of importance. Dove writes, “she was the true inspiration,” (9). The audience looks up to this woman, they came to see her. This excitement isn’t anything new to the woman, “She knew how to abide, / to sit in cool contemplation of the expected.” (11-12). It is obvious that the woman has been famous long enough to expect certain things, but as noted later, not long enough to find it tedious. The woman still finds delight in the crowds and camera flashes. Her control and compassion draw the audience, as well as the reader, to her. The director on the other hand doesn’t draw the same crowd. The most important part of this poem however is that race isn’t mentioned, which is different from most other poems in this collection. There is no apparent struggle of race. The director could be black and the women white, which would explain why she is described with such praise, as would be normal in the historic period. However, it is more likely that the director is white and the woman black, “she was living history” (9). The crowd ignores the director because he is white, and is more focused on whatever is happening to her because they are black as well.
The poem Parsley by Rita Dove describes an important event in Rafael Trujillo’s life. One of his most known moments is his genocide from the Parsley Massacre. This massacre occurred from his hatred of Haitians and wanting to distinguish the difference between Dominicans and Haitians. Soldiers would hold up parsley and depending on how said person pronounces the R in parsley (rolling the R means one is Dominican) depends on if they get to live or survive. Thus, why parsley is such a large symbol in this poem. In section two, entitled The Palace, the fourth stanza in it describes this scenario. Dove states, “…He hears/the Haitians sing without R’s/ as they swing the great machetes:” (53-55). Another repeated symbol in this poem was the cane fields. Cane fields were where the soldiers would bring the people to be interrogated, since sugar cane fields are tall, Trujillo’s soldiers were able to have weapons (“Out of the swamp the cane appears” (3).) and to kill without being caught, which is how Trujillo got away with the genocide of Haitians. Additionally, another symbol is the parrot. Since the parrot is green like parsley, “…its feathers parsley green” (2), this is not a coincidence for the two are connected with each other. Repeated is the simile, “Like a parrot imitating spring” (6), to resemble how the parrot is owned by Trujillo. Later this is also proved by part two where, “…He orders pastries/brought up for the bird” (40-41). The relevance of the bird is to justify his killing (similarly to Adolf Hitler). He sees the Haitians as inhumane for the fact that they cannot roll their R’s and even an animal (who imitates sound) is able to do so. Thus, he sees the Haitians as inferior and undeserving of life.
I agree with your discussion of the symbols throughout this poem. However, at times I thought that the parrot resembled the lives of the Haitian sugarcane workers. The parrot meant many different things to me at different points in the poem. But When Dove says the bird lives in an “ivory cage”, it reminds me of the workers because the bird has no freedom, just like the workers have none in the Dominican Republic. Also I thought it was interesting that the parrot is “imitating spring”, which happens to be the opposite of Autumn, the time of death of Trujillo’s mother. The contrast of Spring and Fall is shown in the seventh stanza, through the cane that Trujillo planted in her memory. I don’t know if this is a coincidence, but it seem strange that the bird imitates spring and the seventh stanza is all about Fall.
In “Parsley” by Rita Dove, one thing that stood out to me was the use of two points of view. The first perspective was of the Haitian sugarcane workers that were murdered and was in first person. The second perspective used was the dictator of Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo and was in third person. The poem describes the views of both the workers and “El General” when Haitians were executed after not being able to pronounce the “R” in the spanish word for parsley. In the first section, told from the view of a Haitian worker, it says “we lie down screaming as rain punches through/ and we come up green. We cannot speak an R-” (7-8). Extreme verbs are used in this part of the poem such as screaming and punches to create a foreboding mood, because the workers end up dying. When the poem says “come up green” I think that it is referring to the decomposition of bodies and how the dead are buried in the ground, with plants growing through them, hence them coming up green. The first part of the poem evokes sympathy in the readers because we feel for the people who have been murdered. This is a contrast to the second part of the poem, where we get to see the inner thoughts of the dictator and can feel his cold darkness throughout the section. In the first stanza, Dove writes “As he paces he wonders/ who can I kill today, And for a moment/ the little knot of screams/ is still” (31-34). Especially in this stanza, I can see the dictators reasons for killing thousands of people and his humanity. His grieves the loss of his mother, and distracts himself from the pain through violence. I think that the knot of screams is a symbol for the guilt he feels for his mother’s death, and he can push his feelings away only through sanguinary actions. Trujillo is contrasted from the Haitian workers here because this shows his destructive and murderous ways for dealing with internal conflict, compared to the innocent workers.
I really like the way you were able to identify the point of view, and its effect on the mood. Dove is able to make the reader empathize with the different character of the poem very well. Not everyone knows the fear of death, nor does everyone know the grievances that come with losing a mother. I wonder though, do you think that Dove in any way tries to justify Trujillo's actions by having the audience sympathize so strongly with him? I see how you could argue that he was mentally ill and the trauma of losing his mother worsened his judgement, but I am not sure if that necessarily absolves him of blame.
Parsley by Rita Dove consists of two parts; The Cane Fields, a villanelle, is the first; and The Palace, the much longer section consisting of seven stanzas, one with one line, six with seven to eight lines. Both segments deal with the Parsley Massacre (the massacre of Haitian people on Dominican soil), an event that set the tone for, Dominican dictator, Rafael Trujillo’s harsh command over the Dominican Republic. The villanelle in the beginning represents Trujillo’s psyche, his obsession with the rolling of the R that he knew his mother for. This is done with the alliteration and consonance of R and P sounds and through the format of the villanelle repeating lines one and three at the end of each stanza. Most lines have at least three words with a P or R sound like this, “in the palace, its feathers parsley green.” (2). The two lines that are repeated are no exception, “There is a parrot imitating spring,” (1), and “Out of the swamp the cane appears” (3). As recognized later on, the parrot is representative of Trujillo’s late mother. Spring is commonly considered a beautiful season, with the blooming of flowers and what not. Line three is much more literal. Sugar cane grows in the swamp, and this so happens to be where the Haitians were slaughtered. All the repetition stems from the word perejil, Trujillo’s word of death. Haitians can’t roll the R like Dominicans can, which led to Trujillo’s decision that they were inferior. They weren’t like his mother, “she / could roll an R like a queen. Even / a parrot can roll an R!” (58-60). Trujillo was obsessed with his mother. To him, she was perfection. She was the good in his life. Now that she had gone, he would kill to defend her honor; the honor of someone who could roll an R.
I thought it was interesting how you chose to analyze the consonance of each stanza. Do you think the P sound is a coincidence? Or do you think it connects to the first letter of parrot, which could help tie in its symbolism? Also, I thought it was interesting on how you took Trujillo's killing to defend his mother's honor. I wasn't quite sure how his mother connected to the parrot and parsley but now I understand it more clearly.
Your background information on Trujillo’s and his mother relationship really made me understand the poem’s story more clearly. His obsession for his mother and how he thought she was perfection were really good points. It gave me clearer meaning on how much Trujillo loved his mother. The alliteration and consonance through the R and P was not a nice catch. Especially when realizing when it was seen through the end of each line on lines, 1 and 3 of each stanza. Your point of emphasis on the alliteration and consonance were very thought out and organized well. -Ethan Nguyen
The poem, Parsley is broken into two parts. Both parts take place in the Dominican Republic but the first half is set in Trujillo sugar cane fields while the second half is set in Trujillo’s palace. The poem centers on a lyrical device therefore making the setting very clear. The poem is based on real events, which have real places that correspond to the poem. It made me understand the poem easier by reading these real life images. It was probably good for Rita Dove since she could directly pick out places and events and apply them to her poem. The event Dove explores in Parsley is of Spanish general who lost his mother. Initially sorrow, he turns his feeling into vengeance and orders to execute all who cannot pronounce the letter, “r.” General Trujillo seemed obsessed to eliminate influences of Haiti from Dominican culture. The plot exemplifies how manner in which language and ideology can combine to produce political violence. Violence is seen throughout as the premise of the story is based on a massacre by the order of one man. Though you don’t read direct details of killings, there are hints that give the sense of violence. Acts like harvesting sugar cane are described as being, “cut it down” (Line 4). This is followed by, “screaming, punching, lying down, gnawing, and arrowheads.” Only hints of violence are being used in the poem. Reason why could be that the massacre wanted to be quiet and unheard of. The general wanted to keep his actions secrete where he wouldn’t be faced with the punishments or threats of other countries. -Ethan Nguyen
I liked your analysis because it mainly focused on the historical significance and how it relates to the point of view, rather than focusing on the other literary features that are present in the poem, such as repetition or allusion. I agree with your analysis as it accurately and correctly identifies the problems that were present throughout history by taking a deeper look into the poems meaning, rather than just reading it and repeating it line after line. I believe this analysis would greatly help others know what the true meanings behind Dove's work. -Isaac Livingston
In the poem “Parsley,” Rita Dove uses allusions and repetition of a single word to show the horrors of the Haitian massacre that occurred in 1937. In Spanish, Perejil means parsley. This is an allusion to what happened during the Haitian massacre, as if the Haitians were unable to pronounce the R correctly, they were put to death. “There is a parrot imitating spring” (Dove 1). This is the first of many places in the poem where Dove mentions the parrot. The parrot is a phrase repeated throughout the poem as a symbol of violence: “For every drop of blood/ there is a parrot imitating spring” (17-18). Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo is portrayed in the second section of the poem. “He ordered pastries/ brought up for the bird”, this shows he treats his pet parrot better than the Haitian workers, as Trujillo’s parrot is able to pronounce the “R” (40-41). It is also quite ironic that Dove uses diction such as parsley and parrots which usually represent beauty and peace, in order to portray something as horrific as the Parsley Massacre Rita Dove has chosen this contrast to represent how something so beautiful and simple can represent violence and genocide. Through these uses of allusion and repetition Dove is able to truly portray how horrific the Haitian Parsley Massacre was. -Isaac Livingston
In this poem, Rita Dove describes the scenario of a mother-daughter connection due to societal standards for females. Being a girl, there are many times when a girl will feel that her worth is based on her physical assets. Mothers understand this scenario and are able to connect with their daughter much better than say a father or a sibling (even a sister) because the mother contains wisdom from past experiences. In my opinion, the emotional struggles from raising a girl/being a girl is harder than raising/being a boy. The poem begins with Dove writing, "The conspiracy's to make us thin. Size threes/are all the rage, and skirts ballooning twinkling knees/are every man-child's preadolescent dream," (1-3). Since the majority of the poem is in third person, it displays a mother telling her daughter about advice [as the daughter inferentially goes through the same teenage experiences as she once did]. Dove states that girls always focus on their clothing size, a size three specifically, in order to impress men. That a girl must be "girly" and dress in skirts and sparkles because that's what society engrained in everyone's minds. Later in that stanza, Dove states, "Tabula rasa. No slate's that clean" (4), to describe how every mother wishes that her daughter wouldn't have to conform to society and worry about the irrelevant stress. Tabula rasa translates in Latin to "blank-slate" which can symbolize mothers' wanting lives for their daughters without remade "rules" on how a girl should be.
I agree with what you said, but I noticed that you stayed inside the first stanza. What about the second and third? If you read the poem as a whole, it becomes less about societal standards based on appearance, and more about societal standards as a whole, including childbirth. Pregnancy is mentioned twice in the poem. The first time is in context of how women often look physically different after childbirth, and the second is in the context of postpartum depression. While pushing the societal notion that all women have to be mothers, Dove argues that it drags the women down by using the metaphor of the woman falling out of her bed because of silk sheets. The pun in the last line sounds like it should be talking about staying at a moderate temperature, but it also refers to the difficulty of keeping up with the standards in place in society, "It's hard work staying cool." (14).
Poem: Persephone, Falling As you can tell already from the title, it is about the daughter of a mythological goddess, Demeter. The poem requires a little background information to fully understand the poem. So as Persephone was picking flowers, she is kidnapped from her uncle, Hades and brought down to the underworld. Demeter, goddess of harvest, refuses to plant anymore things until Persephone is returned. The poem begins with the moment Persephone is kidnapped while she was pulling flowers. She was taken away without any witnesses as, “No one heard her. No one! She had strayed from the heard” (Line 7-8). It’s in the second and last stanza that it’s spoken from Demeter’s point of view. Demeter is telling Persephone that she needs to act a certain way so she doesn’t get into any trouble. The last two lines of the poem tell the reader why Demeter has to be so over productive. The world is a dangerous place and Demeter only wants her daughter to stay out of harms- way. The poem is an Italian sonnet in which the whole poem consists of 14 lines and that there’s a clear change of sequence after the first stanza that has 8 lines. The first stanza (octave) is presenting a problem in which Persephone is being kidnapped. Then the second stanza (sestet) in a way is supposed to solve the problem. In this case, the poem’s point of view is changed from the narrative to the true feelings of Demeter. Though there are qualities that don’t make it an Italian sonnet such as there is no clear rhyme pattern. But there are end rhymes like, “around, down, and ground” (Lines 10, 12, 14). The poem is in a clear structure where the reader is able to see the problem and solution. -Ethan Nguyen
I agree with your analysis of this poem, however I had some different views on the second stanza. My thoughts about the part in parenthesis was not related to the myth of Demeter and Persephone to me. I thought that this may have been Rita Dove’s own memory of childhood. Especially since it says, “stick with your own playmates” and “keep your eyes down” I thought it related to the civil rights movement. Rita Dove may have recieved advice similar to this from her own mother because of the danger of being an African American child during that time period. I think that she related it to the poem because they both have the theme that you cannot control what happens to your child when she is not with you, and all you can do is set them up best for success. Demeter could not control that Persephone was taken by Hades, and neither can a mother control what happens to her child when they go to school.
