"Selecting a Reader"

"Selecting a Reader" by Ted Kooser details the ideal poem reader by using a hopeful tone and metaphors. "Walking carefully up" is a metaphor for a fledgling reader, someone who is only just being introduced to poetry. Combined with being "damp at the neck" or 'wet behind the ears' means that Ted Kooser wanted to educate people about poetry. It doesn't really matter what their social status is, even if they do not have money to clean their raincoat, he wants them. However, they should be practical, someone who looks through a book but then thinks about their decision to buy it. By using metaphors in "Selecting a Reader" Ted Kooser portrays his ideal reader as a practical newcomer to poetry.

"Biscuit"

"Biscuit" by Jane Kenyon emphasizes religious trust by using a godly tone and symbolism. The symbol of the simile in the first stanza of the owner giving a biscuit to a dog to "a priest offering the host" is one of dependence and reverence. The symbol of the bread that the dog is asking for is the bread at the Last Supper. It is symbolic of the basic necessities the G-d provides all man. The speaker and owner of the dog is symbolic of G-d who can give humans whatever He feels like and humans will trust that it is what they need. They trust in G-d just as the dog looks to the owner with a "trusting face". Jane Kenyon describes religious trust using symbolism in "Biscuit".

"Grammar"

"Grammar" by Tony Hoagland uses an awe-filled tone enhanced by the symbolism of fire to show the beauty of love. Maxine walks around with a "light" coming from her head. Light is symbolic of something pure and just as fire gives off a beneficial light, Maxine is emanating a light that affects everyone around her. "We've all tried to start a fire", who hasn't tried to find love, the fire of life, in their life? Maxine is the only one able to bear the idea of her beauty, she is the only one able to have the thought of the fact that she is in love. On the other hand, everyone else has been burned by love which can be seen by the "burned hands" that everyone uses to acknowledge that Maxine has found her fire. Tony Hoagland uses the symbolism of fire as love to convey the beauty of love in his poem "Grammar".

"Otherwise"

In "Otherwise", Jane Kenyon reminds readers to appreciate what they have using a thankful tone and repetition. The phrase "It might have been otherwise" is repeated throughout the poem. This emphasizes the luck that the speaker has within his day and the fact the the speaker appreciates it. He goes through multiple amazing situations from waking up with a strong body to having a romantic dinner, constantly repeating the phrase. I would venture that someone close to the speaker had a tragedy that left them unable to do anything that they love and maybe even had lost someone close to them. Because of this, the speaker has a renewed appreciation for what he has, which is emphasized through repetition in Jane Kenyon's "Otherwise".

"A Man I Knew"

"A Man I Knew" by Margaret Levine combines a wanting tone with figurative language to convey the loneliness of being rich. Someone who owns a condo is viewed as being a wealthy individual. Coupled with a maid who comes to clean the entire condo every other week, the man that the speaker knows is extremely affluent. The condo and the maid are metaphors for being rich. However, "the kids that won't" are not visiting their father as opposed to the maid. This is a metaphor for extreme loneliness because someone who has been abandoned by their family is one of the loneliest people. Being "on the dresser" is a metaphor for being close to the heart but far away in actuality. A picture that someone puts on the dresser is one that they want to see everyday just as the man wants to see his children everyday. On top of that, the simile floating "like a boat" is strengthening the love that the father has for his children because just as a boat floats alone, the pictures are alone on the dresser, the only things he wants to see. Using figurative language full of love and loneliness, Margaret Levine conveys the loneliness of an affluent man in "A Man I Knew".

"Nights"

"Nights" by Kevin Hart uses a restful tone with symbolism to convey the choice of laziness. The stars that are above the speaker's house are symbolic of the expanse of space. This shows the infinite amount of options available to the speaker. However, "a path soon lost in dark" is symbolic of something that is slowly being forgotten. The darkness, possibly symbolic of the advancement of time, is swallowing up the opportunities for the speaker. The dinner plate and cup are symbolic of the chores he must do, namely cleaning up. The fact they are both slightly broken is another option that he has the "path" to go down, replace his broken utensils. However, instead of doing anything, the speaker puts his head down and does nothing. The path that he does not need anything to set out on is symbolic of spacing out which is basically synonymous with laziness. Kevin Hart uses intense symbolism to take the reader through the choice of laziness in "Nights".

