Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Post #2: Other Poets from the English-Speaking World

Hello All,

For this post, find one poem from "A Sampling of Other English-Language Poets" (95-115) that speaks to you, and write a short explanation as to why you find this poem memorable/meaningful.

44 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading the poem from A.R Ammons "Easter Morning". I felt that I could relate to this poem. From what I understood from this poem is that the writer A.R. Ammons tells the poem through his view. I can relate because I to have left my inner child behind. I have not completely said goodbye, but when growing up an individual tends to leave their childlike behavior behind. I come from a large family, so now that most of us are in college or high school we rarely see one another. I miss the idea of spending time with my cousins, aunts, and uncles because it brings out a different side of me. While reading this poem I was able to visualize what A.R Ammons was explaining. Even adults question their actions now and want to refer back to the memories they had as a child. Overall, I really enjoyed " Easter Morning".

    --Brittanyy Mejia

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  2. I personally enjoyed the poem " Cotton flannelete " by Les Murray. From what I could understand is that through the eyes of Les Murray, he relives his childhood with a baby that can't be saved & in order for the pain to stop on both ends, the baby's life needs to end. I thought this poem was very disheartening but at the same time very clever with his use of irony. Overall, I wouldn't object to more of this material in the future.
    Deon Danehy

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  3. John Ashbery's "Soonest Mended" is an amazing work of that speaks to me of the journey though life. The speaker grows throughout the poem emotionally and mentally. As we all grow we go through relationships and sometimes the relationships change as the people grow. We all go through life changing and learning as we go along.

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  4. The poem "Soonest Mended" by John Ashbery I can relate to the most on an emotional level. The speaker of the poem brings the reader on a journey through different stages of life. An aspect of the poem deals with relationships, which Ashberry describes the different changes overtime as we progress with people and different elements of learning from experiences on the journey of life.

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  5. The poem from “A Sampling of Other English-Language Poets” that I found spoke to me was “Dream Song 14”. This poem, written by John Berryman, was about how a boy couldn’t say that he was bored. This was meaningful to me since I find myself thinking that I’m bored all the time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I have a boring life; it just means in that moment I’m not taking any risks or starting a new adventure. I believe that it’s okay to say that you’re bored as long as you go and do something about it and don’t wallow in self-pity. The truth is we live in this marvelous world where if you try hard enough there’s always something interesting to do.

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  6. I chose the poem "Dream Song 14" because I loved the message it conveyed. John Berryman's use of irony really brought me to the realization that if we are bored in this life, we aren't utilizing our resources. Oftentimes, I find myself griping that bored and frustrated, but the possibilities are endless. Someone who is always seeking adventure will never be bored in this world, and he successfully conveys that message and it really stood out out me. Life is waiting to be lived!

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  7. The poem, "Four Small Elegies," section I spoke to me as it was very chilling, but moving. The image of a clock frozen in time, women moving through the trees, and a "limp cloth bundle" that appears to be a dead child who could not keep up with his/her mother all are eye-opening images. I do not fully understand the poem, but I think it is describing a period of war concluded from stanza 5: "No one could give them clothes or shelter, these were the orders." The whole poem contrasts with the last 2 lines: "We didn't hurt them, the man said, we didn't touch them". I find this aspect of the poem to be the most interesting and believe that the author is trying to prove a point about the atrocities of war.

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  8. I really enjoyed the poem "Easter Morning" by A.R Ammons because it reminds me of where I am in life. I am not a full adult and I am not a child or a teenager anymore. I am very close with my family and I really miss spending time with them and just hanging out like we used to. We are unable to now because we've all grown and have left most of our childlike behavior and tendencies behind. I was able to visualize what Ammons was saying while reading "Easter Morning".

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  9. I really connected with the poem "The Calling" by R.S. Thomas Wales. His poem talks about how others can all go down the path most chosen while you take the road less chosen. While you take the road that is less chosen, people may judge you and stare at you thinking that you are going the wrong way but you know that you aren't. One line that really stood out to me was "...let them tread on your dreams; and learn silence is wisdom." I have learned from the past two years that not everybody will not understand you and will hate on what you choose to do. Sometimes I do feel it is better to keep quiet while others can think that they are right. Another line that I really liked was "Be alone with yourself as they are alone in the cold room of the wind." This line to me means that others may think that they have all the power and understanding in the world when they are being rude and judging you. In the end, it is them who will be cold and alone.

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  10. My favorite poem was Milkweed and Monarch by Paul Muldoon as what I gathered from reading it was he was grieving about the loss of loved ones which I can relate to. In his case he is grieving over the loss of his mother and father and my interpretation of the poem is that certain objects remind him of his parents such as the taste of dill, or tarragon. What I also liked was when he mentioned the Irish cliffs of Moher as I have visited these cliffs and this brought back happy memories for me.