A poem that stood out to me in this section was “The Bistro Styx” by Rita Dove. It depicts a mother and daughter having a meal together in Paris, with the daughter living with an artist. Rita Dove compares the mother and daughter in this poem to Demeter and Persephone, the mother and daughter from the greek myth using visual imagery and allusion. In the myth, Demeter is the Goddess of harvest and her daughter gets taken by Hades into the underworld and eats pomegranate seeds, forever trapping her there. After making a deal with Hades, Persephone is allowed to live on Earth for six months of the year, being half dead and half alive. In the first and second stanzas, the daughter is described as “thinner, with a mannered gauntness” and “dressed in all grey” (1, 7). The girl is wearing grey, which symbolizes properness and non-emotion, and this is symbolic of her attitude towards her mother. The change in her clothes represented Persephone’s change from alive to half dead. She is very cold towards her mother, and does not seem to put any emotion into their visit. This causes her mother to see her as a completely different person as she was before, as I can see in the fourth line when she asks “what’s this” in regards to her daughter. To me, this was similar to Persephone because a dead part will always be inside her, and she has changed forever after being taken to Hades. Also, Rita Dove uses allusion through the daughter eating an abundance of food at the restaurant. In the myth, the Persephone eats pomegranate seeds, and if someone eats food in the underworld they are trapped there forever. When the girl orders and eats three dishes, she never seems to be full, which is similar to Persephone. After eating the pomegranate seeds, was never fulfilled in her life ever again and able to live in the human world. The eating of food symbolizes the daughter being lost forever and will never come back to her mother completely or be like she was before she lived with the artist. Overall, this poem shows a modern day representation of a Greek myth and shows that complete restoration of people after changes is impossible.
Primer by Rita Dove is about a girl who is bullied by three other girls, and her realization of how the world works. This reminds me of the spoken word poem at the end of That Power by Childish Gambino. Gambino recalls an experience he had where he confessed his feelings to a girl on a bus home from summer camp, and what he learned about society through that experience. The lines that really formed the connection for me were, “Nothing could get me into that car. / I took the long way home, swore / I’d show them all: I would grow up.” (Dove 12-14), and, “I wish I could say this was a story about how I got on the bus a boy and got off a man more cynical, hardened, and mature and [stuff]. But that’s not true. The truth is I got on the bus a boy. And I never got off the bus. I still haven’t…” (Gambino). Right from the beginning, there is a common theme of the urge to grow up. All though growing up has different meanings in different cultures and to different people, it in general means to change into whatever a stronger and more mature version of oneself. The girl in Primer, presumably Dove herself, realizes that her mom, a grown-up, can still defend her loved ones, despite being “five-foot-zero” (Dove 10). That gives meaning to the last three lines; the girl wants to show that she can be worthy of even an ounce of the respect her mother gets. Gambino realized that there is no such thing as a secret in the world, “So I learned cut out the middle man, make it all for everybody, always.” (Gambino). He confessed to a girl, and she told everybody she knew, so he decided to put up a verbal barrier. To him this isn’t a traditional version of growing up, he isn’t tougher or more resilient, he is masking his childish innocence with a tough guy persona. This is the connection between the poems; behind every strong adult is a small, scared child.
I’d like to start off by pointing out the great connection between the poem and the song, That power by Childish Gambino. I’m personally a huge fan and had to give praise to an awesome connection. I agree with you the message Rita and Childish Gambino present in which people can hide a persona so they aren’t seen as weak or put in labels. To add onto your analysis, there are a lot of consonance. The poem is a ballad so it needed something to flow or add flavor so the poem didn’t seem boring. On line 3, “in rolled-down bobby socks..” the sound of o is being repeated. While reading the line, the words were clearly being read as if it was in rhythm. -Ethan Nguyen
I chose to do my analysis on “Breakfast of Champions” by Rita Dove. In this poem, Dove shows a story of a woman who has experienced a serious tragedy and is trying to recover from that horrible event. Dove never actually writes what had happened, and I think that is the attractiveness of the poem. If Dove said exactly what happened, than the reader’s view of the woman probably would be completely different than what we see now. Instead of stating what happened, Dove uses depressing diction to hint to this woman’s daily struggles. Dove says, “Finally, overcast skies. I’ve crossed a hemisphere,//worked my way through petals and sunlight//to find a place fit for mourning” (1-3). In this part, Dove uses a hyperbole to convey the likely far distance that the woman has come since the incident, working her way through “petals and sunlight”, she has not yet had time to grieve and feel the full impact of what happened. Next, Dove uses the mentioning of alcohol to show a more humanistic way of dealing with problems. When alcohol is mentioned in the fifth and sixth line of the poem, it adds a sort of depressing tone to the poem, because we often think of drinking alcohol as an aid with depression. In the last stanza, Dove says, “I rummage through the pantry’s//stock for raisins and cereal as they pull//honking out of the mist, a sonic hospital graph//announcing recovery” (9-11). When Dove mentions “honking through the mist, a sonic hospital graph//announcing recovery” this could possible represent a car honking through the mist, and ending up in the hospital. This could possible show the cause of the woman’s depression. -Isaac Livingston
In the poem Chocolate by Rita Dove, the author uses synesthesia repeatedly in each stanza. In order to create this, the words used are those such as “sniff” “crumble” and “numb”. Each stanza increases in amount of synesthesia starting from the first stanza up until stanza four where Dove describes the taste of this sweet treat. Chocolate is described as “Knotted smoke, dark punch/of earth and night and leaf” (10-11). This taste is described as earthy, dark, and rich. By using those adjectives, the audience is able to imagine having a piece of expensive chocolate close by. Additionally, the way that Dove decided to format the poem creates a sense of the candy. Each stanza (with an exception to the last one) contains three lines. Similarly, a Hershey’s chocolate bar, the most popular chocolate bar in America, contains three rectangles of chocolate when one is to unwrap the bar. Furthermore, another literary term used immensely is personification. The entire poem is written entirely in first person and second person, using second person when referring to the chocolate. The last few stanzas state, “for a taste of you/any woman would gladly crumble to ruin./Enough chatter: I am ready/to fall in love” (12-16). Specifically, the second person compares the chocolate to a man that any woman would fall in love with. This additionally ties into the adjectives used throughout the poem are “manly” and “tough” to imply that woman’s romantic tendencies can be cured by chocolate.
I enjoyed your analysis of this poem, and it brought new insight to the blog I wrote on the same poem. I am impressed that you made a connected between the number of lines in a stanza and a Hershey's chocolate bar. I also agree that there was a lot of personification of chocolate in this poem. I noticed that there is a lot of sexual diction in this poem especially when Dove uses words like " pleasure seeker", "taste of you", and "rich". This made me think of the poem in terms of a relationship, like the beginning of the fifth stanza. Dove shows her love for chocolate just like her love for a man.
Cozy Apologia by Rita Dove is a sort of love letter to her husband Fred. Dove uses metaphors and rhyme scheme to describe her love for her husband to the reader, causing them to reminisce and appreciate their own relationships. There are two major examples of metaphor in Cozy Apologia. The first is, “There you'll be, with furrowed brow / And chain mail glinting, to set me free.” (8-9). Dove’s husband is her “knight in shining armor.” Dove believes she is living her fairytale happily ever after with her husband; they are as happy as could be, and he will always be there for her. She feels safe and loved, which she in turn will give back to him. The other metaphor is the entirety of the second stanza. Rita Dove makes reference to Hurricane Floyd. The storm serves as a comparison to Dove’s memories of teenage romance; intense, but hollow. Just as hurricanes bring bad weather, teenage boys bring drama and confusion. Hurricanes have a huge front then a calm center, the eye of the storm. Dove could be comparing this to teenage boys in the context of their bravado; they put up an act to get the girl, but are void of any real emotional connection. This is the difference between her husband and everyone else she has ever been with. The rhyme scheme of the poem changes with each stanza. It begins with a standard aabb, then switches halfway through the second stanza to an abbcca for the rest of the stanza. In the third stanza it begins with abab, has no rhyme for two lines, then returns to abab. The rhyme helps the poem flow, but could also mirror the events of the poem. The first stanza is a direct comparison and the aabb rhyme pattern is one that is easily noticeable, so Dove could be acknowledging the simplicity in her comparison, and the simplicity in her relationship. The second stanza becomes more complex, like a storm. The third stanza is about how the two are happy with each other, despite the mediocrity of their relationship. This mirrors the abab-break-abab pattern well, as the two sounds are unique, but build off of each other.
I agree with your statement about Dove comparing her husband to other boys she’s been with. That he’s mature and every other boy she’s been with has been a child. Why do you think there was a break in the rhyme scheme? Do you think those lines that aren’t rhyming are the most important in the poem and that was Dove’s way of making those phrases stand out? I also found it interesting how you compared a storm to the second stanza. The key word that signals that connection for me would’ve been “hurricane” but other than that I personally wouldn’t have picked a storm.
Being an avid chocolate lover myself, “Chocolate” really stood out to me as I can relate to the passion shown for chocolate here. In the poem “Chocolate”, Rita Dove compares chocolate to love using metaphors, point of view, and. I could see the relation of chocolate and a man that the author is in love with in stanza 5 when it says “for a taste of you/ any woman would gladly/ crumble to ruin” (12-14). This part of the poem uses a metaphor to compare chocolate to a man that Dove is in love with. By saying that any woman would “crumble to ruin” to be with chocolate, she shows how irresistible both chocolate and the man she is writing about is. Throughout the whole poem, uses a first person point of view and writes as if she is “talking” to chocolate. To me, this personified chocolate and made it seem like Dove was talking to a lover rather than chocolate. For example, in the second stanza Dove writes “ how you numb me/ with your rich attentions!” (5-60. By taking this line out of the poem, I think this reminds me of a conversation with a lover. The word attentions, meaning good behavior can be talking about how chocolate makes Dove feel, especially when paired with the word rich, or it could be about how a person makes her feel. Also, in the last two lines of the poem, Dove says “ Enough chatter: I am ready/ to fall in love!” (15-16). At this point, she is acknowledging the love that she feels for chocolate and for this person she is writing about. She points out the conversation she was having, and then she wants “fall in love”, which I took as taking a bite of chocolate. This could also refer to a person that she is falling in love with. For me, I saw this whole poem as not only the love of chocolate, but an analogy for falling in love.
I totally agree with Dove writing in first person and how it creates a more realistic atmosphere to the poem. The effect created character to the chocolate as if it was a real person. It also helped to give life when you mentioned metaphors. I understood the premise of the poem how she chose chocolate as an interpretation to fall in love. But what about the fourth and fifth stanzas? While reading them, I was confused what Dove was trying to imply. Was the fourth stanza talking about the process in which chocolate is made while the fifth stanza was interpreting that chocolate is irresistible? -Ethan Nguyen
Poem: Meditation at Fifty Yards, Moving Target by Rita Dove The poem, Meditation at Fifty Yards, Moving Target by Rita Dove is broken into four parts with different point of views. The four sections are Safety First, Open Air, Gender Politics, and The Bullet. The first section, Gun Safety you could guess, explained the procedure of using a gun, the correct and safe way. For the most part, the section was free verse since there weren’t any clear rhymes or regular meter. It felt bland and very boring. In Open Air, it’s talking about shooting a gun and focuses on what you shouldn’t do. It’s in the second stanza where the word, “don’t” is being repeated 3 times. The element of repetition puts out a dangerous mood to the reader by listing all the things not to do. The comparison of man and woman is brought out in Gender Politics. The section begins with, “Guys like noise: rapid fire” while the second stanza begins with, “Women are fewer, more elegant” (Line 28 and 32). A stereotypical statement that women can’t be just as tough as men is brought out. That only men will be in support for guns, it quotes, “Rambo or cowboy, they’ll whoop it up” (Line 31) While the assumption is made that women, “They prefer precision” (Line 33). The final section, The Bullet, there is too, repetition like, “Dark dark no wind no heaven” (Line 42). Throughout the section, there are words being said more than twice. In the final line, Dove writes the metaphor, “I am home” implying that the bullet eventually ends up hitting someone or something. -Ethan Nguyen
I agree with your analysis of how the parts are broken down. However, I noticed that you left out the question, "(Question: If you were being pursued, / how would you prefer to go down- / ripped through a blanket of fire or plucked by one incandescent / fingertip?)" (36-40). Personally, I think that the verse resembles a gun, with the hyphen after "down" representing the bullet being fired. The question is hypothetical and features a metaphor when discussing the ways of being killed. Basically, Dove is asking if someone wants to die painfully with multiple gunshots, or quickly with one lethal shot. Perhaps this is a criticism on gang violence or police brutality? In the case of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Brown was shot multiple times. Gang "drive-by" shootings usually involve automatic guns or multiple shots from some form of handgun.
