Please comment on guest bloggers. Three are due in two weeks.
For the poetry assignment, please respond to a poem in the back of Sound and Sense using either the Didls or 5-step technique. Due Monday.
About Me
- erdecker
- Enchanted April at Roc Rep Jan 2016 (Sound Design). Donnybrook's Dilemma Murder Mystery Jan 10 (Donnybrook actor). Valentine's Murder Mystery at Plummer House Feb 13 (actor). Ole and Lena in Love at Rochester Sons of Norway March 19 (Director).
17 comments:
Miror- pg. 38
DIDLS
Details: The speaker of the poem is a reflection. In this poem, the reflection is seen in a mirror, and in a lake. The mirror is meant to be a truthful reflection, whereas the lake serves as a place for a girl to "find herself" every morning.
Imagery: Distinct images in this poem includes the woman's face replacing darkness, which the sun normally does. It burns an image in our minds of the woman becoming acquaintances with the lake as she brightens the day.
Diction: The poem refers to people as "pink with spectacles." By doing this, the author makes people seem simple, and the mirror a complex figure. Also, the poem calls night "darkness." The author does this in order to show the importance of the girl coming to the lake everyday and breaking the darkness.
Language: The author uses adjectives as nouns in this poem. As state in the diction portion of this, the poem refers to night as "darkness" and to humans as "pink with spectacles."
Syntax: The sentences in this poem are very short and concise, which creates simple ideas for the reader to understand. "I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. (Line 1)"
"Fire and Ice" p.103
DIDLS
Details: In the first two lines, the speaker presents two options for the end of the world; one by fire, and the other by ice. The poem describes similarities between fire and desire, as well as ice and hatred.
Imagery: Images such as the destruction of the world by fire or ice creates an understated view of the world coming to an end, because at the end of the poem, the speaker saying that ice "would suffice" is a rather casual way to refer to the destruction of the world.
Diction: The poet uses words that imply the speaker's own experiences and destruction. The use of first person throughout the poem suggests personal experiences; "I've tasted of desire," "I think I know, and "I hold with those." The words "end,"fire," "ice," and "perish" all express death and destruction.
Language: In addition to the use of symbols in the poem, the poet uses understatements to add to the tone. The poem ends with the line "And would suffice," which oversimplifies the meaning of the poem. By using lines like these, the poet emphasized the harm of desire and hate in life.
Syntax: The opening lines of the poem are constructed so that fire and ice are presented as the only available choices; "Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice." The possibility that the world will not end or that it will end in another way is never considered in the poem.
Didls- on "Porphyria's Lover"- pg. 220-221.
Details: A storm is taking place at the beginning of the poem. A girl named Porphyria is trying to seduce the man in the story. She is weak and pale, and the man kills her.
Imagery: describes Porphyria as being smooth and white. She is the main character which is being described as a thin, pale, weak woman. As well, when she is killed, the man opens her eyelids. This moment is described as how "a shut bud holds a bee". This shows how delicate her death was, and how she didn't struggle as death was brought upon her.
Diction: Porphyria's hair is described as a yellow string to show how thin it is. The storm ravaging the city is described as being for "spite", and it also "vexes" the lake. These words show just how horrrible the storm actually is. Once the woman is strangled, it's said that she feels no pain, and her "blue eyes laughed without a stain", meaning that her expression was motionless, even though she had just been strangled in a happy looking position.
Language: The name given to the woman, "Porphyria", is also a disease with which effects are used synanymously with the character of Dracula. very fitting... considering how dark the content of this short poem is.
Syntax: The poem is in rhyme throughout,though the degree to which this is done varies, as sometimes it's every line, and sometimes it rhymes every other line, and sometimes not at all. At any rate, it is written in couplets when rhymed every two lines, and a stand-alone line when it doesn't rhyme. It appears as though the couple rhymes take place when a full idea is being described, and every other rhyme when a separate idea is added. This seems to be done for the sole purpose of keeping the poem interesting.