"The Modern Prometheus"

“The Modern Prometheus” by JJ Kampf is a contemporary work of art combining a careless tone with imagery and metaphors to remind readers to have fun and take advantage of life. The two toddlers are watching television like hawks which brings up the feeling of utter focus and dedication. They are determined to extract as much enjoyment from it as they can. “Midnight looms like New Year’s Eve”, New Year’s Eve is a time of big change and is the culmination of a long and hopefully productive year. By comparing New Year’s Eve to midnight, the speaker puts a much darker twist on New Year’s Eve, having it looming overhead as death looms over life. The toddlers “litter” toys around the living room which arouses images of carelessness and trash. However, “because they smiled” Johnny did not care, he was happy that they were taking advantage of the fact that their parents were out and having fun. Using imagery coupled with metaphors, JJ Kampf masterfully tells the readers to remember to have fun and take advantage of life.

“Driving to Town Late to Mail a Letter”

“Driving to Town Late to Mail a Letter” by Robert Bly uses imagery combined with a comforted tone to convey the feeling of being happy and alone. “A cold and snowy night” is reminiscent of one’s childhood and curling up in front of the fireplace with hot chocolate and feeling extremely cozy safe from the outside. However, not only does the speaker feel safe, he also acknowledges the harsh reality of the “cold metal” which is not only cold and unforgiving but it will also attach itself to one’s tongue. The speaker talks about his “privacy” that he “loves” which is a very intimate word. He is saying that he is adores the familiarity that comes with being alone with his thoughts. Robert Bly ends the poem saying that not only does the speaker love being alone, he will go out of his way to be alone for longer. This poem clearly shows the feeling of being happy and alone by describing the intimacy and safety of one’s own thoughts through imagery.

"Snow"

“Snow” by David Berman showcases a child’s persistence through repetition and imagery with an inquiring tone. The speaker and his little brother are walking through a snow covered field which brings about feelings of tranquility and images of purity. When the speaker’s little brother, Seth asked the speaker “Who had shot them?” talking about the angels that the farmer shot. Then they went out onto the lake and the ice was so clear that it was “like a photograph of water.” This brings up images of ice skating and fun times but still, Seth asks “Why did he shoot them?” and the speaker answers that they were on his property. He is just repeating his question until he can understand the entire situation. Later, as images of bombs and other distracting things pop into the reader’s head because snow makes the outdoors seem like a “room with the walls blasted to shreds and falling.” Seth returns to his repetitious question and asks why they were on the farmer’s property. The combination of repetition and imagery clearly showcase a child’s persistence because Seth does not stop asking direct follow up questions on the speaker’s answers even while distracting things are happening.

Where There's Smoke...

Netflix Error,

We are unable to process your request.

Oh no, no no no

We can’t live like this!

How are we going to make it through school?

Our grades will start to rise,

Parents will have higher standards

Whatever shall we do?

This is the only way to procrastinate,

Better than gaming, better than reading.

But now no more Chicago Fire, no more Rescue Me

We are going to lose this survival of the weakest

“WAIT! LOOK!”

“What is that?”

“...I think it’s just One Tree on a Hill”

“Oh… I thought that was near Sesame Street though”

“No, hold on, it’s a cell tower,

With people on it,

We’re saved! They are fixing the Internet!!”

“Yay!! We should celebrate!”

“Let’s make memes!

A new one for everyday!

Swamp the Internet with cat videos!

Never let it betray us again.”

"The Meadow"

“The Meadow” by Kate Knapp Johnson uses symbolism and a wondering tone to warn the reader about the dangers of deep introspection. The speaker lost half a day staring through windows or eyes which are considered the windows to the soul. However, because they “left thinking for thought”, they delved too deep. Thinking is an active word which is symbolic of progress but thought is a long process that does not always have a productive outcome. The symbolism here is showing the reader that if one thinks too deeply, they run the risk of stagnating and turning progress into an extremely long and slow process. The snow that falls onto the meadow is a muffling object that is covering a beautiful place. Similarly, deep introspection muffles the brain and leads to lost time as Kate Johnson writes, “How long was I out looking for you?” The speaker has lost that time and does not know how much time was wasted. However, the speaker was not looking for a person, they were looking for their “witness”. A witness is a dependable and honest person which is symbolic of the speaker’s trustworthy sense of purpose that they are looking for. Kate Knapp Johnson employs symbolism in a warning to her readers about the dangers of deep introspection.

"Hand Shadows"

“Hand Shadows” by Mary Cornish has a reminiscent tone and uses diction to remind readers to use imagination to enhance their daily lives. The alligator could only be seen through silhouette. This shows readers that they must change their perspectives to see everything. Sometimes things are revealed when they are viewed from alternative angles. A swan, made by the father’s arms and hands, had a “fingered beak”. The choice of these words was deliberate because they remind the reader that the swan is not real. The reader needs to use their imagination and once that is applied, the fingers become a beak. At the very end, the speaker touches upon Orion’s sword. Constellations are one of the most imaginative concepts in the world. Stars in a certain formation can be seen as figures and shapes only if one has the imagination to fill in the surrounding space. Mary Cornish’s diction in “Hand Shadows” clearly tells the reader to use imagination to enhance their daily lives.