While reading American Smooth by Rita Dove, the poem “Heart to Heart” really stood out to me. In the poem, Rita Dove described the heart as an organ, not as something that holds emotion or can feel. She goes against societal views on what a heart is, and brings reality to the symbol of a heart. The poem is broken up into three stanzas, with the first stanza describing what a heart is not, the second what it is, and the third revealing her feelings. Dove uses enjambment her and in the whole poem to make the poem very narrow in appearance. In society, people view a heart as something that represents your emotions, but in this poem, the author writes about the heart in a literal sense. For example, in the first stanza, Dove writes “ it doesn’t melt/ or turn over,/ break or harden,/ so it can’t feel/ pain,”(3-7). My interpretation of this part is that the heart does not symbolize emotion. In reality, no one can break someone’s heart or “melt” it, because a heart is just an organ, unlike what society makes it to be. Also, it is interesting to me that Dove never actually mentions the word “heart” in the poem besides the title, but a reader can tell exactly what she is talking about by her choice of words. In the second stanza, it says “I feel it inside/ its cage sounding/ a dull tattoo:/ I want, I want” (18-21). Dove refers to a rib cage as a “cage” in this part and uses a metaphor with “dull tattoo” to say how the heart is constantly beating. When it says “I want, I want” I thought this may mean that Dove wants love or wants to express her emotions. The poem goes on in the third stanza to talk about how she has no way to express her emotions, even if she does feel love. She finishes the poem to say that her heart belongs to someone, but they will have to “take her too”, meaning that this person has to accept her heart and her full self.
You’re analysis is on point describing how the heart isn’t really what society depicts it as. It was really great how you noticed the word, “heart” is only used in the title but not in the actual poem. It makes me realize that the heart is not a love symbol but just an organ. When Dove writes about how her chest is in “the cage,” she is referring to her rib cage. I found this interesting in the sense that she wants to love but she doesn’t know how. Dove also writes about how she can’t wear it on her sleeves interpreting that she can’t show love so easily. I just thought these points were essential to talk about. -Ethan Nguyen
Your analysis on Dove stating that the poem was about a literal heart was a new perspective I didn’t see initially. To me, I think the poem is more about comparing the fairy tale romance idea of heart, to the reality of it. That everything one believes and expects isn’t actually how the heart works. How a heart isn’t something that one can control. Similarly to your analysis though, I definitely agree that a heart is just an organ. However, I feel like all the emotions coming from the heart are coming from the brain and not the actual heart, which is what Dove is trying to state.
(Note: I was sure I posted this on Sunday, the 15th, but going through the blogs today I didn't see mine, so I guess it didn't post. So I am re posting it, sorry for inconvenience) In the poem “Meditation at Fifty Yards, Moving Target” Rita Dove attempts to discuss the different results that come with the ownership of guns. In the first stanza, Dove discusses of the dangers of guns when the gun is loaded or not. This stanza uses an example of visual imagery in which Rita Dove attempts to show how serious ownership of a gun can be. She talks about the good and bad results of ownership, and how fast the result can occur. Her point is more effectively shown because of just using a random example, she uses a sleeping child as an example to bring out the reader’s emotions. The second stanza uses the point of view of someone who is in support of firearm ownership. This stanza and the title of the poem are connected because show concentration, as someone is aiming/meditating. It creates a calming tone in the reader’s mind using calm diction. The third stanza is split into two parts which show the difference between men and women’s opinion of guns. It is also an allusion to stereotypes because men are associated with being rowdy, loud, and strong which would in turn result in them supporting gun ownership. Women are thought of as weak, reserved, elegant, which in turn would result in a different opinion than men. The final stanza uses personification on the bullet. This stanza is from the bullet’s point of view. Rita Dove chooses not to use capital letters and punctuation marks to show that the bullet is just simply an object. Rita Dove uses this poem to show the differing perspectives taking on the issue of gun control. -Isaac Livingston
I really liked your analysis of this poem. The part of the poem that separated women and men’s styles of shooting was interesting to me. However, I did not see this part as showing women as weak. I thought it shows women as precise and elegant as opposed to men, who “go crazy”. I saw this when Rita Dove asked the question “If you were being pursued,/ how would you prefer to go down-/ ripped through a blanket of fire/ or plucked by one incandescent/ fingertip?” (36-40). This showed the difference between men, who are more aggressive and shoot endless bullets, and women, who are more concerned with accuracy. The metaphor “through a blanket of fire” is used to show the undisciplined manner in which men shoot guns. The word incandescent, which means radiant, stood out as a key word for Dove’s views on the differences because it shows women as more powerful and precise, not weak.
Bolero, by Rita Dove, shares a title with Boléro (1928) by Maurice Ravel, who is, unsurprisingly, mentioned in the first line of the poem. The poem follows a very strange structure. Each stanza is three lines with the exception of the last 4. With the exception of the last stanza, the lines shrink through the stanza. Each line begins as far left as possible, with the exception of the second lines in stanzas eight and ten, those lines begin on the right side. Doves uses this structure and, more importantly, the shifts in structure to control the rhythm of the poem and to show the reader the passion of dance. It is entirely possible that the initial structure is meant to mimic Boléro despite what Dove says, “Not the ratcheting crescendo of Ravel’s bright winds” (1). Boléro features three primary musical sections. The strings and woodwinds that typically play in legato (long and connected), although the trumpets do join them at some point. The percussion, mostly the snare drums, play short, connected notes. The brass and low brass that play in staccato (short and fragmented). This mimics the first few stanzas in their long, brief, and very short line lengths. In Boléro, that format is the most repeated, just like in Dove’s poem. Most dances are traditionally repetitive, they follow the same three or four count beat with the same order of moves. Yet dance is still considered to be very passionate. The poem shifts in the eighth stanza. This is when the bride in the poem acknowledges her groom and begins to “move with him to the music in the space / allotted them” (26-27). Dance is passionate because it is something done with someone you are passionate about. For example, the tango is a dance that is considered the most passionate style of dance, and it takes two to tango.
Poem: Describe Yourself in Three Words or Less by Rita Dove
This poem describes the author’s personality. Dove uses three stanzas to portray how she feels about herself, particularly at the end of the day, when being a writer/poet (an artist) can be tough and people can get caught up in other factors like fame and creativity. During the first stanza Dove states, “I’m not the kind/who will steal a scene unless/I’ve designed it. I’m not a kind at all/in fact” (2-5). The repetition of “I’m not” emphasizes a thought that the author wants audiences to consider (not being a certain way that people believe her to be). Additionally, when the author writes, “I’m not the kind/who will steal a scene unless/I’ve designed it” (2-4), Dove is making a feisty comeback to those who have considered a thief for taking someone else’s work. That juxtaposition confirms that Dove is original and hardworking and will only take what is truly hers. The entire second stanza in the poem is an analogy for how she views life. Boats are a metaphor for her thoughts and opinions and the fact that she trusts her knowledge and ability to take risks enough to let them venture out on their own. The last line of that stanza declares, “…is simply how it is, and I gather them in,” (15). Dove describes the path her “boats” take as just how life works. No matter if they turn out good or bad, she will learn from the opportunities and accept them for how they are.
I agree with you analysis, and like how you pointed out that Dove takes the good and the bad, and that she intends to learn from her experiences. I believe that trait is hard to come by, and it is uplifting to see it in a person who could very easily take only one or the other, all things considered. What I noticed in the third stanza is that Dove is describing how she believes there is value in everything, but by '[forgetting] the singing" (21), she acknowledges that sometimes life gets in the way, and it is easy to stop appreciating the little things
Poem: Demeter Waiting Demeter Waiting takes place after her daughter; Persephone is taken by her uncle, Hades. Demeter remains sorrow but at the same time there is anger. It’s in the mother instinct to react in such a way when your daughter is taken. Demeter sacrifices the human race by refusing to harvest to have her daughter returned. The Greek setting emphasizes the mother-daughter relationship. Dove uses simile, hyperbole, and consonance to express the mournful and terror to the reader. An example of a simile being used is,”is to put love into her pocket-like one of those ashen Christian philosophers, or a war-bound soldier. Dove is comparing putting love in her pocket to an ashen Christian philosopher. Similes make the reader think and make them wonder what exactly is trying to be interpreted. It also attracts attention so the reader doesn’t seem bored or sleeping. One example of a hyperbole is, “I will drag my grief through a winter of my own making” (Line 8). Greek Gods exemplify superior and immortal figures so it fits the theme that some sort of exaggeration would be used. Demeter is upset and expresses her feelings in such an impossible way. For rhythm, Dove applies consonance, “I will wail and thrash until the whole goddamned golden panorama freezes” (Line 12). The vowel “a” is being repeated to attract a flow that can be easily read without the use of monotone. These literary devices create the unique poem for what it is. -Ethan Nguyen
Poem: American Smooth First of all, what is American Smooth? American Smooth is a form of ballroom dance, and is performed with a partner. Using this allusion, Rita Dove is immediately able to show what the topic of the poem could be about. Rita Dove continues to use the allusion and imagery of dance and compelling diction to show the powerful effect that can come when one loses themselves in dance. The entire poem is about the ballroom dance. Dove uses frequent verbs and description that describe how the dance is performed. Dove mentions moving from dance to dance, breathing heavily between strides, keeping frame, and more. This also creates an image in the reader’s mind showing a performance of dance. Throughout the story, the reader can also see very compelling and powerful diction that creates an influential mood on the reader. Some examples are “ecstatic mimicry” (12), “serene magnificence” (27), “precise execution”(5-6), “perfect agony” (9). This combination of compelling diction and the imagery of dance come together and capture how one can lose themselves in another person during dance, and how it affects the near perfect emotions that the dancer feels. -Isaac Livingston
Please initiate your comments about the poetry in the section "Historical Figures"--due by 11:00 pm Thursday 10/29.
ReplyDeletePoem: Catherine of Alexandria by Rita Dove
ReplyDeleteCatherine of Alexandria was a devout Christian. Her task in life was to prove to the emperor that persecuting Christians was cruel. Catherine of Alexandria converted many Christians and was imprisoned for her doings. In addition, she was a poet, preacher, and was interested in science throughout her life. From a young age she was dedicated to school, which was not the gender norm for women back then. In the poem written by Rita Dove, the author writes about Catherine of Alexandria’s conversion to Christianity. Beginning the poem with “Deprived of learning and/the chance to travel,” (1-2), Dove describes how Catherine of Alexandria was deprived of her passions and was not happy with her position in life. Dove then states, “no wonder sainthood/came as a voice” (3-4). From this personification, the author uses the word “voice” as if to describe her calling as a missionary to have been fate/a true calling. Also, that her decision of becoming Christian came from within and seemed like a flawless plan. Another use of personification from Rita Dove was when she describes Jesus in the second and third stanza, “…what went on/each night was fit/for nobody’s ears/but Jesus’./His breath of a lily.” (6-10). A lily universally known for being white, pure, and gentle. The color white is known to represent friendship, goodness, new beginnings, and virginity. Catherine of Alexandria was famous for being a virgin martyr. By comparing Jesus to the color white, Dove describes how he will always be there for Catherine of Alexandria, and the decision of being his follower will be a positive experience of new beginnings. The last line of the poem is written with a metaphor stating, “…a kept promise,/a ring of milk” (16). This refers to later after she became a Christian and has had many life experiences. The metaphor “a ring of milk” represents Jesus keeping his promise of taking care of Catherine of Alexandria like a parent would. Milk represents the nurture like a mother would, and ring as in surrounding and protecting her always.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the poems we have seen, the motif of women is clearly present throughout all of them. Each of them shows the role women play in society. The poem that stood out was “Tou Wan Speaks to Her Husband Liu Shang”, by Rita Dove. This poem talks about the oppression on women and their role to “please the man”. Each stanza in the poem mentions the wants of the man (Liu Shang), how the woman (Tou Wan) will please him, and how the tone of Tou Wan creates a sarcastic feel to it. The first stanza talks about what the man needs for “the journey”, and what the woman will supply for it. Later, it talks about what the man can do when he “is bored”, and what the woman will do to supply it. Finally, it talks about how the woman will care for the man’s body when he is dead. This is quite peculiar, because if the woman talks about what what she will do for the man, then that means she is sure the man will die before her. Also, when Tou Wan says stuff like “my conqueror”, it doesn’t really create a serious tone or picture in the reader’s mind, showing that she is displeased with her husband. She also mentions the fact that her husband pretty much cheats on her, when she talks about “the girl you most frequently covered”. This poem shows the dissatisfaction with women and their husbands, relating to today’s society when women are still often mistreated and underappreciated for their actions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about the theme of women being prominent in each poem. Your peculiar thought about women assuming that men will say first is very common. In most Asian cultures it's rare for the husband to die first. Something that you probably should have mentioned was the point that women are seen as "objects" and needing to be "owned" by a man. I strongly agree with your last sentence and the fact that this poem is something we can connect to in today's society from being mistreated and objectified.