I heard a Fly buzz-when I died
Emily Dickenson pg. 231
Five-S step
Sentences: "I heard a Fly buzz-when I died-," "The Eyes around-," "-when the King Be witnessed-in the Room-," and "And then the Windows failed-and then I could not see to see-" were the phrases that stuck out the most to me. They detail the main events ocurring at that moment in the speaker's life; the events leading up to his/her death.
Speaker: This poem is in first person, but it is most likely not Dickenson herself considering it details the speaker's death. It is most likely to be someone merely recounting their time on their deathbed. The speaker's choice to describe death with words like King and fly show that they are not scared of death; they call it a king which is usually a person that is respected rather than feared and a fly isn't something to be afraid of at all.
Situation: The speaker is describing the timeline leading up to his/her death, such as detailing a will, and calmly awaits the expected death.
Shift: To me the poem seemed pretty constant. Throughout it there are words used that have portions of the sounding of the word buzz in them. In the last stanza the sounds ocur more often, which could be a sign of the approaching death.
Syntax: There is a heavy usage of dasges, which is common of Dickenson and I'm not really sure what to make of them. I was thinking it could be representative of the ibterruptive, random thoughts we sometimes have. Other than dashes there wasn't any otger punctuation, which I thought could be Dickenson saying that death really isn't the end to anything (the poem only ends with a dash).
I felt a funeral, in my Brain by Emily Dickinson pg. 62
DIDLS
Details: The speaker is hearing his funeral and at first does not seem to know that it is his funeral and at then end of the poem he realizes what is happening and goes to hell.
Imagery: Several senses are invoked during this poem. The word treading invokes sound and touch because one could feel someone treading across the brain and could hear the treading. Beating, silence, bell invokes sound. Numb, hit invokes touch. We can only see the mourners treading and sitting, lifting the box with Boots of Steel, and the speaker dropping down and hit a plunge.
Diction: The word treading is used instead of word like walking because it brings to mind a walking slowly and mourningfull which fits in the context of a funeral.The word numb is used instead of a phrase like "I couldn't feel" because its a more sorrowful word that brings to mind the world lonely and cold which fits in context with the funeral. Creak is used to create the image that the soul is old. Plunge is used to bring to mind a world as at the deepest part of the universe where it very dark.
Language: The author creates the a dismal mood with words that bring sad connotation such as treading, numb, solitary, plunge, wrecked, and down.
Syntax: The poem has several hyphen in it for example "Kept treading-- treading --till it seemed..." to help with the dismal tone. It creates breaks between phrases to slow down the poem so that it seems more sorrowful and the tone sinks into the reader.
nothing can stay gold page 196
DIDLS
Details: the speaker is a person who has watched and learned the ways in which nature works. He has observed it for a long time and is reflecting on his findings in life.
Imagery: Almost all of this poem is imagery. It has the immage of a leaf that wilts and fades. It also has the image of the sun setting on a beautiful day. These all symbolize perfection can never last.
Diction: The author uses the word gold through out the poem. He is using the meaning of gold being a valuble and precious thing not the actual item of gold.
Language:He uses simple language and words to describe nature because it allows the readers to realize that what he is saying applies to the same nature around them. It is not elevated or toned down language it is just plain language.
Syntax: The sentance structure of this poem is almost all of the sentances have five words.I think this is done to show the simplicity and regitity of nature.
My Papa's Waltz-pg 401
DIDLS
The details are what makes the poem what it is supposed to be. Every line has a detail that is specific to this poem, but I picked a couple that set the tone for the entire poem. The first one is "The whiskey on your breath, Could make a small boy dizzy,"immediatly sets the readers mind into thinking the father is an alcoholic, which is true. Another, "You beat time on my head," could mean various things but I think that it is supposed to inter that the child has been suffering like this for a number of years.
