Poetry Reading

Earlier in the semester I attended a poetry reading at Reese Museum on the ETSU campus. The option to go was brought up in class. I have always been interested in poetry and loved hearing it. In high school we had a similar poetry reading and I loved it. Despite my love for poetry I did not have a positive attitude about going to this event. I thought that it was going to be super boring. I went into the poetry reading with a negative attitude but left feeling incredible. The event was very short, it seemed almost too short, but I was touched by so many different readings in such a short amount of time. One thing that stood out to me the most about their poetry was how real it was. This semester I have been reading poems that have been very difficult to understand and interpret. Their poems were flowing and alive. They had so much detail and emotion. I caught myself even tearing up at one of the poems which were about religion. Each of them was short stories and you could tell that the words meant so much to the poet that was reading them aloud. The audience did not understand every detail about each poem, of course, because they were personal events. Also, their poems did not have a certain structure or form. They were just free flowing. I am very glad that I went and experienced poetry from current writers.

Heard no more

"The Voice", by Hardy I thought was a great poem that showed hope but then an understating of the truth and realization. The poem is in the first person, with the speaker being Hardy. Hardy hears a voice calling to him that he believes is his wife that died. She tells him she has changed and she not who she use to be. He is hopeful in the beginning of the poem that the voice is his wife, but then realizes it is just the breeze and his imagination. towards the end of the poem he realizes that he will never hear her voice again an that she is truly gone and will never be heard again. I think this is something that most people that have lost someone close to them can relate to. He is sad that she is gone and does not want to believe it at first. When he remembers her he pictures her at her best when they got married. When people die you like to remember the good things about them and in this poem this is what Hardy does. He wants so try and keep a connection with his wife but then realizes he has to move on because she will be heard no more.

The Duty of a Soldier

One poem that I was hoping we would read but never touched on was Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade." This poem is one of Tennyson's most famous pieces and is alluded to in countless pieces of writing, film and other entertainment mediums. In it Tennyson praises the bravery of the British Dragoons who made a suicide charge against Russian cannons during the Crimean War. Tennyson narrates in a lyrical ballad the story of the Light Brigade as they rode into "the jaws of death." It is written to sound swift like a cavalry charge with the words making sounds like the thunder of hoofs on a plain. The second stanza contains what many modern military historians consider to be the best summary of the duty of a soldier; "Theirs not to make reply,/ Theirs not to reason why,/ Theirs but to do and die." Soldiers are never to question orders and just do them without hesitation. Tennyson seems to believe that this shows the utmost bravery as one must march unquestioningly to their death without remorse or fear. Willingly sacrificing themselves for an officer's say so, even if it is a mistake as the real Charge of the Light Brigade was.

World War One Poetry

I wouldn't say that I had one specific piece that was my favorite as all of the World War One poets struck me as profound and interesting. The way that some of them found beauty in one of the most horrid wars was something that always struck me with awe. Living in such horrid conditions as they did how could they see such beauty in the world, the poppies in the fields of Flanders, or see the beauty in what they were doing for their homeland. Yet in sharp contrast there is also the horror that they write about like the lost generation of young men who went off to war and never returned to be fathers, friends or sons to their mothers, or the treachery of nationalism that sent them off to die trying to find some glorification for it. It was interesting to read all the different perspectives of the war and how people learned form it and tried to teach those lessons to the future generations.

Anti-Patriot

The poem "Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries" by A.E. Housman is a poem that criticizes the use of hired guns with no loyalty to the nation rather than regular foot soldiers who would have a sense of patriotism and love of the homeland. Specifically talking about the First Battle of Ypres where territorial soldiers broke and fled from the German advance while the professional soldiers of the British standing army held ranks and took on the brunt of the German forces, Housman called mercenary soldiers unpatriotic claiming that all they do is take their wages and run. Comparing the British regulars to Atlas, he praises them for holding up the sky while the mercenaries run as it falls. By standing they keep the Earth from parting and defend what the mercenaries think God abandons. By staying and fighting they save their payment, not money but life and the ability to go home to their families and loved ones.