DeleteI also agree with you saying that the tone of the poem shows Tou Wan's dissatisfaction with her husband. While reading, I thought that there was a more sarcastic tone, especially when she says "and a statue/ of the palace girl you frequently coveted" (38-40). Here, she references her husband's affair with another woman, which I find it strange that she would want a statue of her husband's mistress in his final resting place. The tone is very sarcastic again on line 19 where is says “but you’re bored”. This reminds me of how women aim to please men, like you said, because she goes on with her “tour” of his tomb, and what she will build for him. Also, I like how you included how Tou Wan calls Liu Shang “conquerer” and “emperor” because it shows men as powerful as opposed to women, which is a theme in these poems and throughout history.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSonnet in Primary Colors, by Rita Dove
ReplyDeleteFrida Khalo was a surrealist, Mexican painter who was most known for her self portraits. Although often remembered for her somewhat dark sense of humor, Khalo was always described as a lover of life, and she always strived to be honest with herself. In the poem, Dove compares the beauty of Khalo with the eternal nature of death by using visual imagery and death related diction to create a grieving mood in the reader. Frida Khalo was considered a beautiful women by many, and Dove shows this with the verse, “lovely Frida, erect / among parrots” (2-3). Dove notes how Frida is so extraordinarily beautiful, she stands out among even the prettiest of people, who Dove compares to parrots. Frida’s beauty is again described with: “wildflowers entwining the plaster corset / her spine resides in” (5-6). Nature is commonly described as beautiful, making wildflowers a naturally beautiful occurrence. The plaster corset suggests that this beauty is eternal, as plaster is intensely durable. The death related diction appears simultaneous to the the visual imagery regarding beauty. Dove writes, “the women with one black wing / perched over her eyes” (1-2). Khalo, along with being dead, lived a life under constant stress. Whether from her painting, her marriage, or the fact that she was born right before the Mexican Revolution, Khalo never got a free pass. Khalo’s art style was highly influenced by the Marxist ideology, which is why Dove wrote, “Lenin and Marx and Stalin arrayed at the footstead” (9). The three men, all of which were dead by the time of Khalo’s death, represent the hopelessness Khalo feels, and the inevitability of Khalo’s death. If they were all dead, and they influenced her work, surely she was soon to follow.
If someone researches the Greek King of Pylos, Nestor, they can find a large amount of information about him and his participation in the Trojan War. When they try to research Nestor’s wife, Eurydice they will find little information about her, only that she had two names and numerous children. This is a reoccurring theme throughout history. In the poem “Nestor’s Bathtub”, Rita Dove uses auditory imagery, symbolism, and situational irony to show that women are often left out of history, leaving the past incomplete. The poem describes how Nestor is always away, while his wife is working at home. Eurydice finds an importance in their home (unlike Nestor), but it is burnt down, leaving only Nestor’s bathtub left. Auditory imagery is used when describing the fire that takes place in the home, saying “blasted/ by the force of olive oil/ exploding in the pot”(15-18). Dove uses verbs that remind readers of combustion and puts the verbs at the end of lines to emphasize the destruction of the home that Nestor’s wife had worked so hard to make.This contrasts from the beginning of the poem, where the author explains the lavish conditions of their home. When Dove writes “oil spreading in flames to the lady’s throne”, she emphasizes the unimportance of women, especially in this legend. Nestor’s wife’s throne is demolished, along with the memory of her. The throne is a symbol for women, and how the viewpoint of women is forgotten, just like Eurydice is forgotten in the legend of Nestor. Irony is also used in Rita Dove’s poem. After Nestor’s home burns down, the only thing that is left is one of the only things that truly belonged to Nestor, his bathtub. This is ironic because Eurydice is the one that works very hard on her home and spends the most time there, but only her husband’s belonging is left. Now when people see the ruins of their abode, they will only remember Nestor, even if Eurydice was the person who made it a home.
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t agree with you more about women being overshadowed by men. The time and place was just not preferable since women were tied down to cook and clean while men went hunting. There was no appreciation given since cooking and cleaning seemed like a given instead of a benefit. This sort of lifestyle even exists to this day but at least women are being given more chances to thrive such as education or equal rights.
DeleteIn addition to your analyses, I would like to add the following literary terms, free verse, alliteration, and ballad. While I was reading the poem, I couldn’t find a clear rhythm. It just felt like I was reading a story or a ballad. I would also like to add alliteration as for the first stanza, “While his wife with her white hands” (Line 11). The letter W is being used at the first letter of 4/7 words in the line. The purpose for alliteration is to help the sentences flow at the same time drawing the reader’s attention.
-Ethan Nguyen
Canary by Rita Dov focuses on the talented musician, Billie Holiday. Holiday had a tough childhood growing up. Her parents married when she was three but soon divorced leaving to be raised by her mother. Holiday’s challenges in life shaped her into the woman she grew up to be. The whole second stanza is a metaphor which focuses on her drug addiction. It begins referring to “cooking” (Line 5) which translates to cooking drugs. Then Dov describes Holiday’s spoon and needles as magic. Dov is implying that her drugs are magic and make her feel like she is on top of the world. The last line of the stanza writes a “mirror” (Line 8) and “your bracelet of song” (Line 8). The mirror’s purpose is to have Holiday look herself in the mirror and see what she’s done with her life through drugs. Lastly, the bracelet of song refers to Holiday’s music holding on her to her tight similar to a bracelet. Music can be a strong influence on a person’s life and could change someone for the better.
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out to me in the poem happened to be why the second stanza was in parenthesis? Like a book, you don’t read what’s in the parenthesis but you notice it and skip pass it. Just like Holiday’s drug problem, she wanted to hide it from people. But people did know since Dov wrote, “drummer to base” (Line 5). Drummer to base infers that the whole band knew she was “cooking” but didn’t say anything about it. The parenthesis had a strong effect letting me know on a deeper level without actually reading it what Holiday was like.
-Ethan Nguyen
I liked your analysis and how you connected each stanza to her problems with drug addiction, and how you saw the format of the poem represented Billie Holiday's life. You could also mention how a lot of the drug references both relate and contrast with the life of music. Such as how she mentioned that they were cooking "drummer to bass" and how she mentioned Billies "burned voice". Both of these show how the life of drugs and the life of music can be so close, knowing that everyone was doing it, and how the drugs had interfered with her life to the point of changing her voice. I thought it was very interesting how Rita Dove compared these different lifestyles.
Delete-Isaac Livingston
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree with what you said, especially the part about the mirror. Mirrors are often used in literature to represent what people have become. It is the Hollywood cliche to have a character look at themselves in the mirror, see their past selves in relation to who they are today, and become frustrated. Dove could have done this same thing to make the reader think about what they have done in their life, where they have changed for the better, or for the worse. I think Dove uses the entire poem to talk about how out of control life can get.
DeletePoem: The House Slave by Rita Dove
ReplyDeleteThrough this poem, Rita Dove emphasizes the lifestyle of a slave, specifically a “house slave”/servant. Initially, the day begins for slaves before the sun even rises. They’re awaken and controlled by horns. The slave who is narrating, was separated by his/her sister. The conditions aren’t well and life is tough as the slave lives each day one at a time not focusing on the future. Dove uses abundant amounts of visual imagery to make the audience feel as if they were in the same situation. For example, “the whip curls across the backs of the laggards” (9). By using “curls” the whip is described as much firmer, quicker, and more dangerous. In addition, juxtaposition and visual imagery was used to describe the sleeping conditions, “I lie on my cot, shivering in the early heat” (12). Shivering is not something one does while the weather is warm outside. Instead, this quote proves how there is constant fear in the life of a slave (which is what is controlling the shaking). Also, this comparison can additionally be a metaphor for slavery, in a sense that it’s corrupting the minds of slaves. How everything they knew before (i.e. shivering when cold), is reversed because of the cruelty and inhumane treatment. Furthermore, Dove’s use of personification emphasizes the fact that people are the ones being cruel to the slaves and that slavery isn’t natural. In the last stanza, the author writes, “the fields unfold to whiteness” (13). “Whiteness” is a symbol that represents white people and how they are controlling and the racial majority.
I agree with your analysis, but I don't think your example of juxtaposition is actually juxtaposition, but rather a paradox. A juxtaposition is the placing of two unlike ideas side by side. This would be like a hero and villain being compared in the same lines of a poem. A paradox is self contradictory but contains truth, like "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others" from George Orwell's Animal Farm. Your following analysis of the meaning of "...shivering in the early heat" (12), is something I agree with and stumbled upon in my color marking myself, I just disagree with the lit term you identified it as.
DeleteI analyzed The Abduction and its context is based on the movie, 12 Years a Slave. The structure of the poem relates to the context of the ballad. Each stanza is decreasing by one line therefore putting emphasis on how Solomon Northrup’s story is taken a turn for the worse. The poem begins describing Northrup being in a happy place as he has free papers in his pocket, a violin under his arm, and two new friends by his side, Brown and Hamilton. But the ballad takes a turn when, “the wine, like a pink lake, tipped” (line 11). Northrup is being drugged to be taken as a slave and the poem concluded with one line. By having the last line also being alone and one, gives a darker and greater feel when the last line reads, “I woke and found myself alone…” (Line 15). It’s not a coincidence that the writer had the last line of the poem be one and having Northrup finding himself alone. Such a horrific and dark place does not deserve to be written in detail. The setting Northrup ends at resembles the end which relates to the last single line being the conclusion.
ReplyDeleteBesides the structure, there is imagery in the following poem. Auditory imagery was seen a few times during Brown’s and Hamilton’s objective to drug Northrup. For example, “I remember how the windows rattled...” (Line 10) and “I was lifted-the sky swiveled, clicked into place” (Line 12). Northrup wanted the reader to understand what he himself was going through. Little details such as sound can paint a clear picture for the reader.
-Ethan Nguyen
I like how you connected the poem with something you can relate you and better understand. However, I disagree with your statement on why the poem increases each line. I think Dove did that to emphasize that as the days go on, there is less and less hope for Soloman. Also, the last line is concise and dark for the dramatic affect and shock, not because of the fact that Dove didn’t want to describe the scenario. In fact, if she had written about it, it would be easier for readers to emotionally connect and understand the poem.
DeleteI agree with Brittany in the aspect of the lines decreasing with each stanza. I believe this is to symbolize his hope disappearing as his life goes on as he has less to look forward to and less hope of living a good life. I do like your analysis of the last line as it does set a dark mood and it effectively portrays the life of the author.
DeleteI did my analysis on David Walker (1785-1830). Throughout these poems by Rita Dove, it is easy to see the poems deal with the issue of slavery and other inhumane acts towards African Americans. David Walker was an abolitionist who made prominent works for anti-slavery propositions during the early 1800’s. The first stanza talks about how lucky he was to be “free to walk”, meaning that he was born into a free family. He was known to move around a lot , eventually moving to Boston creating a clothing store that sold to black sailors. This is shown in the first stanza when he talks about the slop shop, being at the counter, and fans on the ceiling, which all represented parts of the shop he was working in. The sailors would smuggle his abolitionist pamphlets the parts of the south, Which is shown in the poem when pamphlets were stuffed into trouser pockets. The italicized parts in this poem are excerpts from those pamphlets. Some of these pamphlets were eventually discovered and led to an uproar, as singing at the end of the second stanza. David Walker also was on the abolitionist speakers circuit. The jeweled canaries refer to the audience, as both men and women wear gloves to evening entertainments. Finally, Rita Dove talks about John Walker's death, as he had died suddenly. He was had thought to have died of poisoning, but it could have also been tuberculosis. Rita Dove uses this poem to describe the sad life of an African American and how he managed to change the world.