The imagery in this poem is abundant and for me it made me wonder what the poet was thinking when he wrote the poem and I could picture what the young child was going through. Sentances like "I hung on like death," depicts how hard the child is struggling and how hard the child is struggling to resist the father's "waltz." One other line that brought an image to my mind was, "We romped until the pans, Slid fron the kitchen shef," and it made me picture a crazy and violent "waltz" that was destructive.
The diction is decieving but very intelligent. The author uses the word "waltz" as to make it sound like a playful dance but then uses harsh words like "beat" and sentances like "my right ear scraped a buckle" to contradict and it gets the reader wondering and it gives a teasing and somewhat harsh attitude.
The language is used to create a sort of teasing tone because it confuses the reader from thinking this poem is playful to a harsh and miserable poem that depicts a child's sufferings.
The sentance structure is in groups of four lines and they have a certain pattern to the tone of the lines. Seems that the first two lines in each group are harsh and depicts the father as an alcoholic. The last two lines in each group are the ones that make the poem seem playful with a teasing tone. This causes the poem to have different meanings and different tones from the author.
Nothing Gold Can Stay pg. 196
DIDLS
Details: Anything good in life will eventually leave. Nature shows a perfect example of this, with flowers dying and the sun setting.
Imagery: the sun setting and the flowers blooming. The leaves becoming alive and dying again. These images show how quickly life goes by, and that "nothing gold can stay"
Diction: The author uses "gold" to describe the things in life that will eventually come to pass. He uses the word "flower" as well, because flowers are beautiful, like gold. These choices affect the meaning because if he had used words such as "good" or "pretty", the meaning would have still been there, but it wouldn't have had as great of an effect.
Language: The author doesn't really use any fancy language or mix things up at all. He is very simple. This adds to the idea that life is simple- the material goods or beautiful nature that complicate life won't last forever.
Syntax: The author creates very simple sentences, so almost anyone can understand the poem.
The White City - Pg. 253
Claude McKay
DIDLS
Details: The speaker describes the many parts of a city, from the trains and bridges, to the skyscrapers. He also expresses his discontent with his city and says "I bear it nobly as i live my part".
Imagery: McKay uses extensive imagery to describe the city. Using words such as "vapor-kissed", "mighty city through a mist", and "white world's hell". This use of descriptions help to emphasize McKays hatred of the city.
Diction: McKay uses the words "a skeleton, a shell" and "dark Passion" to describe his feeling towards the city. Rather than simply saying he feels sad and alone, he chooses these very specific words with stronger connotations.
Language: By using descriptions with nearly every noun in the poem, McKay has many opportunities to effect the mood of the poem, and he takes advantage of them. With the words such as "goaded", "fortressed", "secret", and "life-long hate" McKay gives his poem a very dark and depressive feeling as he describes the city.
Syntax: Mckay often repeats the beginning of his sentences to reinforce their point. In the first 4 lines he starts with I 3 times and describes a negative experience each time. Also, he begins 4 lines in a row with The, this time describing different parts of the city each time.
Sound and Sense- Page 227
5-Step
Sentences: "True ease in writing comes from art, not chance/As those move easiest who have learned to dance." Provides a 2 line intro into what will be talked about for the rest of the poem.
Speaker: The speaker seems to be a poetry enthusiast or teacher; he talks about what makes a good poem, implying that he has studied poetry extensively, and his use of allusions show that he is a learned person.
Situation: The narrator explains that good poetry doesn't come about by chance; it is carefully planned out, and is smooth and swift, not rough and slow. The author uses the allusions of Zephyr, Ajax, Camilla, and Timotheus to make his points.
Shifts: After the first two lines, which serve as an introduction, the structure is relatively constant: the narrator reveals a problem or good thing about a poem, and then uses an allusion to reinforce that point. The rhyme scheme stays the same for the whole poem, just AABBCC etc.
Syntax: The syntax is pretty uniform. In addition to the constant rhyme scheme, the poem uses iambic pentameter for the whole poem. Complete thoughts are ended by a period, semicolon, or colon, putting a complete thought with every two lines. The constant syntax is probably the author's way of demonstrating the smooth, flowing poetry that he writes about.