Embracing the Dark Savageness

I would have to say that Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has been my favorite read this semester. The author takes the reader on a journey of truth and illustrates the inane ways in which we humans can resolve doing wrong to someone for the good of self or others. Also the reader is given a glimpse of the darkness that is within and how some characters deal with that darkness. As we are shown with Company’s chief accountant, “I met a white man, in such in such an unexpected elegance….(pg 1902 of text),” this man who had been there for three years in the jungle surrounded by dirt, dust, and decay still held onto proper English attire with a defiant air. As the story moves we are introduced to other characters that are slipping over the edge. Until we meet Kurtz and man of legendary stature. Surely one who will go far in the company but one who has lost all English sensibilities and embraced the dark savageness of his nature. And it all started because he wanted to earn his fortune so as to be worthy enough to marry his “Intended.” But I ask you. Who is the real savage? The Kurtz full of English propriety or the Africanized Kurtz, which one are you? I think that Conrad wanted readers to take that journey of self examination and question what their motives are and how the motivations can affect the others around. And also what gives us the right to do such a thing?

Mystery in Words

1. One of my favorite poems that we have read this semester is When We Two Parted by Lord Byron. I really enjoyed reading the love poems this semester, but this one stood out to me the most. It is full of emotions that are just brought to the surface by reading his words. The speaker of this poem lost a loved one and is expressing how they feel about the situation. The third line that says “Half broken-hearted” could mean a lot of different things. I think it could mean that he knew that their love was coming to an end which left him half broken-hearted. It could also mean that the break was one sided, leaving him broken-hearted. The fifth line says, “Pale grew thy cheek and cold,” this line suggests that his lover has passed away, although it is never stated. Maybe he is saying that her cheek has grown cold because she is no longer there or because she does not love him anymore. In the forth stanza the first line says, “In secret we met” which to me suggests that his lover was a secret lover that no one knew he had. Maybe this is why he was left half-broken hearted because he knew in the end that it would not work out. The end of the poem goes on to talk about what he would do if they ever met again. The speaker says that he would greet their lover “With silence and tears.” To me this is saying that the situation is too hard for him to handle and he cannot face seeing his lover again. This poem is very easy for me to relate to because I know how it feels to lose someone close to me and have a broken heart. I love the words that he uses in this poem because it brings out so much emotion. I also love the mystery in the poem. He never comes out to say what really happened or who his lover was that he lost, but by not knowing any of that it is much easier to relate to.

I already wrote this so why not post it.

2. Ted Hughes’ account of what happened in the Garden of Eden, Theology, is nothing like what happened in Genesis. In the biblical version, Eve ate the apple from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil because the serpent convinced her to do so by promising her that she would become more like God. Eve listens to the serpent and eats the apple then shares it with Adam. In Hughes’ poem he tells the story completely different. He says that the serpent did not seduce Eve to eat the apple. In fact, Adam is the one who ate the apple. Then, Eve ate Adam. Lastly, the serpent ate Eve. After doing so the serpent goes back to sleep in the garden; also known as Paradise. This is the “dark intestine.” I think that Hughes uses that term to say that the truth is the people would have eaten the apple even if the serpent would not have seduced them to do so because that is just how humans are made. I think he created the poem so drastically different than the biblical story to make that point. Also, to show that the serpent will take advantage of any situation like that, thinking that he has tricked God in some way and that God does not know what is really going on. The end of the poem is a lot like the end of the story in Genesis. God is calling out for Adam and Eve to ask them what they had done and the serpent is laughing to himself.

We can feed this mind of ours

My favorite poem from this semester is "Expostulation and Reply." I love how it expresses the importance of nature. The poem emphasizes the importance of nature to an individual's intellectual and spiritual development. Which i completely agree with! I believe that many individuals can learn some stuff just as much sitting outside and taking everything in than they can reading a book all day. I like how Wordsworth believes that nature provides the ultimate good for the human mind. I love the line ,"The eye- it cannot choose but see; we cannot bid the ear be still; our bodies feel, where'er they be, against or with our will." This is expressing that our ears and eyes have no choice but to see all the many wonderful creations, and we can learn a great amount for them. I like this poem because it doesnt short cut all of God's beautiful creations we are so blessed to have all of this amazing creations and we should take it all in as much as possible.

"The Mortal Immortal"

When I first read "The Mortal Immortal" I did not want the short story to end. I really enjoyed it because the theme is very eye opening. I believe everyone has thought about being able to live forever and not have to worry about death. In the short novel Marry Shelly showed her audience that it would not be so appealing to live forever. She showed that it can be a curse instead of a blessing. Your loved ones will soon pass away and leave you living a lonely life. This novel showed that to live forever would mean to be able to cope with the loss of loved ones, which in a away the immortal is experiencing death. They may feel like they have lost a part of their life through their loved one's death, leaving the idea of being immortal a curse.