ReplyDelete-Isaac Livingston
I agree with your historical analysis of this poem and how the poem represents the life of David Walker. Another thing I liked about your analysis is that you explained part of the third stanza, and about how he was a speaker in a abolitionist speaker’s circuit. One thing that I found in this poem was in lines five and six, where it says “white caps, ale-stained pea coats. Compass needles eloquent as tuning forks, shivered, pointing north”. These lines depict the movement of escaped slaves through David Walker’s clothing shop. After doing some research, I found that white caps were commonly worn by slaves. In this quote, there is a simile used (eloquent as a tuning fork) to describe the escaped slave’s determination to reach the north. Eloquent means passionate and a tuning fork is an instrument used to set the a steady pitch. The simile means that the slaves path was set towards the north, because it was steady and passionate.
DeleteOne poem that stood out to me in this section was “The Transport of Slaves From Maryland to Mississippi”. It tells the story of the attempted escape of a group of slaves while they are on a wagon ride. Dove uses different points of view in each section of the story, which makes it very interesting for the readers to see the perspectives of different people. The first perspective written was the woman who helped the driver, who was the reason for the group’s recapture. It contrasts with the next section, which has a style that may remind the reader of a newspaper. The woman shows readers the human side of the story. Even though she is treated inhumanly, she thinks “I am no brute. I got feelings. He might have been a son of mine” (12-13). She can feel empathy and has the ability to relate to people that continue to persecute her. In the second section, where there is a historical perspective of the events in the poem, there is a very unemotional tone and readers feel somewhat unconnected to the story. In the third and final section of the poem, the poem is in third person, but the thoughts and feelings of the Baggage man, Petit are shown. The narrator first describes the driver being clubbed from behind. Then, Petit comes in, finding the slaves without cuffs. What struck me here was that he uses racial stereotyping by thinking that the slaves will cower before him at the sight of his whip. In the poem it says, “Wait. You ain’t supposed to act this way” (29). He assumes that just because they were slaves that they could not be strong and are too simple minded to think for themselves. His ignorance not rewarded. Overall, the different points of view in this poem change the mood and show readers different sides to the same story.
ReplyDeleteYou’re analyses on the different perspectives of the poem was a great detail to point out. Each perspective and their views you talked about was thought out and on point. Also, you’re supporting quotes gave much more reassurance and extra detail about what you had to say for each person. Let’s take for example, “I am no brute. I got feelings. He might have been a son of mine” (12-13). By giving this specific quote, you are giving clear evidence on how she can have empathy while still remaining to relate to the people who hurt her.
DeleteIn stanza 3, the word “negro” and “negroes” is capitalized as if that were their names. By having the word being capitalized, I have the sense that the stanza was from a pro-slavery man’s point of view. It also gives the effect that the word negro was more than just a description but a permanent name. Plantation owners could care less of the worker’s name so instead called him or her negro. It was in the white man’s vocabulary exemplifying power beneath them.
-Ethan Nguyen
Belinda's Petition caught my eye in this collection. It tells the story of Belinda, a former slave of the Royall family. Cheated out of money left to her by her former owner, Belinda presents a petition to the Massachusetts General Court. The poem is Dove's retelling of the petition. Dove selectively capitalizes nouns throughout the poem to draw attention to keywords. With the exception of “Lately” (8) and “Same” (9), every capitalized letter belongs to a noun. In the first stanza, four words stick out among the capitalized, “African” (3), “Slave” (4), “Time” (5), and “Life” (6). All four words appear as the last words in their lines. Together, these words are meant explain how slavery is lifelong normally. Belinda was lucky to be freed, and she knew that. However, she still experienced immense amounts of trauma. The second stanza features many more words being capitalized in the center of their respective lines in proportion to the end of their lines. It also contains the only words that aren’t nouns to have capital letters. Belinda compares the Revolutionary War to the plight of African Americans, which was a very common argument against slavery. If America has earned its freedom, shouldn’t slaves be freed? Shouldn’t a free slave be given what is rightfully theirs? Shouldn’t all humans be treated fairly? The final stanza describes Belinda’s childhood before slavery. The capitalized words are spread relatively evenly between the beginning, middle and end of the lines. Belinda mentions her place of birth, “Rio de Valta” (15). From that point on, the poem is about Belinda’s childhood abduction. Belinda grew up knowing nothing of the world outside her home, “Travelers were the Dead who returned / from the Ridge each Evening.” (17-18). Death is often related to the color black, so the Dead who return are really other Africans. It also could be in reference to being a slave until death. In contrast, the “Men with Faces like the Moon” (19), refer to the white slave traders who abducted her when she was twelve.
ReplyDeleteYou’re analyses on the different perspectives of the poem was a great detail to point out. Each perspective and their views you talked about was thought out and on point. Also, you’re supporting quotes gave much more reassurance and extra detail about what you had to say for each person. Let’s take for example, “I am no brute. I got feelings. He might have been a son of mine” (12-13). By giving this specific quote, you are giving clear evidence on how she can have empathy while still remaining to relate to the people who hurt her.
ReplyDeleteIn stanza 3, the word “negro” and “negroes” is capitalized as if that were their names. By having the word being capitalized, I have the sense that the stanza was from a pro-slavery man’s point of view. It also gives the effect that the word negro was more than just a description but a permanent name. Plantation owners could care less of the worker’s name so instead called him or her negro. It was in the white man’s vocabulary exemplifying power beneath them.
-Ethan Nguyen
Was this meant to be a response to Gabrielle's blog post?
Deleteoops
DeleteIn the poem, "David Walker (1785-1830)", it speaks from the point of view of a man who has seen mor turmoil and sadness in his life than any of us could imagine. He takes this emotion and pours it into his words in order to speak out against the atrocities he has faced his whole life. This poem effectively shows Walker's pure objectivity to his social status and the unfairness that life has dealt him. Literary devices are used to show emotion in the poem. The simile "They strip and beat and drag us about like rattlesnakes" shows how helpless they feel as they are unable to fight back. A personification is also used when it is said that, "Compass needles, eloquent as tuning forks, shivered, pointing north". This is used to set the mood of the poem, as shivering is associated with anxiety and being cold, both with negative connotation. The poem ends with a sullen mood as it is said, "his person... found face-down in the doorway at Brattle Street, his frame slighter than friends remembered". The gloomy mood here is showing the emotion of his life, as the disappointment and sadness felt by the reader in this moment shows the sadness felt by David Walker in his life.
ReplyDelete-Brady Boling
Poem: Rosa by Rita Dove
ReplyDeleteThis poem was written in honor of Rosa Parks. The African-American rights activist was known for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man and moving to the segregated back of the bus. Dove wrote the poem in a consistent manner; each stanza has three lines, each with only one sentence besides the last one and the second stanza. The last stanza has two sentences to create a concise and dramatic mood to the writing. For example, “…when they bent down to retrieve her purse. That courtesy” (11-12). Breaking the thought into two sentences resembled almost a punch in the face. The whites were attempting to move Rosa Parks if she was not willing to move herself, so her sarcastic acknowledgement/thought showed that she wasn’t insulted by the gesture. That she was a bigger person and not willing to give up. The second stanza was broken into two sentences to show that Rosa Parks was an “Average Joe” so to speak. In line six, Dove states, “Her sensible coat” meaning that she was in comfortable clothes and not trying to make a scene/stand out. Similarly, Dove expresses how Rosa Parks was influenced by other rights activists such as Ghandi and Cesar Chavez by having a peaceful revolt. Rosa Parks realizes that “Doing nothing was the doing:” (7). This made Rosa Parks unique because she wasn’t willing to get into physical fights and kill for whites to understand African-American oppression. For one of the few times in history this battle was a peaceful and organized movement.
I agree completely with your analysis of this poem. I liked how you said that ending the poem by saying “that courtesy” was like “a punch in the face”. Also, I noticed that “doing nothing was the doing” is a paradox because it seems self contradictory and like it shouldn’t make sense. In this case, it shows the irony that Rosa Parks was arrested and caused such a huge scene for doing nothing and simply sitting there. Another part that intrigued me was in the first stanza, where it says “the time right inside a place/ so wrong it was ready” (2-3). I believe that the bus was so “wrong” because it was somewhere that promoted discrimination towards African Americans. The time was “right” because it was finally time to take a stand for rights and make a permanent change. This line meant to me that it was the perfect moment for Rosa Parks to make a change to a place so segregated.
DeletePoem: “The situation is intolerable”
ReplyDeleteIt is not hard to see how Rita Dive feels about the issues of civil rights that America has had. In “The situation is intolerable”, it seems that Rita Dove uses first person narration to convey the thoughts that those who were/are not as privileged compared to those with “easier” lives. The issue that Rita Dove shows in the first stanza is how there isn’t really a difference between those who are segregated and those who aren’t. She talks about how everyone is civilized, as everyone had the same possessions or even looked the same; with shoes, shirts, pants, and even the right to their religion, using “we” to make a personal connection with the reader. Although there are all these similarities between them, African-Americans (or whatever group that can be exemplified) are still considered “intolerable”. She then talks about how both groups saw the same things and were raised in the same place. Talking about how everything around them was dark, and how there were flames around “us”, representing the lines dividing the different groups. Rita Dove then makes a final claim, talking about the awful conditions that they were born in, and how that would be like. Such as “born up a creek…knocked flat with a paddle..ain’t got a pot to piss in”, and so on. She summarizes the cruelty they felt saying how it wasn’t the people that are intolerable, but that “Our situation is intolerable”. This poem brings out the unjust conditions that people were experiencing, especially during the civil rights period.
-Isaac Livingston
I agree with your analysis on “The situation is intolerable”. However, something that I might have misinterpreted in your blog was the fact that you said “they” when talking about the “born up a creek…” quote. I wasn’t sure if you were talking about both the African-Americans and whites, or just the African-Americans. If talking about both races, I disagree and think that the reason why it’s in its own stanza was to separate the thoughts of togetherness and the differences in black oppression. Therefore, Dove writes about the differences between the two races and how blacks are treated horribly.
DeleteI couldn’t agree more with your analyses on “The situation is intolerable.” We had similar ideas in the sense that Africans appeared to look the same compared to white people but were still considered intolerable. The way you interpreted the context of the poem really gave me a clearer understanding of what you were trying to say. Such as pointing out use of “we” or “us” to create a connection between the reader and Rita Dove. I would just like to add to the final claim of the poem where it reads, “Our situation is intolerable.” Going in more depth, Dove is trying to say that African Americans could never get a chance for a real chance at life. Nothing they could do could fix that because their “situation” was so bad.
Delete-Ethan Nguyen
The poem, “The situation is intolerable” centers on class structure and differing ideals. It’s in one of the opening line that it reads, “Aren’t we civilized, too?”(Line 2). By the questioning if one is civilized automatically points out the African American’s point of view. It’s obvious to say that African Americans had their challenges during the civil rights movement. Whether it was fighting to eat in an unrestricted area or attending the same schools with white people. What I took out of the previous quote I mentioned was that people appear to look the same yet remain different or intolerable. It’s in the last stanza that it explains, it doesn’t matter where you come from because they’re going to be judged wherever they are. People are being judged by the color of their skin rather what’s inside. In the modern era, people are caught up in the fact that how we represent ourselves presents a true definition of who you are. But there will always be someone who will not accept the way an individual. A huge connection is being seen between Dove’s poems about slavery to the poems about the civil rights movement.
ReplyDelete-Ethan Nguyen
In “Climbing In” Rita Dove uses allusion and dental diction to compare a bus driver to the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. In the story, a girl is on her way to her grandmother’s house through the woods and a wolf impersonates her grandmother in order to trick her into being eaten. Little Red Riding Hood becomes suspicious when she sees the wolf’s big mouth and teeth. In the poem, Dove describes the bus driver’s teeth as the “teeth of the wolf under Grandmother’s cap” (10-11). She compares the teeth of the bus driver to the wolf’s because they are both deceptive characters and hide behind false smiles. The bus driver is portrayed this way because he lets African Americans on the bus, but supports the rule that requires them to sit in the back. This rule is an example of the inequality hidden behind a false “smile”. Dove also uses dental diction when she writes “Pay him to keep smiling”( 13). This refers to his racism because the only thing that causes him to tolerate black people is the fact that he is on the job and making money. I think that if something was to go wrong on the bus involving the African Americans, he would be very cruel towards them, and is a very authoritative figure for black people. His false appearance is similar to the wolf’s because they both have deceiving looks, and make an artificial impression on others. Both of their thoughts and views do not match up to their facades. The wolf does this when he pretends to be a loving grandmother, while secretly plotting to kill the girl. In total, the author of this poem compares the bus driver and the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood by using description of smiles and direct allusion to the story itself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis completely. I'd just like to add that the teeth could also be compared to the doors of the bus. This is supported by the word "Metallic" (2). The doors are metal teeth, and interior is the belly of the beast (the bus being the beast). In some versions the grandma is eaten by the wolf, so Dove could be comparing African Americans to the grandma, and the bus to the wolf. Upon reflection, your analysis makes more sense, I just wanted to try and look at it from a different angle
DeleteI definitely agree with your analysis. I like this poem because it was very straight forward and easy to make connections with. Rita Dove uses a story that almost everyone has read in their lifetime; this story being Red Riding Hood. Using this type of allusion creates a connection with almost everyone and allows almost everyone to understand the message that Rita Dove wanted to convey, and I think that was a brilliant move by her.