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  11. The poem that I thought spoke to me the most was "Dream Song 14" by John Berryman. This poem was about how we should not say that our life is boring because there is so much out there in this world to see and explore. It is up to us to get out there and see the world and use our imagination and what we are given. I say that I am bored all the time when I am just sitting around doing nothing. However, when I'm out doing things and staying occupied, I'm not. I believe that it is truly up to us whether we are bored or not because it is easy to fix that problem because there is so much to be explored if we choose to.

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  12. Jocelyne RodriguezApril 6, 2016 at 7:11 PM

    The poem that was most interesting and stood out to me was the poem "Cotton Flannelette" by Les Murray. It was most memorable to me because of the visual representations he uses to describe how the burned child looked. I believe Les Murray wrote this poem from his own perspective or from a personal experience considering the detail used to describe the baby and also from the last line "as you yourself, six years old, instruct them." Throughout Murray's poem the audience is really able to visualize and capture the pain the baby goes through which made it most unforgettable to me.

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  13. The poem I enjoyed reading was "Between" by C.K stead. The beginning of the poem caught my attention because the problem the daughter has is something that most girls go through when they are growing up. I connected with the thought of her feeling like nobody was listening to her and that she does not bother to say anything knowing that it could go wrong. She feels like life is going on without her and she is unnoticed.

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  14. I really enjoyed reading the poem “Dream Song 14”, by John Berryman as it spoke to me for its message and meaning. The way I perceived Berryman’s message in his poem was the importance of not taking life for granted and to enjoy the very little time we have. As a child I found myself constantly saying I was bored and did nothing to change that, but now as I am older and have a better understanding of life, I am able to appreciate life more and enjoy all the moments whether they’re simple or eventful. In line two Berryman writes, “after all, the sky flashes...” and it is true, life goes by as quick as a flash. The point is to be wise with the time one has and have a positive stance on the situation instead of focusing on the negative.

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  15. I liked reading the four elegies because the author, Margaret Atwood was able to depict the story of the failed uprising in Lower Canada and the unbearable cruelty that was put on the rebels that attempted to remove Britain from control of its government. She may have not lived on those times but she was able to imagine her way into the lives not only of the people who fled but the people who torched the houses. She's able to show how human cruelty works, especially towards someones own people.

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  16. I enjoyed the poem "Dream Song 14" the most. I think it is a relatable poem to everyone. I like it because I can just see a kid saying he is bored to his mom and the mom telling him to go write a poem. I also liked the line,"literature bores me, especially great literature" because it feels like the author is breaking some sort of rule by writing literature bores him.

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  17. After reading the poems, I chose "Dream Song 14" by John Berryman because I like the way he used irony to describe someone who is bored. This poem has the message of letting us know how boredom can get to us. There are going to be times when we are going to feel bored of our daily routine. But, the message is mainly focusing on letting us know we need to go on adventures and do new activities that we haven't done before. I find this poem meaningful because I can relate. There are times when I feel bored, but that's because I don't take risks. We need to take risks and not stick to our daily routine in order to succeed in the future.

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  18. “Easter Morning” by A.R. Ammons was the poem that I found most meaningful. The lines that spoke to me the most were line 1 and 2, “I have a life that did not become, that turned aside and stopped…” We all regret the loss of possibilities in life, the set of choices that were not made, and the person we could have become. The passing of life is the death of opportunities and possibilities but we must go on to take advantage of the ones to come. The author talks about the child we have left behind, and how through family members we reminisce the memories of our childhood. Overall, this poem illustrates how death is a place where we are reunited with lives that did not become and were we celebrate what has become; just like Easter morning, a celebration for the resurrection of Jesus.
    -Marlene Herrera

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  19. After reading over a few poems, the poem by John Berryman, "Dream song" stuck out to me the most. It connected with me in the dark, hazy, sense I had while reading it. The ironic scene depicted in my head connected with how I had seen myself today. In a state of boredom although I quickly snapped out of that after reading this poem. I enjoyed the relations he made to time, how quickly life can almost flash before your eyes. It interested me the connection he made with his mother, i almost felt that i would of have used the same to mine in just that case. The ending leaves an almost erie sense to the reader, as it finishes "leaving behind: me, wag" almost explaining the possible outcomes of life if viewed through such negative space. Although at the same time giving the person who's being portrayed in the story closer to them self and their almost never ending boredom.

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  20. My favorite poem out of all of them was definately ' Easter Morning' by A.R. Ammons. The reason why was because i liked how it was very descriptive and felt as if i could see the birds & feel the window blowing. It spoke to me because i liked how the theme is very true by saying that nature and the world is constantly changing and life would be boring if it stayed the same and as we grow we change and grow like nature.

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  21. The poem, "Dream Song 14", written by John Berryman stood out to me because I believe it delivers a message that although life can and will get boring and dull, its up to you to put in the efforts to liven it up and make it what you want. In other words, what you get out of life is what you put in it. This poem was meaningful to me because this message is something that has been instilled in me throughout my childhood until now.

