"O I have killed my hawk so good, Mother, Mother, O I have killed my hawk so good, And I had no more but he, O."
~ Anonymous, Edward
For my final poetry blog, I thought I would write something consisting of only questions.
Is the hawk a metaphor?
Does he get some kind of sick masochism out of killing his hawk "so good?"
If he "had no more" but his hawk, why would he kill it?
Wouldn't he have learned his lesson after he killed the hawk? Did he have to go kill the horse?
Why did he kill his father?
Did he really kill his father, or is that a metaphor?
Why does he kill so many things/people?
Is he really sailing away to do penance, or is he running from all the murder he should be charged with?
How would sailing away be penance?
Why would he just let his house fall apart? Does he think he won't ever come back?
What kind of person lets his wife/children starve and thinks "Hmmm, they can just beg on the streets until they rot away into a desperate, bitter nothing and I have the pleasure of knowing it was all my fault!" ?
Why does he hate his mom?
Hasn't his mom been helping him with his problems all this time?
Why would he suddenly turn on her?
But why did he turn on everyone else in his family?
Why didn't his mom slap him after he talked to her like that? (If I cursed my mom to hell, I might get one to the face)
Why does he think his mom had cursed him through her counsels?
Could she not just unintentionally give really bad advice?
WHY IS EDWARD SUCH A JERK??
Thursday, October 6, 2011
This is Just Sad - Poetry Blog 4 (Elegy for My Father, Who Is Not Dead)
"I see myself on deck, convinced his ship's gone down, while he's convinced I'll see him standing on the dock and waving, shouting, Welcome back."
~ Andrew Hudgins, Elegy for My Father, Who is Not Dead
I was very sad after reading this poem. I just wanted to give Andrew a hug! His father has already resigned to death, but he is really upset over this. I've never lost a parent, so I can't really imagine how painful it is, but I think if you have a lot of time to think about what's coming, then it would be very difficult to deal with before the death as well as during. Seeing someone be ready for death can be peaceful and inspiring - he/she has the courage to face the end that you don't have yet. But it is probably also concerning, especially if it's not because the person is fearlessly venturing into something that no one can ever understand, but because that person has simply given up on life. It makes me think of a nursing home full of sad, lonely old people. I feel like Andrew is a little desperate to save his father - he's trying to hold on to those last moments of life they can share, but his dad is ready to go. :( . I don't know, I'm just thinking aloud.
~ Andrew Hudgins, Elegy for My Father, Who is Not Dead
I was very sad after reading this poem. I just wanted to give Andrew a hug! His father has already resigned to death, but he is really upset over this. I've never lost a parent, so I can't really imagine how painful it is, but I think if you have a lot of time to think about what's coming, then it would be very difficult to deal with before the death as well as during. Seeing someone be ready for death can be peaceful and inspiring - he/she has the courage to face the end that you don't have yet. But it is probably also concerning, especially if it's not because the person is fearlessly venturing into something that no one can ever understand, but because that person has simply given up on life. It makes me think of a nursing home full of sad, lonely old people. I feel like Andrew is a little desperate to save his father - he's trying to hold on to those last moments of life they can share, but his dad is ready to go. :( . I don't know, I'm just thinking aloud.
A Lovely Change of Pace / Paradox - Poetry Blog 3 (Lonely Hearts)
"Who knows where it may lead once we've begun? Can someone make my simple wish come true? Do you live in North London? Is it you?"
~ Wendy Cope, Lonely Hearts
The way I see it, this poem is paradoxical in two different ways.
1) The Conditions and the Situation: Each person who is writing in this "Personals" column has a different story, a different need, a different sexual orientation. However, all of these people want the same thing - love. Although these people come from diverse places and have different backgrounds, all of their hearts yearn for the same thing.
2) The Description and the Situation: The title "Lonely Hearts" suggests that each person writing in this column is alone, and not happy about it. All of these people may be alone in their life, but they are linked by what they seek. Everybody wants companionship; this brings about a tone of universality although the people are all considered lonely - there is someone out there who is like them (and hopefully someone who is for them).
The "Situation" aspect of both paradoxes is the same - love. This is made apparent through the uniformity of the last lines of each stanza - "Do you live in North London? Is it you?" or "Can someone make my simple wish come true?" Also, the last stanza, "Who knows where it may lead once we've begun? Can someone make my simple wish come true? Do you live in North London? Is it you?" is what links all of these people together and creates a common wish for which we all strive in the end.