DeleteIn the Lobby of the Warner Theatre, Washington, D.C. comes across more as a work of prose than poetry. This is due to long stanzas, sentence structure, and characterization of the movie director and the woman in the wheelchair. Dove stultifies the producer while praising the woman in the wheelchair, causing the reader to feel like they are there with the narrator watching the scene play out. The director is “Elegant in a high-strung way” (4). The director looks impressive, but he is still obviously a nervous wreck. It is his movie, and he is relying on this woman to make him look good. He “cajoled her to come” (3). It seems like a sign of desperation, coaxing a woman in a wheelchair to come to an event. Further adding to his weak image is his physical description, “shoved half spectacles up the nonexistent / bridge of his nose.” (5-6). Shoving implies frustration, which shows his lack of equanimity. The quip about his nose implies that the narrator believes he is unattractive and inadequate, lacking a full nose to even hold his own glasses isn’t a trait of a man that the public would look up to. In comparison, the woman, although in a wheelchair was described with an aura of importance. Dove writes, “she was the true inspiration,” (9). The audience looks up to this woman, they came to see her. This excitement isn’t anything new to the woman, “She knew how to abide, / to sit in cool contemplation of the expected.” (11-12). It is obvious that the woman has been famous long enough to expect certain things, but as noted later, not long enough to find it tedious. The woman still finds delight in the crowds and camera flashes. Her control and compassion draw the audience, as well as the reader, to her. The director on the other hand doesn’t draw the same crowd. The most important part of this poem however is that race isn’t mentioned, which is different from most other poems in this collection. There is no apparent struggle of race. The director could be black and the women white, which would explain why she is described with such praise, as would be normal in the historic period. However, it is more likely that the director is white and the woman black, “she was living history” (9). The crowd ignores the director because he is white, and is more focused on whatever is happening to her because they are black as well.
ReplyDeletePoem: Parsley by Rita Dove
ReplyDeleteThe poem Parsley by Rita Dove describes an important event in Rafael Trujillo’s life. One of his most known moments is his genocide from the Parsley Massacre. This massacre occurred from his hatred of Haitians and wanting to distinguish the difference between Dominicans and Haitians. Soldiers would hold up parsley and depending on how said person pronounces the R in parsley (rolling the R means one is Dominican) depends on if they get to live or survive. Thus, why parsley is such a large symbol in this poem. In section two, entitled The Palace, the fourth stanza in it describes this scenario. Dove states, “…He hears/the Haitians sing without R’s/ as they swing the great machetes:” (53-55). Another repeated symbol in this poem was the cane fields. Cane fields were where the soldiers would bring the people to be interrogated, since sugar cane fields are tall, Trujillo’s soldiers were able to have weapons (“Out of the swamp the cane appears” (3).) and to kill without being caught, which is how Trujillo got away with the genocide of Haitians. Additionally, another symbol is the parrot. Since the parrot is green like parsley, “…its feathers parsley green” (2), this is not a coincidence for the two are connected with each other. Repeated is the simile, “Like a parrot imitating spring” (6), to resemble how the parrot is owned by Trujillo. Later this is also proved by part two where, “…He orders pastries/brought up for the bird” (40-41). The relevance of the bird is to justify his killing (similarly to Adolf Hitler). He sees the Haitians as inhumane for the fact that they cannot roll their R’s and even an animal (who imitates sound) is able to do so. Thus, he sees the Haitians as inferior and undeserving of life.
I agree with your discussion of the symbols throughout this poem. However, at times I thought that the parrot resembled the lives of the Haitian sugarcane workers. The parrot meant many different things to me at different points in the poem. But When Dove says the bird lives in an “ivory cage”, it reminds me of the workers because the bird has no freedom, just like the workers have none in the Dominican Republic. Also I thought it was interesting that the parrot is “imitating spring”, which happens to be the opposite of Autumn, the time of death of Trujillo’s mother. The contrast of Spring and Fall is shown in the seventh stanza, through the cane that Trujillo planted in her memory. I don’t know if this is a coincidence, but it seem strange that the bird imitates spring and the seventh stanza is all about Fall.
DeleteIn “Parsley” by Rita Dove, one thing that stood out to me was the use of two points of view. The first perspective was of the Haitian sugarcane workers that were murdered and was in first person. The second perspective used was the dictator of Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo and was in third person. The poem describes the views of both the workers and “El General” when Haitians were executed after not being able to pronounce the “R” in the spanish word for parsley. In the first section, told from the view of a Haitian worker, it says “we lie down screaming as rain punches through/ and we come up green. We cannot speak an R-” (7-8). Extreme verbs are used in this part of the poem such as screaming and punches to create a foreboding mood, because the workers end up dying. When the poem says “come up green” I think that it is referring to the decomposition of bodies and how the dead are buried in the ground, with plants growing through them, hence them coming up green. The first part of the poem evokes sympathy in the readers because we feel for the people who have been murdered. This is a contrast to the second part of the poem, where we get to see the inner thoughts of the dictator and can feel his cold darkness throughout the section. In the first stanza, Dove writes “As he paces he wonders/ who can I kill today, And for a moment/ the little knot of screams/ is still” (31-34). Especially in this stanza, I can see the dictators reasons for killing thousands of people and his humanity. His grieves the loss of his mother, and distracts himself from the pain through violence. I think that the knot of screams is a symbol for the guilt he feels for his mother’s death, and he can push his feelings away only through sanguinary actions. Trujillo is contrasted from the Haitian workers here because this shows his destructive and murderous ways for dealing with internal conflict, compared to the innocent workers.
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you were able to identify the point of view, and its effect on the mood. Dove is able to make the reader empathize with the different character of the poem very well. Not everyone knows the fear of death, nor does everyone know the grievances that come with losing a mother. I wonder though, do you think that Dove in any way tries to justify Trujillo's actions by having the audience sympathize so strongly with him? I see how you could argue that he was mentally ill and the trauma of losing his mother worsened his judgement, but I am not sure if that necessarily absolves him of blame.
DeleteParsley by Rita Dove consists of two parts; The Cane Fields, a villanelle, is the first; and The Palace, the much longer section consisting of seven stanzas, one with one line, six with seven to eight lines. Both segments deal with the Parsley Massacre (the massacre of Haitian people on Dominican soil), an event that set the tone for, Dominican dictator, Rafael Trujillo’s harsh command over the Dominican Republic. The villanelle in the beginning represents Trujillo’s psyche, his obsession with the rolling of the R that he knew his mother for. This is done with the alliteration and consonance of R and P sounds and through the format of the villanelle repeating lines one and three at the end of each stanza. Most lines have at least three words with a P or R sound like this, “in the palace, its feathers parsley green.” (2). The two lines that are repeated are no exception, “There is a parrot imitating spring,” (1), and “Out of the swamp the cane appears” (3). As recognized later on, the parrot is representative of Trujillo’s late mother. Spring is commonly considered a beautiful season, with the blooming of flowers and what not. Line three is much more literal. Sugar cane grows in the swamp, and this so happens to be where the Haitians were slaughtered. All the repetition stems from the word perejil, Trujillo’s word of death. Haitians can’t roll the R like Dominicans can, which led to Trujillo’s decision that they were inferior. They weren’t like his mother, “she / could roll an R like a queen. Even / a parrot can roll an R!” (58-60). Trujillo was obsessed with his mother. To him, she was perfection. She was the good in his life. Now that she had gone, he would kill to defend her honor; the honor of someone who could roll an R.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting how you chose to analyze the consonance of each stanza. Do you think the P sound is a coincidence? Or do you think it connects to the first letter of parrot, which could help tie in its symbolism? Also, I thought it was interesting on how you took Trujillo's killing to defend his mother's honor. I wasn't quite sure how his mother connected to the parrot and parsley but now I understand it more clearly.
DeleteYour background information on Trujillo’s and his mother relationship really made me understand the poem’s story more clearly. His obsession for his mother and how he thought she was perfection were really good points. It gave me clearer meaning on how much Trujillo loved his mother. The alliteration and consonance through the R and P was not a nice catch. Especially when realizing when it was seen through the end of each line on lines, 1 and 3 of each stanza. Your point of emphasis on the alliteration and consonance were very thought out and organized well.
Delete-Ethan Nguyen
The poem, Parsley is broken into two parts. Both parts take place in the Dominican Republic but the first half is set in Trujillo sugar cane fields while the second half is set in Trujillo’s palace. The poem centers on a lyrical device therefore making the setting very clear. The poem is based on real events, which have real places that correspond to the poem. It made me understand the poem easier by reading these real life images. It was probably good for Rita Dove since she could directly pick out places and events and apply them to her poem. The event Dove explores in Parsley is of Spanish general who lost his mother. Initially sorrow, he turns his feeling into vengeance and orders to execute all who cannot pronounce the letter, “r.” General Trujillo seemed obsessed to eliminate influences of Haiti from Dominican culture. The plot exemplifies how manner in which language and ideology can combine to produce political violence. Violence is seen throughout as the premise of the story is based on a massacre by the order of one man. Though you don’t read direct details of killings, there are hints that give the sense of violence. Acts like harvesting sugar cane are described as being, “cut it down” (Line 4). This is followed by, “screaming, punching, lying down, gnawing, and arrowheads.” Only hints of violence are being used in the poem. Reason why could be that the massacre wanted to be quiet and unheard of. The general wanted to keep his actions secrete where he wouldn’t be faced with the punishments or threats of other countries.
ReplyDelete-Ethan Nguyen
I liked your analysis because it mainly focused on the historical significance and how it relates to the point of view, rather than focusing on the other literary features that are present in the poem, such as repetition or allusion. I agree with your analysis as it accurately and correctly identifies the problems that were present throughout history by taking a deeper look into the poems meaning, rather than just reading it and repeating it line after line. I believe this analysis would greatly help others know what the true meanings behind Dove's work.
Delete-Isaac Livingston
In the poem “Parsley,” Rita Dove uses allusions and repetition of a single word to show the horrors of the Haitian massacre that occurred in 1937. In Spanish, Perejil means parsley. This is an allusion to what happened during the Haitian massacre, as if the Haitians were unable to pronounce the R correctly, they were put to death. “There is a parrot imitating spring” (Dove 1). This is the first of many places in the poem where Dove mentions the parrot. The parrot is a phrase repeated throughout the poem as a symbol of violence: “For every drop of blood/ there is a parrot imitating spring” (17-18). Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo is portrayed in the second section of the poem. “He ordered pastries/ brought up for the bird”, this shows he treats his pet parrot better than the Haitian workers, as Trujillo’s parrot is able to pronounce the “R” (40-41). It is also quite ironic that Dove uses diction such as parsley and parrots which usually represent beauty and peace, in order to portray something as horrific as the Parsley Massacre Rita Dove has chosen this contrast to represent how something so beautiful and simple can represent violence and genocide. Through these uses of allusion and repetition Dove is able to truly portray how horrific the Haitian Parsley Massacre was.
ReplyDelete-Isaac Livingston
Poem: Used by Rita Dove
ReplyDeleteIn this poem, Rita Dove describes the scenario of a mother-daughter connection due to societal standards for females. Being a girl, there are many times when a girl will feel that her worth is based on her physical assets. Mothers understand this scenario and are able to connect with their daughter much better than say a father or a sibling (even a sister) because the mother contains wisdom from past experiences. In my opinion, the emotional struggles from raising a girl/being a girl is harder than raising/being a boy. The poem begins with Dove writing, "The conspiracy's to make us thin. Size threes/are all the rage, and skirts ballooning twinkling knees/are every man-child's preadolescent dream," (1-3). Since the majority of the poem is in third person, it displays a mother telling her daughter about advice [as the daughter inferentially goes through the same teenage experiences as she once did]. Dove states that girls always focus on their clothing size, a size three specifically, in order to impress men. That a girl must be "girly" and dress in skirts and sparkles because that's what society engrained in everyone's minds. Later in that stanza, Dove states, "Tabula rasa. No slate's that clean" (4), to describe how every mother wishes that her daughter wouldn't have to conform to society and worry about the irrelevant stress. Tabula rasa translates in Latin to "blank-slate" which can symbolize mothers' wanting lives for their daughters without remade "rules" on how a girl should be.