We Real Cool pg 190 DIDLS
Details: The two italicized lines at the beginning are very important details. They describe who is being talked about (People playing pool, who think of themselves as cool because they didn't go to college and they spend their time doing other things)
Imagery: We get the image of college dropouts ("we left school"). "we sing sin" and "we thin gin" describes the things they do such as drinking, which as the poem later describes, will lead to an early death.
Diction: The author uses very simple words in order to portay an uneducated person. Had he used higher level words the readers wouldn't have gotten the feel of someone who didn't go to college.
Language:Readers get a sense of carelessness. Even though the things being done,such as drinking and not going to collge, aren't good and could lead to an early death, it's ok because they're "cool."
Syntax/Sentence Structure: By keeping the sentences short and the language quite easy, readers get a sense of carelessness once again.
Voyages - Hart Crane
DIDLS
Details: The speaker of the poem describes some of the inhabitants of a beach, urchins, along with the sound and feeling of the waves of the ocean crashing in and how some kids should "frisk" and play with their dog. He also describes how the sea can be hurtful.
Imagery: Images in this poem include what the urchins do in the sand, how the sea is like a storm as it crashes onto the beach, and how some of the elements, such as shells and sticks, are "bleached by time and the elements." The speaker also creates the image of how cruel and destructive the sea can be.
Diction: One example of great diction the kids' "treble interjections." They aren't just talking or playing, but their high voices pierce through the sounds of the beach. Also, they "fondle" their shells and sticks, adding the element of caring for their finds instead of just picking them up or playing with them. Words like "lightning," "thunder," and "cruel," also describe how destructive the sea can be.
Language: With the use of strong imagery and adjectives, the author is able to create a scene of playfulness while contrasting that with the danger of the ocean, showing two sides to a beach.
Syntax: With clear punctuation, the author is able to show exactly how his sentences fit together. This helps the reader to follow each thought until it's end and know when the next thought starts. For the most part, his combination of sentences is easy to follow and together, the sentences create a clear story.
Chris Bram
Five-S’s, on 'One Day I Wrote her Name upon the Strand,’ by Langston Hughes, page 405.
Sentences: "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple," "Make up for the sobriety of my youth," and, "You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat," were the three lines that stuck out the most to me. They show how the couple plans to be childish when they become elderly in order to make up for being overly mature as children.
Speaker: The poem is in first
person, being spoken by a female character, so it most likely isn’t Hughes himself talking. Her attitude is fairly confident and not afraid of disapproval.
Situation: The woman is telling her (I assume) husband that when they are old, the will act childish in order to make up for their sober attitudes as children. Then, she makes note that they should not over do it, as to set a good example for children; as well as practice being childish before hand, as to not startle those around them by suddenly acting very strange.
Shifts: From 15-16, she goes from talking about all of the great stuff they can do when they are old, to the precautions they must take. This shift is apparent due to the change in tone. Before hand she used phrases that are considered immature, such as "grow more fat" and "hoard pens and pencils" in lines 12 and 15, then shifts to more responsible actions, for example, "must have clothes," and "pay our rent" in lines 16 and 17.
Syntax: The syntax is pretty consistent throughout the poem. One thing I did notice was in the first 10 lines, the word 'shall’ was said often. Perhaps this means she very much intends to do the things outlined without much doubt, wear as the use of the word ‘could’ might imply that she is worried of what other might think of them. Other than that, the poem is relatively uniform.
Persephone, Falling pg. 360
Instead of doing the original 5 step i did what was on the back page of the 5 step which is also a 5 step but just in a very complex manner.