"Domestic Work, 1937"

In “Domestic Work, 1937” Natasha Trethewey uses diction and a defiant but happy tone to convey the necessity of taking every moment and owning it. In the beginning, the poem is written with very monotonous words. The speaker can see her face in a copper bowl, copper has a very dull sheen to it. However, once the speaker decided to make a change on Sunday and make it hers. The poem then transitions to become bouncy in a sense. “A record spinning on the console, the whole house dancing.” The poem becomes upbeat and the reader can tell that the speaker is finally content with her life now that she owns it. As Meghan Trainor said “Better When I’m Dancin’” with the diction used in the final three lyrics, everything is better because everything is dancing.

"Wheels"

“Wheels” by Jim Daniels uses a reminiscent tone coupled with symbolism to remind his readers that the biggest part of life is to stick with what one loves. Almost every third line is the word “waving”. This shows the reader that no matter what the speaker’s brother was doing, he was happy and waving. The line following that is a type of car. There is big significance in this because the speaker says that their brother ”kept in a frame on the wall pictures of every motorcycle, car, truck.” Every car corresponds to a period in his life. The rusted Impala convertible shows that coming out of high school, he was not at his polished prime however, he was open to everything. In contrast, his “shiny new rig” is symbolic of a fresh new start after real estate did not pan out. He had a car for every time in his life because cars are what he loved. The fact that his sibling could document his life through cars shows real dedication. The poem ends with the brother riding off helmetless while still waving. This is symbolic of the brother’s death and shows that even until the last moment, the brother was happy and with what he loved. Jim Daniels masterly combines cars and symbolism to tell the reader the biggest part of life is to stick with what one loves.

"Radio"

“Radio” by Laurel Blossom shows how people don’t appreciate what they have using repetition and a despairing tone. The words “no radio” are repeated eleven times throughout the poem. When someone repeats that they have nothing of something multiple times, they are normally mourning that fact. The speaker is devastated over the fact that the radio was “stolen 3X.” There are no valuables, no tapes and no telephone in the vehicle. Laurel Blossom is essentially saying that there is nothing left in the car. However, she writes multiple times that there is none of something in the car. She emphasises the car through repetition and reminds the reader that even through the speaker is distraught about their radio as can also be seen through repetition, they still have the car and that is valuable in itself. Laurel Blossom reminds her readers to appreciate what they have through repetition of both ‘radio’ and ‘car’.

“The Farewell”

“The Farewell” by Edward Field combines a reluctantly accepting tone with symbolization to depict the troubles of being a leader. The ice that the speaker is stepping onto symbolizes the risks that a leader has to take because they are the first to action. Even though “they say the ice will hold”, the leader has to trust them and decide to take the risk. A leader also needs to be unflappable because they do not want their followers to panic. The speaker slides erectly into the water which symbolizes that there is nothing wrong because normally someone would be flailing around trying to save themselves. This is the reason that Edward Field chooses this moment to point out that the speaker is “wearing my captain’s hat.” While sliding into the water, the speaker is still being a leader and showing that all is well. Being a leader is a full time job, even while one is falling into the water, one needs to think of one’s followers. Even when the risks that the leader took are backfiring and the ice is closing over their head, they need to be waving to their followers and assuring them that all is ok. Being a leader is a hard and unforgiving job as Edward Field shows in “The Farewell”.

"Did I Miss Anything?"

Tom Wayman uses poem structure and a disappointed but sassy tone in his poem “Did I Miss Anything?” to emphasis his point that one should take all of the opportunities that they are offered and all the ones that they are not offered as well. The poem switches off answers alternating between saying that the student missed everything in class or nothing in class. This structure shows that there are always two sides to an issue. Even if something seems like a ‘nothing’, it may very well be an ‘everything’. Just because one does not see opportunity in a situation does not mean that there are no opportunities. The poem also gets more fantastical as it progresses. It goes from conceivably true to clearly false in the span of four stanzas. This comes to show the reader that an opportunity may seem crazy but they should still take it. You never know, an angel may appear and reveal the meaning to life. Tom Wayman finishes with a line that is out of place from the rest of the poem but sums up the poem, “And you weren’t here.” This enhances the poem because it is a break from the structure. It shows that one should not always fit the mold and being outside of the mold might just have all the answers. Tom Wayman uses poem structure to its full effect as he reminds everyone to take all the opportunities that they can see.