I agree with what you said, but I noticed that you stayed inside the first stanza. What about the second and third? If you read the poem as a whole, it becomes less about societal standards based on appearance, and more about societal standards as a whole, including childbirth. Pregnancy is mentioned twice in the poem. The first time is in context of how women often look physically different after childbirth, and the second is in the context of postpartum depression. While pushing the societal notion that all women have to be mothers, Dove argues that it drags the women down by using the metaphor of the woman falling out of her bed because of silk sheets. The pun in the last line sounds like it should be talking about staying at a moderate temperature, but it also refers to the difficulty of keeping up with the standards in place in society, "It's hard work staying cool." (14).
DeletePoem: Persephone, Falling
ReplyDeleteAs you can tell already from the title, it is about the daughter of a mythological goddess, Demeter. The poem requires a little background information to fully understand the poem. So as Persephone was picking flowers, she is kidnapped from her uncle, Hades and brought down to the underworld. Demeter, goddess of harvest, refuses to plant anymore things until Persephone is returned.
The poem begins with the moment Persephone is kidnapped while she was pulling flowers. She was taken away without any witnesses as, “No one heard her. No one! She had strayed from the heard” (Line 7-8). It’s in the second and last stanza that it’s spoken from Demeter’s point of view. Demeter is telling Persephone that she needs to act a certain way so she doesn’t get into any trouble. The last two lines of the poem tell the reader why Demeter has to be so over productive. The world is a dangerous place and Demeter only wants her daughter to stay out of harms- way.
The poem is an Italian sonnet in which the whole poem consists of 14 lines and that there’s a clear change of sequence after the first stanza that has 8 lines. The first stanza (octave) is presenting a problem in which Persephone is being kidnapped. Then the second stanza (sestet) in a way is supposed to solve the problem. In this case, the poem’s point of view is changed from the narrative to the true feelings of Demeter. Though there are qualities that don’t make it an Italian sonnet such as there is no clear rhyme pattern. But there are end rhymes like, “around, down, and ground” (Lines 10, 12, 14). The poem is in a clear structure where the reader is able to see the problem and solution.
-Ethan Nguyen
I agree with your analysis of this poem, however I had some different views on the second stanza. My thoughts about the part in parenthesis was not related to the myth of Demeter and Persephone to me. I thought that this may have been Rita Dove’s own memory of childhood. Especially since it says, “stick with your own playmates” and “keep your eyes down” I thought it related to the civil rights movement. Rita Dove may have recieved advice similar to this from her own mother because of the danger of being an African American child during that time period. I think that she related it to the poem because they both have the theme that you cannot control what happens to your child when she is not with you, and all you can do is set them up best for success. Demeter could not control that Persephone was taken by Hades, and neither can a mother control what happens to her child when they go to school.
DeleteA poem that stood out to me in this section was “The Bistro Styx” by Rita Dove. It depicts a mother and daughter having a meal together in Paris, with the daughter living with an artist. Rita Dove compares the mother and daughter in this poem to Demeter and Persephone, the mother and daughter from the greek myth using visual imagery and allusion. In the myth, Demeter is the Goddess of harvest and her daughter gets taken by Hades into the underworld and eats pomegranate seeds, forever trapping her there. After making a deal with Hades, Persephone is allowed to live on Earth for six months of the year, being half dead and half alive. In the first and second stanzas, the daughter is described as “thinner, with a mannered gauntness” and “dressed in all grey” (1, 7). The girl is wearing grey, which symbolizes properness and non-emotion, and this is symbolic of her attitude towards her mother. The change in her clothes represented Persephone’s change from alive to half dead. She is very cold towards her mother, and does not seem to put any emotion into their visit. This causes her mother to see her as a completely different person as she was before, as I can see in the fourth line when she asks “what’s this” in regards to her daughter. To me, this was similar to Persephone because a dead part will always be inside her, and she has changed forever after being taken to Hades. Also, Rita Dove uses allusion through the daughter eating an abundance of food at the restaurant. In the myth, the Persephone eats pomegranate seeds, and if someone eats food in the underworld they are trapped there forever. When the girl orders and eats three dishes, she never seems to be full, which is similar to Persephone. After eating the pomegranate seeds, was never fulfilled in her life ever again and able to live in the human world. The eating of food symbolizes the daughter being lost forever and will never come back to her mother completely or be like she was before she lived with the artist. Overall, this poem shows a modern day representation of a Greek myth and shows that complete restoration of people after changes is impossible.
ReplyDeletePrimer by Rita Dove is about a girl who is bullied by three other girls, and her realization of how the world works. This reminds me of the spoken word poem at the end of That Power by Childish Gambino. Gambino recalls an experience he had where he confessed his feelings to a girl on a bus home from summer camp, and what he learned about society through that experience. The lines that really formed the connection for me were, “Nothing could get me into that car. / I took the long way home, swore / I’d show them all: I would grow up.” (Dove 12-14), and, “I wish I could say this was a story about how I got on the bus a boy and got off a man more cynical, hardened, and mature and [stuff]. But that’s not true. The truth is I got on the bus a boy. And I never got off the bus. I still haven’t…” (Gambino). Right from the beginning, there is a common theme of the urge to grow up. All though growing up has different meanings in different cultures and to different people, it in general means to change into whatever a stronger and more mature version of oneself. The girl in Primer, presumably Dove herself, realizes that her mom, a grown-up, can still defend her loved ones, despite being “five-foot-zero” (Dove 10). That gives meaning to the last three lines; the girl wants to show that she can be worthy of even an ounce of the respect her mother gets. Gambino realized that there is no such thing as a secret in the world, “So I learned cut out the middle man, make it all for everybody, always.” (Gambino). He confessed to a girl, and she told everybody she knew, so he decided to put up a verbal barrier. To him this isn’t a traditional version of growing up, he isn’t tougher or more resilient, he is masking his childish innocence with a tough guy persona. This is the connection between the poems; behind every strong adult is a small, scared child.
ReplyDeleteI’d like to start off by pointing out the great connection between the poem and the song, That power by Childish Gambino. I’m personally a huge fan and had to give praise to an awesome connection. I agree with you the message Rita and Childish Gambino present in which people can hide a persona so they aren’t seen as weak or put in labels. To add onto your analysis, there are a lot of consonance. The poem is a ballad so it needed something to flow or add flavor so the poem didn’t seem boring. On line 3, “in rolled-down bobby socks..” the sound of o is being repeated. While reading the line, the words were clearly being read as if it was in rhythm.
Delete-Ethan Nguyen
I chose to do my analysis on “Breakfast of Champions” by Rita Dove. In this poem, Dove shows a story of a woman who has experienced a serious tragedy and is trying to recover from that horrible event. Dove never actually writes what had happened, and I think that is the attractiveness of the poem. If Dove said exactly what happened, than the reader’s view of the woman probably would be completely different than what we see now. Instead of stating what happened, Dove uses depressing diction to hint to this woman’s daily struggles. Dove says, “Finally, overcast skies. I’ve crossed a hemisphere,//worked my way through petals and sunlight//to find a place fit for mourning” (1-3). In this part, Dove uses a hyperbole to convey the likely far distance that the woman has come since the incident, working her way through “petals and sunlight”, she has not yet had time to grieve and feel the full impact of what happened. Next, Dove uses the mentioning of alcohol to show a more humanistic way of dealing with problems. When alcohol is mentioned in the fifth and sixth line of the poem, it adds a sort of depressing tone to the poem, because we often think of drinking alcohol as an aid with depression. In the last stanza, Dove says, “I rummage through the pantry’s//stock for raisins and cereal as they pull//honking out of the mist, a sonic hospital graph//announcing recovery” (9-11). When Dove mentions “honking through the mist, a sonic hospital graph//announcing recovery” this could possible represent a car honking through the mist, and ending up in the hospital. This could possible show the cause of the woman’s depression.
ReplyDelete-Isaac Livingston
Chocolate by Rita Dove
ReplyDeleteIn the poem Chocolate by Rita Dove, the author uses synesthesia repeatedly in each stanza. In order to create this, the words used are those such as “sniff” “crumble” and “numb”. Each stanza increases in amount of synesthesia starting from the first stanza up until stanza four where Dove describes the taste of this sweet treat. Chocolate is described as “Knotted smoke, dark punch/of earth and night and leaf” (10-11). This taste is described as earthy, dark, and rich. By using those adjectives, the audience is able to imagine having a piece of expensive chocolate close by. Additionally, the way that Dove decided to format the poem creates a sense of the candy. Each stanza (with an exception to the last one) contains three lines. Similarly, a Hershey’s chocolate bar, the most popular chocolate bar in America, contains three rectangles of chocolate when one is to unwrap the bar. Furthermore, another literary term used immensely is personification. The entire poem is written entirely in first person and second person, using second person when referring to the chocolate. The last few stanzas state, “for a taste of you/any woman would gladly crumble to ruin./Enough chatter: I am ready/to fall in love” (12-16). Specifically, the second person compares the chocolate to a man that any woman would fall in love with. This additionally ties into the adjectives used throughout the poem are “manly” and “tough” to imply that woman’s romantic tendencies can be cured by chocolate.
I enjoyed your analysis of this poem, and it brought new insight to the blog I wrote on the same poem. I am impressed that you made a connected between the number of lines in a stanza and a Hershey's chocolate bar. I also agree that there was a lot of personification of chocolate in this poem. I noticed that there is a lot of sexual diction in this poem especially when Dove uses words like " pleasure seeker", "taste of you", and "rich". This made me think of the poem in terms of a relationship, like the beginning of the fifth stanza. Dove shows her love for chocolate just like her love for a man.
DeleteCozy Apologia by Rita Dove is a sort of love letter to her husband Fred. Dove uses metaphors and rhyme scheme to describe her love for her husband to the reader, causing them to reminisce and appreciate their own relationships. There are two major examples of metaphor in Cozy Apologia. The first is, “There you'll be, with furrowed brow / And chain mail glinting, to set me free.” (8-9). Dove’s husband is her “knight in shining armor.” Dove believes she is living her fairytale happily ever after with her husband; they are as happy as could be, and he will always be there for her. She feels safe and loved, which she in turn will give back to him. The other metaphor is the entirety of the second stanza. Rita Dove makes reference to Hurricane Floyd. The storm serves as a comparison to Dove’s memories of teenage romance; intense, but hollow. Just as hurricanes bring bad weather, teenage boys bring drama and confusion. Hurricanes have a huge front then a calm center, the eye of the storm. Dove could be comparing this to teenage boys in the context of their bravado; they put up an act to get the girl, but are void of any real emotional connection. This is the difference between her husband and everyone else she has ever been with. The rhyme scheme of the poem changes with each stanza. It begins with a standard aabb, then switches halfway through the second stanza to an abbcca for the rest of the stanza. In the third stanza it begins with abab, has no rhyme for two lines, then returns to abab. The rhyme helps the poem flow, but could also mirror the events of the poem. The first stanza is a direct comparison and the aabb rhyme pattern is one that is easily noticeable, so Dove could be acknowledging the simplicity in her comparison, and the simplicity in her relationship. The second stanza becomes more complex, like a storm. The third stanza is about how the two are happy with each other, despite the mediocrity of their relationship. This mirrors the abab-break-abab pattern well, as the two sounds are unique, but build off of each other.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement about Dove comparing her husband to other boys she’s been with. That he’s mature and every other boy she’s been with has been a child. Why do you think there was a break in the rhyme scheme? Do you think those lines that aren’t rhyming are the most important in the poem and that was Dove’s way of making those phrases stand out? I also found it interesting how you compared a storm to the second stanza. The key word that signals that connection for me would’ve been “hurricane” but other than that I personally wouldn’t have picked a storm.
DeleteBeing an avid chocolate lover myself, “Chocolate” really stood out to me as I can relate to the passion shown for chocolate here. In the poem “Chocolate”, Rita Dove compares chocolate to love using metaphors, point of view, and. I could see the relation of chocolate and a man that the author is in love with in stanza 5 when it says “for a taste of you/ any woman would gladly/ crumble to ruin” (12-14). This part of the poem uses a metaphor to compare chocolate to a man that Dove is in love with. By saying that any woman would “crumble to ruin” to be with chocolate, she shows how irresistible both chocolate and the man she is writing about is. Throughout the whole poem, uses a first person point of view and writes as if she is “talking” to chocolate. To me, this personified chocolate and made it seem like Dove was talking to a lover rather than chocolate. For example, in the second stanza Dove writes “ how you numb me/ with your rich attentions!” (5-60. By taking this line out of the poem, I think this reminds me of a conversation with a lover. The word attentions, meaning good behavior can be talking about how chocolate makes Dove feel, especially when paired with the word rich, or it could be about how a person makes her feel. Also, in the last two lines of the poem, Dove says “ Enough chatter: I am ready/ to fall in love!” (15-16). At this point, she is acknowledging the love that she feels for chocolate and for this person she is writing about. She points out the conversation she was having, and then she wants “fall in love”, which I took as taking a bite of chocolate. This could also refer to a person that she is falling in love with. For me, I saw this whole poem as not only the love of chocolate, but an analogy for falling in love.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Dove writing in first person and how it creates a more realistic atmosphere to the poem. The effect created character to the chocolate as if it was a real person. It also helped to give life when you mentioned metaphors. I understood the premise of the poem how she chose chocolate as an interpretation to fall in love. But what about the fourth and fifth stanzas? While reading them, I was confused what Dove was trying to imply. Was the fourth stanza talking about the process in which chocolate is made while the fifth stanza was interpreting that chocolate is irresistible?