~ Wendy Cope, Lonely Hearts
The way I see it, this poem is paradoxical in two different ways.
1) The Conditions and the Situation: Each person who is writing in this "Personals" column has a different story, a different need, a different sexual orientation. However, all of these people want the same thing - love. Although these people come from diverse places and have different backgrounds, all of their hearts yearn for the same thing.
2) The Description and the Situation: The title "Lonely Hearts" suggests that each person writing in this column is alone, and not happy about it. All of these people may be alone in their life, but they are linked by what they seek. Everybody wants companionship; this brings about a tone of universality although the people are all considered lonely - there is someone out there who is like them (and hopefully someone who is for them).
The "Situation" aspect of both paradoxes is the same - love. This is made apparent through the uniformity of the last lines of each stanza - "Do you live in North London? Is it you?" or "Can someone make my simple wish come true?" Also, the last stanza, "Who knows where it may lead once we've begun? Can someone make my simple wish come true? Do you live in North London? Is it you?" is what links all of these people together and creates a common wish for which we all strive in the end.
And More Death / Metaphors - Poetry Blog 2 (Death, Be Not Proud)
"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me."
~ John Donne, Death, Be Not Proud
This poem is filled with metaphors. The most significant metaphor relates to death and religion. Throughout the poem, there is an image of Jesus' crucifixion. It talks about how death cannot conquer a human, even if he does die - "die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me." This is metaphorical for how Jesus died on the cross to save all of us and help us achieve salvation. Also, the poem says "one short sleep passed, we wake eternally, and death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die." This sounds pretty familiar - the message is in the Gospel. Jesus died, just as we all will die (the short sleep passed), but then, he gave us everlasting life (we wake eternally), because he conquered death (death, thou shalt die). These metaphors teach to not be afraid of death because we will all be saved and live forever in the end.
~ John Donne, Death, Be Not Proud
Death Sums Up This Week / Couplets - Poetry Blog 1 (Week 5 and then we are done. That Time of Year)
"This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long."
~ William Shakespeare, That Time of Year
First off, I would like to point out something that will probably be discussed (or at least briefly mentioned) in class - this is a sonnet. That's 14 lines, people.
Secondly, I would like to say that I am sensing a pattern in Shakespearean sonnets. In William's last poem we analyzed, My Mistress' Eyes, he presented 12 lines of poetry that seemingly had one meaning, but then the last couplet completely changed the message; it turned the poem from critical and demeaning to realistic yet sweet. This poem is no different; the first three quatrains each have their own metaphor for death - which seems to be a recurring theme in almost every poem - the nature (birds and trees) to twilight and dusk to the "ashes of his youth," or fire. But what seems to be a reflection on imminent death takes on not a different meaning, but a more complex one. The last two lines say "this thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, to love that well which thou must leave ere long"; in English, that means that because the woman he loves knows he is old and may die soon, her love grows stronger for him and she cherishes it more because they have a limited amount of time until he will die. Or, I guess he may not even be that old, but the couple just recognizes how short life is. So, at first the poem meant that death was near, but now it means that we should love others to the fullest before we die.
~ William Shakespeare, That Time of Year
First off, I would like to point out something that will probably be discussed (or at least briefly mentioned) in class - this is a sonnet. That's 14 lines, people.
Secondly, I would like to say that I am sensing a pattern in Shakespearean sonnets. In William's last poem we analyzed, My Mistress' Eyes, he presented 12 lines of poetry that seemingly had one meaning, but then the last couplet completely changed the message; it turned the poem from critical and demeaning to realistic yet sweet. This poem is no different; the first three quatrains each have their own metaphor for death - which seems to be a recurring theme in almost every poem - the nature (birds and trees) to twilight and dusk to the "ashes of his youth," or fire. But what seems to be a reflection on imminent death takes on not a different meaning, but a more complex one. The last two lines say "this thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, to love that well which thou must leave ere long"; in English, that means that because the woman he loves knows he is old and may die soon, her love grows stronger for him and she cherishes it more because they have a limited amount of time until he will die. Or, I guess he may not even be that old, but the couple just recognizes how short life is. So, at first the poem meant that death was near, but now it means that we should love others to the fullest before we die.
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