It made me realize how hard it would be to live life if I was immortal. I don't think I would be able to handle seeing all my family and friends pass away. I did not view the possibility of being immortal as a curse until I read this short novel. I always though that avoiding death and living young would be a dream (if it was possible)!

Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey"

When reading this prompt, I immediately thought back to the poetry written by William Wordsworth. His passion for nature and the importance of appreciating its beauty completely drew me in. Out of all the poems we read by Wordsworth, "Tintern Abbey" stood out to me the most. The way he described the surroundings of Tintern Abbey during the beginning of the poem immediately caught my attention. Using phrases such as “impress thoughts of more deep seclusion” clearly shows he felt passionate about this location and felt sincerely at peace.

One idea, in particular, that I found relatable was the realization that, while he loved this place as a child, he did not show it the appreciation that it deserved. This, I feel, is something that has happened to many people. I have, unfortunately, experienced this feeling upon leaving home. I possessed negative feelings when living at home and now, I find myself wanting more and more time there. These feelings make me realize, much like Wordsworth, that I did not appreciate the time spent there when it was abundant.

Blogging for Thursday

If you didn't blog for Tuesday and need to blog for tomorrow, you can respond to this prompt:

What was your favorite piece we read this semester, and why? Please don't just write a bunch of empty statements like "I really enjoyed this poem" or "It's a really great story." Explain what it is that you connected with and why it stands out. Please write something thoughtful.

If you need to make up missed blogs, you can write responses to other works in our anthology ("other" meaning works we have not read and discussed as a class). You can do up to three of these. They should be as involved, specific, and insightful as any other post.

Thanks.

Who Ate The Apple?

In Hughes' poem, Theology, he tells of the biblical story of Adam and Eve. In his depiction, the serpent did not seduce Eve into taking part of the apple, but instead Adam ate the apple. After this Eve and Adam and the serpent ate Eve. I find this very comical because the story of Adam and Eve in the bible was the total opposite of what Hughes states here. "The dark intestine" to me is a way of revealing the so-called "dark" but "hidden" truth. It seems as if he is either making fun of the biblical story of Adam and Eve or he simply knows the real truth behind the story. He states, "the serpent sleeps his meal off in paradise/smiling to hear God's querulous calling," which I find to be very funny in a way because it seems as if the evil doing of the serpent comes without a consequence from God which we all know is an "all knowing" and "all powerful" God. God always knows what is going to happen before it happens and he is always strong no matter what from what the bible says, but what happens if God suddenly does not know what happens in the future or does not have the power to stop evil? It seems that God is being seen as a coward by his "querulous calling" and that evil is overcoming good, which seems surreal to me. God always stomps over the devil, but in this case maybe Hughes is trying to say that the truth might not always be revealed as a pretty picture at first, but once depicted the truth will always come to light.

A Sea of Poor Fish

The jawbone represents the end of a period of suffering. With the death of the the sea creature who the jawbone belonged to symbolizes the end of a depression. Seeing the jawbone reminds the narratiator of the cold truths that come along with the jawbone. The crabs and dogfish represent the poor who can never manage to get ahead. The waves of water wash the fish ashore leaving them in the sand unable to breath as the waves of taxes and prices leave people barley able to afford food to eat and clothes to wear. Hughes says that these fish turn to crust and then continue at the beginning. This means that this is a cycle that will continue for the children born of these people and probably their grandchildren and so on. The "jaws" or the government takes everything from its people and causes them to suffer. "Time in the sea eats its tail, thrives, casts these Indigestibles, the spars of purposes That failed far from the surface." I interpreted this to mean that the people who cannot support themselves are cast out of society or left for dead. These people have no purpose and are not considered to be a functioning part of society. They are considered disposable. When Hughes says that they failed far from the surface hes saying that these people failed far before they were born because they born into poverty, in other words they didn't have a chance from the start. "None grow rich In sea." In most societies it is almost impossible to move out of the class one was born in. The 1930's was a time of depression and unemployment I feel that this poem is comparing The jaws of a creature to the jaws of the government. The gripping in the end of the poem leads me to believe that the ways of this creature still effect the sea even in death. So maybe if the poem represents a depression Hughes is saying here that even though the depression is over its effects on the people are still present.

The dark intestine means that over time the story or Adam and Eve has been retold and re-written millions of different times. Each person adding to or subtracting from parts of the story that he or she didn't like or thought might make the tale more interesting. The truth is swallowed in the dark intestine. The way Hughes tells the story is completely different from the tale in Genesis. Originally Eve was supposed to be the one who ate from the tree of life and she convinced Adam to do the same. In Theology, Adam ate the apple and Eve ate Adam and the serpent ate Eve. Hughes is saying that the truths of the words were probably lost over time because of all the re-telling and how things tend to change in meaning from the translation into other languages. The serpent laughs because of the confusion. The dark intestine is where the truth is but no one knows where to find it. Each generation and each denomination has probabley had some influence on the bible and the stories that they choose to accept as the truth.

The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower & Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

1.) In Thomas' poem "The Force that Through the Green Fuse" he gives a description of the cycle of life. He uses nature to compare that particular part of the cycle of life to his area of growth. In the first stanza he uses fuse and blast to show how powerful and forceful the cycle of life and the process of growing is. I believe the words he uses help to show the effectuality of life. He also states that the same force that is bringing life is the same that is destroying it.

2.) The first line of the first stanza on "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" is that of the title. My interpretation of this is that he does not want you to give up in life or leave this world with nothing less than doing your best. His second line "Old age should burn and rave at close of day" is saying that even at an old age one should stay youthful and continue to live their life in a cheerful way until death. The final line of the first stanza "Rage, rage against the dying light" is simply saying that one should battle and combat against the oncoming of death.

"You can't have a light without a dark to stick it in." -Arlo Guthrie

Dylan Thomas was an amazing poet with a precise ear for the nuances of our language. In the poem "The Force that Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower" he examines the dichotomies that make up life. Like the paradox inherent in the idea that pastoral beauty is made possible by the big bang that created the universe, or the possibility that human life on this planet was made possible by a meteor strike that wiped out most previously known forms of plant and animal life, Thomas is using language to pay homage to these conflicts.
In reading tarot cards, the card "death" is not indicative of a literal, physical death. It is rather a herald of great and transformative change. This is also true of the violence in the Thomas poem. Without the destructive freezing of winter, it would not be possible for the spring tulip to bloom. Birth is one of the most violent processes known to living beings, often far more violent than death, yet for all of its ferocity it is undeniably a creative force.
This is the spirit in which Thomas uses words like "force," "fuse," blasts," and "destroyer." Thomas is a poet who is deeply cognizant of the cyclical nature of life, and of the destruction inevitable within that cycle. His use of these forceful words leads the reader to consider the yin/yang conflicts of birth and death, and the way that looking forward to the joys of each new day in the best, most carefree times of our lives is still effectively rushing ourselves headlong toward the end of life.

On top of the food chain

In the sea anything can happen and any fish is on the menu for other fish, if a whale is injured everyone gets a bite and that carcass, vertebrae, skull will then be washed up on a beach, no fish is spared from being eaten. From plankton to a whale everyone is on the menu. I have never scuba dived, but I use to surf. Being older and wiser I will not go in the ocean any more, simply because then I'm on the low end of the food chain. I would not walk on a feeding path in Africa either I am uncomfortable being put on the food chain.
In the Relic it is not so complicated to understand, he finds a jawbone on the shore, at the sea's edge and then he thinks that the sea is a rough place to live, these jaws use to eat and now here is that jawbone. A jawbone that was not smiling when it was being eaten. In the ocean its kill or be killed although the life cycle is barbaric, we all need to eat to survive. Humans just go to the store. We know how it got there in the cooler but we just do not think of the entire process, how meat got to this store. At least I don't.
Oceans are deep, cold and dark, no one is friends when it comes to being eaten. The sea eats its tail and then spits out the junk that washes up on it's edges.

A "Corruption of the Facts"

Hughes's poem Theology obviously differs quite a bit from the story in Genesis that is is alluding to. According to the Bible, Eve was seduced by the serpent (or Satan in the form of a serpent) and convinced to eat an apple from a tree she and Adam had been forbidden to eat from. After eating it, she then convinced Adam to do the same, causing the two to be exiled from the Garden of Eden. While in Theology, the story happens a little bit differently. In this version, Adam eats the apple, Eve eats Adam, and the serpent eats Eve. Then the serpent sleeps in the Garden of Eden and laughs to himself when he hears God calling out to Adam and Eve asking where they are.