1) changes in sound:
line 2 with an exclamation
line8 with an exclamation
Line 10 wuth an exclamation
transition from lines 3-4
2) Key transition words:
when line 4
Remember line 9
important line 10
3) Punctuation marks:
: line 9
! line 2, line 7, line 10
4)Change in Diction:
line 2, line 6-7, line 10, 1st stanza to 2nd stanza
5)change in sentances: line 2-3, lines 13-14, lines 11-12, lines 9-12
6)Changes of point of view:
3rd person viewing onto situation (1st stanza) to a first person direct probably talking to a child(2nd stanza).
since the situation wasnt in these i'll state it: A parent talking to their child to become a better person in life by going to school and bettering herself.
What i learned from doing this method instead which breaks down the five step even further whiched i liked way better by the way is to see what the author is trying to get across to the audience and notice how connotations are used throughout the poem. I also liked how i could break down the sentance structor very easly and not be baffled by a sentance structor question in this poem.
So all in all i would find this method very useful when trying to figure out how the author uses the sentance structor as a whole throughout the poem.
5 Steps
Small Town with One Road-pg. 404
Sentence:"Across the road where riches Happen on a red tongue." "They are spectators of fun ." and " I could lose my job, this easy one." These sentences give the story a lot of detail about a man's views on life. He talks about how life has gotten easier with every generation.
Speaker: The speaker is a small town guy who watched the town grow. He has seen the good times and the bad. He has seen the people change with the time and the work ethic go downhill. The narrator is a major character in the poem.
Situation: The speaker is describing a small town that he has always lived in, he also describes the changes in stability the town goes through.
Shifts: This poem changes often. The speaker talks about having a easy life as a young child, then a hard life growing up, then when he was older it became easier again. Another shift is when the speaker starts off using only we representing the whole town then switches to I when he starts talking about just his family.
Syntax: The author uses a lot of flashback to help explain what life was like in the small town. The author uses a lot of punctation to help the structure of the poem. The sentences are often cut in half with a comma in the middle of many lines and periods every two lines.
Meeting at Night pg 58
DIDLS
Details: This poem is about love, although this is not shown to the reader until the last few lines. The speaker is someone going to meet their lover secretly at night.
Imagery: This poem includes a great deal of vivid imagery of the ocean at night. These descriptions make the reader believe the poem will be about the ocean, but the end reveals it is actually about love.
Diction: The author uses phrases such as "fiery ringlets" to describe the ocean in a way most readers would not see at first. Fiery is one of the last things I think of when thinking of the waves. Water and fire are complete opposites, but the author, Browning uses these opposites to show the reader a new way of looking at things. That love makes people see things differently.
Language: The author uses many descriptive adjectives to give the reader a very clear picture of the ocean and the farm house.
Syntax: The sentences in this poem are very long run on sentences, in order to explain in detail, full ideas before beginning a new sentence.
"War Is Kind" p.354
DIDLS
Detail: An important detail provided are the visuals of war that the speaker is trying to persuade as good and how it is the way it is supposed to be. Also the speaker is talking to a maiden, a women that would be in great worries, but in a sense he is telling her to 'man up' and "Do not weep"(Line 15).
Imagery: A device that plays an important part of the poem is Imagery to show the passion of pride towards the meaning of war. "Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment, Little souls who thirst for fight, these men were born to drill and die" (Lines 6-8)
Diction: In line 2, "Because your lover threw 'wild hands' toward the sky..." the speaker insists on making the soldiers thrive to be wild or not uniformly, but in spirt for the purpose of the battle. He uses diction such as this one to put a prideful and confident emotion in order to prove that war is just doing it's job.
Language: The language used is not horrific or mean in any sort of way. The speaker is more of a calm manner towards the maiden for comfort towards her perspective of war. Everything the speaker mentions about war is positive without negatives to add even more comfort for his persuasion.
Syntax: The structure consists of a demand "Do not weep" and then it is followed by a reason "because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky.." (lines 1-2). Following that an indented stanza consisting imagery of the inspiring thoughts of war to the speaker. The poem then switches back to the same command, another reason, and then a stanza on imagery.
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