Delete-Ethan Nguyen
Poem: Meditation at Fifty Yards, Moving Target by Rita Dove
ReplyDeleteThe poem, Meditation at Fifty Yards, Moving Target by Rita Dove is broken into four parts with different point of views. The four sections are Safety First, Open Air, Gender Politics, and The Bullet. The first section, Gun Safety you could guess, explained the procedure of using a gun, the correct and safe way. For the most part, the section was free verse since there weren’t any clear rhymes or regular meter. It felt bland and very boring. In Open Air, it’s talking about shooting a gun and focuses on what you shouldn’t do. It’s in the second stanza where the word, “don’t” is being repeated 3 times. The element of repetition puts out a dangerous mood to the reader by listing all the things not to do. The comparison of man and woman is brought out in Gender Politics. The section begins with, “Guys like noise: rapid fire” while the second stanza begins with, “Women are fewer, more elegant” (Line 28 and 32). A stereotypical statement that women can’t be just as tough as men is brought out. That only men will be in support for guns, it quotes, “Rambo or cowboy, they’ll whoop it up” (Line 31) While the assumption is made that women, “They prefer precision” (Line 33). The final section, The Bullet, there is too, repetition like, “Dark dark no wind no heaven” (Line 42). Throughout the section, there are words being said more than twice. In the final line, Dove writes the metaphor, “I am home” implying that the bullet eventually ends up hitting someone or something.
-Ethan Nguyen
I agree with your analysis of how the parts are broken down. However, I noticed that you left out the question, "(Question: If you were being pursued, / how would you prefer to go down- / ripped through a blanket of fire or plucked by one incandescent / fingertip?)" (36-40). Personally, I think that the verse resembles a gun, with the hyphen after "down" representing the bullet being fired. The question is hypothetical and features a metaphor when discussing the ways of being killed. Basically, Dove is asking if someone wants to die painfully with multiple gunshots, or quickly with one lethal shot. Perhaps this is a criticism on gang violence or police brutality? In the case of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Brown was shot multiple times. Gang "drive-by" shootings usually involve automatic guns or multiple shots from some form of handgun.
DeleteWhile reading American Smooth by Rita Dove, the poem “Heart to Heart” really stood out to me. In the poem, Rita Dove described the heart as an organ, not as something that holds emotion or can feel. She goes against societal views on what a heart is, and brings reality to the symbol of a heart. The poem is broken up into three stanzas, with the first stanza describing what a heart is not, the second what it is, and the third revealing her feelings. Dove uses enjambment her and in the whole poem to make the poem very narrow in appearance. In society, people view a heart as something that represents your emotions, but in this poem, the author writes about the heart in a literal sense. For example, in the first stanza, Dove writes “ it doesn’t melt/ or turn over,/ break or harden,/ so it can’t feel/ pain,”(3-7). My interpretation of this part is that the heart does not symbolize emotion. In reality, no one can break someone’s heart or “melt” it, because a heart is just an organ, unlike what society makes it to be. Also, it is interesting to me that Dove never actually mentions the word “heart” in the poem besides the title, but a reader can tell exactly what she is talking about by her choice of words. In the second stanza, it says “I feel it inside/ its cage sounding/ a dull tattoo:/ I want, I want” (18-21). Dove refers to a rib cage as a “cage” in this part and uses a metaphor with “dull tattoo” to say how the heart is constantly beating. When it says “I want, I want” I thought this may mean that Dove wants love or wants to express her emotions. The poem goes on in the third stanza to talk about how she has no way to express her emotions, even if she does feel love. She finishes the poem to say that her heart belongs to someone, but they will have to “take her too”, meaning that this person has to accept her heart and her full self.
ReplyDeleteYou’re analysis is on point describing how the heart isn’t really what society depicts it as. It was really great how you noticed the word, “heart” is only used in the title but not in the actual poem. It makes me realize that the heart is not a love symbol but just an organ. When Dove writes about how her chest is in “the cage,” she is referring to her rib cage. I found this interesting in the sense that she wants to love but she doesn’t know how. Dove also writes about how she can’t wear it on her sleeves interpreting that she can’t show love so easily. I just thought these points were essential to talk about.
Delete-Ethan Nguyen
Your analysis on Dove stating that the poem was about a literal heart was a new perspective I didn’t see initially. To me, I think the poem is more about comparing the fairy tale romance idea of heart, to the reality of it. That everything one believes and expects isn’t actually how the heart works. How a heart isn’t something that one can control. Similarly to your analysis though, I definitely agree that a heart is just an organ. However, I feel like all the emotions coming from the heart are coming from the brain and not the actual heart, which is what Dove is trying to state.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete(Note: I was sure I posted this on Sunday, the 15th, but going through the blogs today I didn't see mine, so I guess it didn't post. So I am re posting it, sorry for inconvenience)
ReplyDeleteIn the poem “Meditation at Fifty Yards, Moving Target” Rita Dove attempts to discuss the different results that come with the ownership of guns. In the first stanza, Dove discusses of the dangers of guns when the gun is loaded or not. This stanza uses an example of visual imagery in which Rita Dove attempts to show how serious ownership of a gun can be. She talks about the good and bad results of ownership, and how fast the result can occur. Her point is more effectively shown because of just using a random example, she uses a sleeping child as an example to bring out the reader’s emotions. The second stanza uses the point of view of someone who is in support of firearm ownership. This stanza and the title of the poem are connected because show concentration, as someone is aiming/meditating. It creates a calming tone in the reader’s mind using calm diction. The third stanza is split into two parts which show the difference between men and women’s opinion of guns. It is also an allusion to stereotypes because men are associated with being rowdy, loud, and strong which would in turn result in them supporting gun ownership. Women are thought of as weak, reserved, elegant, which in turn would result in a different opinion than men. The final stanza uses personification on the bullet. This stanza is from the bullet’s point of view. Rita Dove chooses not to use capital letters and punctuation marks to show that the bullet is just simply an object. Rita Dove uses this poem to show the differing perspectives taking on the issue of gun control.
-Isaac Livingston
DeleteI really liked your analysis of this poem. The part of the poem that separated women and men’s styles of shooting was interesting to me. However, I did not see this part as showing women as weak. I thought it shows women as precise and elegant as opposed to men, who “go crazy”. I saw this when Rita Dove asked the question “If you were being pursued,/ how would you prefer to go down-/ ripped through a blanket of fire/ or plucked by one incandescent/ fingertip?” (36-40). This showed the difference between men, who are more aggressive and shoot endless bullets, and women, who are more concerned with accuracy. The metaphor “through a blanket of fire” is used to show the undisciplined manner in which men shoot guns. The word incandescent, which means radiant, stood out as a key word for Dove’s views on the differences because it shows women as more powerful and precise, not weak.
Bolero, by Rita Dove, shares a title with Boléro (1928) by Maurice Ravel, who is, unsurprisingly, mentioned in the first line of the poem. The poem follows a very strange structure. Each stanza is three lines with the exception of the last 4. With the exception of the last stanza, the lines shrink through the stanza. Each line begins as far left as possible, with the exception of the second lines in stanzas eight and ten, those lines begin on the right side. Doves uses this structure and, more importantly, the shifts in structure to control the rhythm of the poem and to show the reader the passion of dance. It is entirely possible that the initial structure is meant to mimic Boléro despite what Dove says, “Not the ratcheting crescendo of Ravel’s bright winds” (1). Boléro features three primary musical sections. The strings and woodwinds that typically play in legato (long and connected), although the trumpets do join them at some point. The percussion, mostly the snare drums, play short, connected notes. The brass and low brass that play in staccato (short and fragmented). This mimics the first few stanzas in their long, brief, and very short line lengths. In Boléro, that format is the most repeated, just like in Dove’s poem. Most dances are traditionally repetitive, they follow the same three or four count beat with the same order of moves. Yet dance is still considered to be very passionate. The poem shifts in the eighth stanza. This is when the bride in the poem acknowledges her groom and begins to “move with him to the music in the space / allotted them” (26-27). Dance is passionate because it is something done with someone you are passionate about. For example, the tango is a dance that is considered the most passionate style of dance, and it takes two to tango.
ReplyDeletePoem: Describe Yourself in Three Words or Less by Rita Dove
ReplyDeleteThis poem describes the author’s personality. Dove uses three stanzas to portray how she feels about herself, particularly at the end of the day, when being a writer/poet (an artist) can be tough and people can get caught up in other factors like fame and creativity. During the first stanza Dove states, “I’m not the kind/who will steal a scene unless/I’ve designed it. I’m not a kind at all/in fact” (2-5). The repetition of “I’m not” emphasizes a thought that the author wants audiences to consider (not being a certain way that people believe her to be). Additionally, when the author writes, “I’m not the kind/who will steal a scene unless/I’ve designed it” (2-4), Dove is making a feisty comeback to those who have considered a thief for taking someone else’s work. That juxtaposition confirms that Dove is original and hardworking and will only take what is truly hers. The entire second stanza in the poem is an analogy for how she views life. Boats are a metaphor for her thoughts and opinions and the fact that she trusts her knowledge and ability to take risks enough to let them venture out on their own. The last line of that stanza declares, “…is simply how it is, and I gather them in,” (15). Dove describes the path her “boats” take as just how life works. No matter if they turn out good or bad, she will learn from the opportunities and accept them for how they are.
I agree with you analysis, and like how you pointed out that Dove takes the good and the bad, and that she intends to learn from her experiences. I believe that trait is hard to come by, and it is uplifting to see it in a person who could very easily take only one or the other, all things considered. What I noticed in the third stanza is that Dove is describing how she believes there is value in everything, but by '[forgetting] the singing" (21), she acknowledges that sometimes life gets in the way, and it is easy to stop appreciating the little things
DeletePoem: Demeter Waiting
ReplyDeleteDemeter Waiting takes place after her daughter; Persephone is taken by her uncle, Hades. Demeter remains sorrow but at the same time there is anger. It’s in the mother instinct to react in such a way when your daughter is taken. Demeter sacrifices the human race by refusing to harvest to have her daughter returned. The Greek setting emphasizes the mother-daughter relationship.
Dove uses simile, hyperbole, and consonance to express the mournful and terror to the reader. An example of a simile being used is,”is to put love into her pocket-like one of those ashen Christian philosophers, or a war-bound soldier. Dove is comparing putting love in her pocket to an ashen Christian philosopher. Similes make the reader think and make them wonder what exactly is trying to be interpreted. It also attracts attention so the reader doesn’t seem bored or sleeping. One example of a hyperbole is, “I will drag my grief through a winter of my own making” (Line 8). Greek Gods exemplify superior and immortal figures so it fits the theme that some sort of exaggeration would be used. Demeter is upset and expresses her feelings in such an impossible way. For rhythm, Dove applies consonance, “I will wail and thrash until the whole goddamned golden panorama freezes” (Line 12). The vowel “a” is being repeated to attract a flow that can be easily read without the use of monotone. These literary devices create the unique poem for what it is.
-Ethan Nguyen
Poem: American Smooth
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, what is American Smooth? American Smooth is a form of ballroom dance, and is performed with a partner. Using this allusion, Rita Dove is immediately able to show what the topic of the poem could be about. Rita Dove continues to use the allusion and imagery of dance and compelling diction to show the powerful effect that can come when one loses themselves in dance. The entire poem is about the ballroom dance. Dove uses frequent verbs and description that describe how the dance is performed. Dove mentions moving from dance to dance, breathing heavily between strides, keeping frame, and more. This also creates an image in the reader’s mind showing a performance of dance. Throughout the story, the reader can also see very compelling and powerful diction that creates an influential mood on the reader. Some examples are “ecstatic mimicry” (12), “serene magnificence” (27), “precise execution”(5-6), “perfect agony” (9). This combination of compelling diction and the imagery of dance come together and capture how one can lose themselves in another person during dance, and how it affects the near perfect emotions that the dancer feels.
-Isaac Livingston
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete