Poetry Analysis #2-The Red Hat

p. 296, #233

This poem by Rachel Hadas is a poem written from the point of view of a mother who is watching her son walk to school on his own for the first time. As this may be the literal meaning, the general idea of the poem is the emotions and thoughts of a parent watching their child grow up. The poet uses parentheses, rhyme, and alliteration to convey these emotions and to help the reader experience the same feelings.
In line 7 parentheses are used to emphasize the fact that these parents take any and every opportunity to guide their son. "Glances can extend (and do)," stops the reader and makes the line more significant. The continuation of that line, "across the street; not eye contact," reveals that the parents are afraid that the son is losing sight of them and what they have taught him. They are worried they are losing his attention, and overall his love.
The rhyme scheme in this poem really helps to emphasize important words that are crucial to the emotions of this poem. Words like "part" and "heart", "fear" and "disappear", "pull" and "school" show the different worries that a parent may have. The endings to the sentences are all crucial in their word choice, and need to be viewed as key elements.
Rachel Hadas also uses some alliteration in line 14 where it says, "Where two weeks ago, holding a hand, he'd dawdle, dreamy, slow." This alliteration also slows down the line, just as the words explain, and put the reader into the parent's dream-like state where they are remembering when their child was younger.

I enjoyed this poem because of its emotional connections and subject matter. It was very easy for me to feel for the parent who is afraid of losing their child. The writing really made the emotions very real.

Poetry Analysis #1-"Siren Song"

a Poem 201, page 271

This poem, by Margaret Atwood, is written from the point of view of a siren. Sirens, in Greek mythology, were women who lured sailors to their deaths with a song. They were sometimes pictured as birds with women's heads.

This is the one song everyone
would like to learn: the song
that is irresistible:

the song that forces men
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see the beached skulls

the song nobody knows
because anyone who has heard it
is dead, and the others can't remember

Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?

I don't enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical

with these two feathery maniacs,
I don't enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.

I will tell the secret to you,
to you, only to you.
Come closer. This song

is a cry for help: Help me!
Only you, only you can,
you are unique.

at last. Alas,
It is a boring song
but it works every time.

Two literary devices in this poem that add to the meaning are enjambment and transitions, and repetition. Use of details such as colons (:) also add to the appearance and portrayal of the story. The enjambment in the poem helps guide the reader through the transitions that are specifically placed throughout the writing. The story that is told through this poem is about a Siren who is trying to lure a sailor in, and in doing so tricks him into thinking she is miserable and doesn't like what the Siren's song actually does. This irony adds to the comedy of the poem as well. The idea of a Siren is mostly connected to the idea of temptation and treachery, which provides evidence that this poem is about temptation and its evil ways. The enjambent is located in the last two stanzas of the poem. The Siren says:

"This song

is a cry for help:help me!"

This line is used to show the innocence that a tempation will often convey. The Siren acts as a victim. Then the repetition of "Only you" is used to make that one sailor feel special from the rest, increasing the temptation. Enjambment is then used again when the Siren reveals that she has used her Siren song again and, of course, it works every time. This last bit of enjambment really stresses the irony and provides a solid conclusion to the overall meaning of the piece.

I enjoyed this poem because of its irony. Although temptation may be a serious thing, I found the poem to be comical. The imagery and great personification of the Siren really made it easy to picture a Siren at work.

The Handmaid's Tale-"This is a reconstruction. All of it is a reconstruction.It's a reconstruction now, in my head, as I lie flat on my single bed..."

The Handmaid's Tale was a very controversial book to read, but also really interesting, in my opinion. There were several good topics for discussion, but it isn't possible for me to discuss every single one. One of the topics that I was really intrigued by was the entire idea of the Bible being interpreted literally throughout the book. The exaggeration and irony used in the novel are quite extensive, but they get the point across very well. An important example of this would be the idea of love in Gilead. While the society is based completely off of the idea of the Handmaid from the Bible, it seems to completey deny the idea of love, which is the foundation of the Bible's content, so their entire society defeats its own purpose. This is exaggerated in more ways than one. The idea of Jezebel's also is a contradictory part of the Gilead society. While all of this irony may seem to be a low blow to most religions, I do not personally think that the author is against organized religion. I think that she is in between extremes. She has a very centered view when it comes to these topics. While she is saying that in religion there can many times be hypocracy and contradiction of beliefs, I think that through exaggeration she also may be slightly defending certain organized religions. The exaggeration, while emphasizing the flaws of religion, also emphasizes, through the characterization of Offred, the good intent of religious people. Now, maybe this is a stretch, but I do see that Offred has good intentions in her faith, and only wants to be a good person. She did not ask for the society that has come about.
One, of many, of my favorite quotes is, "Get your clothes on, Janine, Alma said, to Janine's white back. We don't want extra prayers on account of you. But Janine didn't move." This quote is just another example of exaggeration and irony, but it provided, at least for me, some comic relief. It made me laugh to hear this girl, who supposedly worships God and has faith in her religion, say that she doesn't want extra prayers. It's just so hypocritical. This statement is obvious in showing Atwood's view of programs such as CCD or Sunday/Bible School, in which young children are raised in a certain religion. Many times, such as in this situation, the rules and regulations often move the children further away from that religion.
The Handmaid's Tale was certainly the best of what we have read so far. The topics of discussion were very interesting and controversial, which made me think a lot. There are so many things in this book that could be interpreted and found meaningful. Every quote has some kind of significance. The details and symbols used could be looked at in a few different ways, leaving room for thought. Overall this book is very well written and has a great plot.

We-"From beyond the Green Wall, from the wild plains out of sight in the distance, the wind is carrying the honeyed yellow pollen of some flower."

The novel We was definitely not one of my favorites, but there were some interesting discoveries I made throughout. One of the more prominent aspects of the story was the usage of the colors yellow and blue. Statements involving these colors are used many times within the story. The first time they are used, or at least the first time that seems important to me, is when D-503 says, "It's spring. From beyond the Green Wall, from the wild plains out of sight in the distance, the wind is carrying the honeyed yellow pollen of some flower...And then what a sky! Blue, unsullied by a single cloud..." First of all, the season is spring. This implies that there will be some kind of new beginning. I see the yellow as a symbol for knowledge. This knowledge is just being planted in D-503, hence the pollen. The knowledge is coming from beyond the Green Wall, which is outside of D-503's world. The blue skies represent what D-503 is seeing as perfection. The entire city is made to be perfect. It is "unsullied by a single cloud," without any flaws. The Numbers' yunies are described as sky-blue. "'I'd like so much to come to your place today and let the blinds down. Today--right this minute,' said O, and shyly looked up at me with her round crystal blue eyes." O is the one who D knows is perfect for him. He should want to be with her, and be satisfied with the perfection in the pair of them. At first the color blue is used to show aspects of society that are held in high regard, that D is convinced are perfection. In addition, the color yellow, the knowledge, is seen as a wandering thought, not rooted yet in anything. Later on, I-330 changes into a yellow dress. This shocks D-503 as it is very different from the blue yunies he is used to seeing. Not only is the dress yellow, but it is BRIGHT yellow, and it is low cut. I-330 is seducing D-503 with her knowledge. This knowledge attracts D-503, and he realizes from the beginning that there is something special about I-330. He falls in love with her because of the knowledge she has over everyone else in the society. In the next record, D-503 dreams of the yellow dress, and juices pouring out of it. This shows what is becoming of his new found knowledge. Yes, he believes he is sick, but in reality he is just realizing more and more about his surroundings. Another time I-330 changed into a yellow dress, it was not as bright as the first dress, but D-503 still saw the "evil" in it. This is because he was beginning to develop thoughts for himself, without as much help from I-330's seduction. And then the question arises. On page 91, D-503 explains how he makes eye contact with a yellow-eyed beast outside of the Green Wall. "And then a little thought wormed its way into my head: 'And what if yellow-eyes, in his stupid, dirty pile of leaves, in his uncalculated life, is happier than us?'" This is a turning point at which D-503 is realizing that life with knowledge is in reality better than living a life where all flaws are hidden in ignorance. All of this progression of D-503's knowledge rises at a steady rate until the end of the novel where his imagination is removed. At this point he says that the sky is clear that day, meaning it is blue again, "unsullied by a single cloud." He has returned to his initial mind, without any worldly knowledge.