"Neglect"

In “Neglect”, RT Smith reflects on how everything needs some TLC using imagery and a regretful tone. He says that if one does not care for a tree, one will skew the sap, blacken the leaves and dry the bark and heart. Every one of these adjectives are harsh and bring up images of death and wrongness. Skew for example makes the reader recall something crooked or bad. He should have given more care into the tree and patched up it with medicinal pitch. Patching up is reminiscent of someone helping another person out and medicinal just strengthens that image. When he was “too enchanted by pear saplings, flowers and the pasture,” he was distracted by fantastical ideas as the mixture of enchanted and flowers bring fairies and other fantasy creatures to mind. He should have been caring for his tree but instead he got distracted. The fact that the applewood was not just being burned it was feeding the stove, brings images of something being devoured by fire and the care that could have been used to prevent the fire were just words wasted by Smokey the Bear. RT Smith looks back on when he gave the tree tender loving care with wonder. Bees are not attracted to the pollen, they are dazzled and ice only adds to the elegance of the tree. “Neglect” shows that everything needs TLC to live by showing what happened to the speaker when he did not give his apple tree TLC through intense imagery.

“At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border”

William E. Stafford uses satire and a peaceful tone to write about the Canadian border in his poem, “At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border”. The first two lines are extremely ironic and basically say that this is the field that nothing happened in. There was no battle and no one died. Nothing heroic happened as the sky, normally a silent onlooker, is now the heroic figure by giving life to the field. Everything is quiet and “birds fly here without any sound.” This seems like William Stafford is describing a pretty clearing with flowers and so deep in the forest that “people celebrate it by forgetting its name.” It is one of those places that are so tranquil that they are hallowed because g-d had to have been there. William Stafford’s satire here is showing that not all borders have to be fought about and no one has to die. He is not satirizing the Canadian border but he is satirizing all other borders that people are fighting over.

“Do You Have Any Advice For Those of Us Just Starting Out?”

For all of you asking for advice, listen to the motivational Ron Koertge and his build in “Do You Have Any Advice For Those of Us Just Starting Out?” He starts out sounding very downtrodden and tells the reader to take baby steps, to get up and get out into the world. Then, he acquiesces to the reader’s desire to always carry a writing utensil but says at least spice it up and “on the front, a kitten or a spaceship.” Next comes some advice that turtlenecks and idyllic houses, or other things that stand for rich people, are not to be trusted. Libraries are good places to write in the cheap notebook that the reader is allowed to carry and the best place to write is by the biography shelves or “ranks of the dead” where there are almost no people. The only distraction would be a child who is making a tower out of books while his mother browses. Ron Koertge then recaptures the reader’s attention saying “You who asked for advice, listen…” He is saying focus here, your attention span is so short that you cannot even focus for the duration of this poem but you can do it! “Be like that child…” be so carefree that the best known rule, keep quiet in a library, is nothing to you! Be the trendsetter, let the world say no but “then start again”, don’t let disapproval stop you, make sure that you continue being your own person and not just another turtleneck. The poem builds into this climax and Ron Koertge uses this build up to whip the reader into a frenzy, ready to go out and tackle the world.

“Introduction to Poetry”

The disappointment of Billy Collins is dripping out of the metaphors and simile in “Introduction to Poetry”. The speaker just wants his students to see what he sees in poems. The poems are full of adventure and thinly veiled excitement, if only his students could break through the skin and see it. He draws a comparison to a color slide which is dark and ominous at first glance but once you investigate and hold it up to the light, the vibrant picture shines through. Sometimes however, the poem is more like a beehive, full of pent-up energy just waiting to be released. A poem can be vague and most of the time it takes a lot of searching to find the real meaning. The speaker wants his students to know that there is always a meaning. There is always a light switch even if one needs to “walk inside the poem's room and feel the walls for a light switch.“ A poem can also be very fun like waterskiing but at the same time, be much deeper than it seems like the lake below the waterskier. Please, for the sake of Billy Collins, don’t try to torture poems, just follow the advice of his metaphors and tease the meaning out of them.

"The Blue Bowl"

Jane Kenyon sounds sad and depressed while keeping “The Blue Bowl” chock full of symbols representing the death of her cat. To begin with, the speaker calls the buriers ‘primitives’, this is a reference to the Egyptians that worshipped cats just as she loved her own. The “white feathers between his toes” are symbolic of an angel’s wings and his “aquiline nose” shows freedom in death. Storms are used to reflect one’s emotions and the storm of that night is no different. However, when it clears in the morning, the speaker regrets burying the blue bowl with the cat. This can be seen from the dripping, or crying, bush that the robin is in. Robins are unique for their blue eggs which symbolizes the blue bowl that the bush, or speaker, is crying over. The clincher here is the simile at the end that the neighbor was well intentioned as was the burier but in the end did the wrong thing just as the burier did. All of these symbols clearly point to the speaker’s sorrow over the death of her cat.