Hughes calls this "the dark intestine". While at first, this may be seen only as a play on the ingestion that has taken place, it could also mean something like the dark truth, or the underlying truth. Maybe Hughes is putting some of his personal beliefs, or disbeliefs, into this poem. Maybe "the dark intestine" or underlying truth is that this is what happened in the Garden of Eden, where Satan came out on top and God was left wondering what happened.

"This is the dark intestine."

Hughes’ account of the Garden of Eden myth is exceedingly different from the version in the biblical Genesis. First, the speaker claims that the serpent did not convince Eve to eat the apple but it was Adam that actually ate it. Next, Eve ate Adam and then the serpent ate Eve. Lastly, the poem states that afterwards the serpent slept “his meal off in Paradise.”As we all obviously know none of this happened in the Bible.

I interpreted the “Dark intestine” as the author simply stating “this is the undeniable and dark truth” since he claims what we already know is “corruption of the facts.” I also view line 8 (“This is the dark intestine”) to be especially powerful in this poem because it makes the reader stop and think considering the previous 3 lines appear humorous and silly.

Also, I’m not sure if Hughes did this on purpose but I think it is interesting how he places this line in the middle of the poem and the human intestine is also in the middle of the body. Lastly, I think Hughes exploits the word “intestine” to have two meanings. Obviously he uses this specific word because so much “eating” is taking place in this poem and secondly when I see “intestine” I think of “in testament.”

Hughes and Thomas Prompts

For Tuesday, please respond to one of the following prompts. Or, if you have missed a blog in the past, feel free to respond to two of the prompts (the second response will count as a replacement for a missed post in the past). If you respond to two prompts, please only post once. Number your responses within the same post so that I know you are responding to two. Thanks.

1. Discuss the symbolic nature of the jawbone in "Relic." Based on your reading of the poem, what does the jawbone symbolize?

2. In "Theology," What is different about Hughes's account of the Garden of Eden myth as compared to the version in the biblical Genesis? What does this have to do with the "Dark intestine"?

3. Discuss the violent imagery in "The Force that Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower." Why do you think Thomas uses diction like "force," "fuse," "blasts," and "destroyer?" How do these relate to the theme of the poem?

4. Interpret the last two lines of "Fern Hill." Please reference other parts of the poem in your response.

5. Choose one stanza in Dylan Thomas's villanelle, "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," and explicate it.

Thanks. I'm being observed on Tuesday, so I would appreciate it if you are on time. See you then.

Sacred Spaces

The speaker in Larkin's poem "Church Going" stops off at an old church while out on a bicycle ride. While there he finds himself imagining the daily life of the church, wondering if it is truly abandoned or just momentarily empty as the surrounding village is employed in its daily labors. The speaker wonders if,perhaps "...after dark, will dubious women come/ to make their children touch a particular stone;/Pick simples for a cancer; or on some/ Advised night see a walking dead one?" (lines 28-31).
All of these things, and other mentions of routine rituals that occur in churches, let the reader know that the speaker is has a background in church, and is long familiar with the scenes of major life moments that often occur in the confines of a church, such as "...marriage, and birth,/ And death, and thoughts of these- for which was built/ This special shell" (lines 50-52).
However, for all of the speaker's obvious familiarity with religious ritual and habit, it seems to be a habit the speaker has fallen away from, as do more and more of modern society. The speaker points this out poignantly in the lines "A shape less recognizable each week,/ A purpose more obscure..." (lines 37-38). These lines speak to the loss of the church's place as the center of community life, as new modes of communication, such as telephones and computers, have taken the place of face to face conversation, and the central activity of life has gone from being in the home, where one was surrounded only by family and church was a great social event, to the workplace, where one is surrounded constantly by a crush of social behaviors and home is a welcome respite and a place to escape the constant press of humanity.
However, as a tree-ceilinged clearing in a silent woods, or the Parthenon with moonbeams gleaming through, or Stonehenge at sunrise will cause most people to feel at least a momentary catch in the breath, a reverence for things larger than themselves, so do beautiful, if crumbling, old churches bring forth a feeling of awe, of respect for the sacred events and the places tied to them. This seems to be what the bicyclist in the poem is feeling, as he goes through the motions of those things one does upon entering a church with little more than mechanical attitude, not thinking of the meaning of the acts so much as absorbing the holy atmosphere of reverence and history in the place even as he acknowledges the physical decay of the building and his own, and others, spiritual decay. He looks into the superstitious past without sentimentality but does seem to regret that humanity is rushing toward a faithless future without the pomp and circumstance of historical precedence and tradition.