My favorite quote from We is the one above, about the beast with yellow eyes. It was such a major point in the novel, and it really struck me. The question is so blunt and conclusive that it is surprising to hear it coming from D-503 who had, up to this point, taken a large amount of time to collect his thoughts on any topic.

This book, while mildly compelling, was not one of my favorites. I think this is because of the shape of the society that Zamyatin created. I couldn't picture very well the society and how it was set up. Although the lack of detailed imagery provides for an open interpretation of the novel, I would have liked to be able to picture the setting more clearly.

Anthem- "And we know well that there is no trangression blacker than to do or think alone."

While reading Anthem, I happened to take a look at the author's biography. Ayn Rand was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and grew up during the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Communist society had a great influence on her writing, especially in her novel, Anthem. Communist ideals consist of a common ownership and control of all parts of government, and society in general. In Anthem, Equality 7-2521, as well as the rest of his society, is prohibited from using the words "I" or "me" or "mine". Anything that implies singular ownership or singular being is a violation of law. Everyone in the society must work together. Throughout the novel, Rand uses these restrictions to exhibit the flaws of these ideals. Equality 7-2521 eventually comes into his own, and begins to think, and develop his thoughts beyond his control. One example of this, in the very beginning of the novel, is the carving above the Palace of the World Council. It reads, "WE ARE ONE IN ALL AND ALL IN ONE. THERE ARE NO MEN BUT ONLY THE GREAT _WE_,ONE, INDIVISIBLE AND FOREVER." Equality then goes on to say, "These words were cut long ago. There is green mould in the grooves of the letters and yellow streaks on the marble, which come from more years than men could count. And these words are the truth, for they are written on the Palace of the World Council, and the World Council is the body of all truth." This is a subtle implication from Rand, expressing that the wild, human soul (the mold) eats through those words, always overtaking them, no matter how much it is suppressed. Over and over again Equality tells of how he yearns to be in higher regard, but can only dream of it. He knows that he shouldn't decide what he wants to do when he leaves the Home of the Students, and he should take what he receives and be glad, but there is no way to rid someone of all of their wants. In this Rand is saying that in a society where "all are one" and only together can they survive (a society riddled with Communism), is a society where individuality is hidden, but never defeated. Equality's knowledge progresses quickly for the duration of the novel, and at the end his knowledge helps him to realize his true potential as a human. The society was constantly brainwashing him to believe that because of his innate superiority he should be ashamed and feel guilty, when in reality he should be allowed to have his final word: ego.

We didn't discuss this in class, but more than once did I wonder about the title of this work. The dictionary definition of the word "anthem" is a song, as of praise, devotion, or patriotism. Upon reading this definition I was surprised. Yes, you would think that this definition would make sense with this novel because of the fact that the society in it revolves around devotion to their society as a whole. This is true. But it makes sense in more ways than one. When I first thought about the title, I thought about a personal anthem, one that expressed the feeling of being an independent person, not an anthem for a whole country or society. This sparked the idea that in the way the society in the novel works, it actually does the opposite of what it is put in place to achieve.

My favorite line(s) of the novel are these:

"Today,the Golden One stopped suddenly and said: 'We love you.' But they frowned and shook their head and looked at us helplessly. 'No,' they whispered, 'that is not what we wished to say.' They were silent, then they spoke slowly, and their words were halting, like the words of a child learning to speak for the first time: 'We are one . . . alone . . . and only . . .and we love you who are one . . . alone . . . and only.'" The fact that it took so much thought and processing for the Golden One to tell Equality that she loves him was so profound for me. Their society has been beaten down to the point where the concept of love is far beyond anything they have ever tried to comprehend. Three words that are often overused in today's society, "I love you," and often taken for granted, are hardly able to be spoken by anyone living in Equality's world. So much feeling has been sucked out of this world, and it leads to nothing but a natural and human need to rebel.

Overall, I thought that Anthem was a good introduction to dystopian works of literature. Although I was quite confused in the beginning of the novel, the rest of it did not disappoint me. The diction used in the novel as well as the details used throughout are used well in developing a vivid picture of Equality's society and the excessive amount of communal thought.