Frog Prince - Poetry Blog 5 (Hazel Tells LaVerne)

"kiss me just kiss me once on the nose well i screams ya little green pervert an i hitsm with my mop an has ta flush the toilet down three times me a princess"

The last poem for this week is Hazel Tells LaVerne by Katharyn Howd Machan. This is probably one of the most unique poems I have read yet. First of all, the lack of punctuation yet easily understandable material was very refreshing. I got a clear image of what was happening, and it was actually a bit entertaining to imagine. I wonder, though - does the author actually write like that or did she write in a dialect to give personality to the character? Either way, it worked. I also liked that it was a story I had heard several times before, but with a twist - she gets rid of him instead of taking him up on his offer. I can tell that she is a very realistic person by the way she is so shocked at the thought of being a princess; she even repeats it. Overall,  I enjoyed this poem. It was a nice change compared to the rest of the stuff we have read in the last couple of weeks.

Approaching Death / Symbolism - Poetry Blog 4 (Crossing the Bar)

"Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar When I put out to sea."

The poem Crossing the Bar by Alfred, Lord Tennyson uses a lot of symbolism throughout. During the poem, he is talking about what he wants to happen at his imminent death. He doesn't want anyone to mourn for him; his death should be quiet and peaceful. He says this several times when he states "And may there be no moaning of the bar When I put out to sea," and "And may there be no sadness of farewell When I embark." The sea is used as a symbol for death, and as he crosses the sandbar into the sea, he is dying. The poem brings about the idea of the "circle of life" as a never-ending cycle when Tennyson says "But such a tide moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home." God is also represented in the poem as the Pilot when Tennyson expresses his desire to see God when he dies.

Time Flies / Oxymoron - Poetry Blog 3 (To His Coy Mistress)

"Thus, though we cannot make our sun Stand still, yet we will make him run."

In Andrew Marvell's poem To His Coy Mistress, in the title, immediately we see an oxymoron. "Coy mistress" is strange because someone who is coy is holding back, but "mistress" is associated with giving in to carnal desires, especially when there is a separate marriage involved. In this case, the mistress and man just haven't done the deed yet. While the speaker never directly says that he wants sex, the oxymoron reveals what he is asking of his mistress. He is telling her that if they had an infinite amount of time, he would have no problem waiting, but time is running out - carpe diem! What better time than the present? She is trying to preserve her honor, but he is doing everything he can to destroy it. The diction in this poem creates a sense of urgency that supports the speaker's opinions on time.

The Great Escape / Tone - Poetry Blog 2 (Getting Out)

"Every night another refusal, the silent work of tightening the heart. Exhausted, we gave up."

In Cleopatra Mathis' poem Getting Out, she describes two people imprisoned in a relationship. Eventually, they divorce and go their separate ways although it is difficult to split. The tone throughout the poem can be described as exasperated. Whenever they were married, they were called "inmates." The relationship definitely wore on both of the people as it progressed. Instead of benefiting the couple, it  brought resentment that would ultimately lead to the demise of the marriage. The tone could also be considered poignant. The two had an emotionally destructive relationship, but they had also shared a lot of experiences together that could never be replaced by anyone or anything else, so there would be mixed feelings about the divorce.

Realistically Romantic - Poetry Blog 1. Week Four. (My Mistress' Eyes)

"My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red."

First up, we have William Shakespeare's My Mistress' Eyes. William is known for his romantic writings (Romeo and Juliet, the most classic love story of all time), but this poem could appear to be quite... normal. He's saying throughout the whole poem that his lover's physical attributes aren't comparable to the beauty of nature. Many other poets describe their significant other as divine - but William takes a more realistic approach to his poem. He defies the quintessential romantic similes often used in poetry by saying, "Hey, my girl doesn't look like a sunset, but I would choose her over any other woman out there." By saying this, it gives the poem a very genuine tone - he isn't just making up crap or blatantly over-exaggerating a woman's  looks. He is truly acknowledging her beauty and what he loves about her; he knows how much he loves her. You've done it again, William - you've turned the everyday into something extraordinary.

Walking the Line - Poetry Blog 5 (Mr. Z)

The last poem I read provoked a lot of thought for me. Mr. Z is about a Jewish man who is defying racial stereotypes. However, he may be taking this idea too far. One could definitely argue that he is losing touch with his heritage. The poem reveals that the line between breaking through the glass ceiling and losing oneself is shockingly thin. Yes, we should try to integrate other cultures into our own and be tolerant of everyone. Even considering this, it's important for other races to embrace their heritage. They shouldn't pretend to be white or any other majority race just to fit in - that would be denying their own identities. Even at the end of the poem, the critics who wrote about his death explicitly categorized him as a Jew despite his efforts to be seen as more than that. While people shouldn't stereotype or focus only on color, different races should really accept and take pride in their race while also achieving something more.

Blissful Ignorance - Poetry Blog Number 4 (APO 96225)

People are stupid. They think they want to know everything, but then they just block out anything that is slightly unpleasant. That's exactly what is happening in APO 96225 by Larry Rottmann. The son goes off to war and, no doubt, experiences things that the average American wants nothing to do with. He tries to protect his mother, so he hides all the horrible things that happen out there with remarks about the weather. The mother thinks she wants to know what he isn't telling her, but she doesn't know how bad it is. When he actually does tell her, his father writes back to him: "Please don't write such depressing letters. You're upsetting your mother." Okay, mom, don't ask for what you can't handle. Why would people want to be ignorant? Isn't it much better to know things so you can be prepared to face them sometime in the future? I would much rather know the truth than be taken by a surprise attack later. Ignorance is just avoiding a problem, and it will catch up with you later - no matter how unpleasant.