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  22. I chose the poem "Dream Song 14" by John Berryman, because it's a poem that can relate to many people. The poem used a lot of irony to describe boredom. I feel like the message behind this poem is life can be boring, but that should not stop us from living life. We come across boring times in our life's, but they pass by eventually.

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  23. The poem that I liked was “Soonest Mended” by John Ashbery. I liked how this poem talks about life. It explains how we face problems, relationships, want freedom, and learn framer mistakes. The line that was meaningful to me was “Tomorrow would alter the sense of what had already been learned.” In my opinion, it explains how we learn from our mistakes and have to move on with our lives.
    - Janel Sanchez

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  24. The poem that spoke to me the most was "Cotton Flannelette" by Les Murray. It made me realize how strong the love of a mother is to her child. I felt like the author was writing about a mother trying to save her sick baby and continuously rocking the bed to soothe and calm the baby. Even though people told her that it was no use and that the child wouldn't survive, she still pushed on to make her baby better. I could be interpreting this wrong, but toward the end of the poem, I felt like the roles shifted. The mother was now sick and it was the author who was trying to save their mother. It just showed the dedication and the strong bond of love between a mother and a child from both sides.

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  25. The poem that stood out to me the most was "Dream Song 14" by John Berryman. I feel as it is so easy to relate to that poem for many of us because being "bored" has taken a big chunk of our lives already and we should try to change that. The author names several things that are boring to him but at the end of the poem I realized that it was mostly because he couldn't find a way to enjoy them. There is many things to enjoy in life and it's up to us to make the best out of everything because time passes us by so quickly. Boredom is basically a choice that we should abstain from.

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  26. I read the poem "Easter Morning" by A.R. Ammons. After having read it I realized that it really did relate with my life at the moment. The one theme that I understood from this poem was change. I myself, am afraid of change and I'm sure I don't stand alone in that. As a child, I was close to my dads family and we would all get together at my grandparents house with cousins, uncles, and aunts. Then life threw a curve ball at us and disagreements arose. We lost contact with most of the family and didn't speak for almost a year. I loved how Ammons brought up the Eagles and how they returned to each other to follow another route together. Humans too, can reunite whether it be sometime in life or sometime up in heaven. This was what happened with my family. We started talking again months later and came together as a family to make up for lost time and are currently in the process of making new memories.

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  27. The poem that resonated with me the most was Lady Lazarus. The despair and sorrow of the main protagonist depicts a vivid but yet descriptive telling of her experience as they touch on common themes of death and resurrection. The author does a excellent job in describing her experience through art by using performance in death as a recurring idea. What I mostly liked about this poem was it mystery, although we are given several hints, there is no set story to which why and where the protagonist troubles are coming from. Instead we are given symbolic messages throughout.

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  28. The poem that spoke out to me the most was "Easter Morning" by A.R. Ammons. This poem to me speaks out to me the most because of how it takes me back to my childhood, and how things back then were more simple vs. to how things are for me. I try to keep up with all my responsibilities and pause to think of the time when I did not have so much on my plate. On page 96, "...fresh far-away days," when I read that line, that is what I am trying to explain, days of my own past as a child and how the memory is still fresh in my mind.

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  29. The poem that was the most meaningful is "Dream Song 14", by John Berryman this poem is relatable to me because some of the thing such as the first line catches my attention such as the line 1 "Life, Friends, is boring. We must not say no". At times it is relatable because at times certain things in life are boring but as humans we do not accept the fact that they are. I also really liked how the poem is very detailed with certain things that bores the author because in life I am a very bored person. I sometimes find no excitement and things in life should change to find something meaningful in life.

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  30. The poem "Dream Song 14" by John Berryman was the most memorable poem for me. With the writer starting off the first line of the poem with an ironic statement, it encouraged the writer's audience and me to continue reading the poem. As the poem goes on, the writer continues to present more ironic statements. It's almost as if the writer is being sarcastic. I appreciate this poem the most because of the poet's boldness for stating all the things in life that are boring that no one else is willing to say. I relate to this poem because i also have many boring moments in my life just like the poet.

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  31. The poem that spoke to me was "Dream Song 14" by John Berryman because it describes that at some point in life we are going to be bored of the lifestyle that we live. This poem was meaningful to me because I can relate to being bored of doing the same routine but that is because I am afraid to take the risk to change it. Sometimes we have to take new paths or risks in life in order to discover new things or possibly new opportunities that life may have for us.

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  32. I enjoyed reading the poem "Dream Song 14". by John Berrman. I enjoyed it because I have always analyzed boredom. This is because I do not get bored easily and I have always wondered why society complains a lot about being "bored". I like how in the poem it says,
    (repeatingly) Ever to confess you're bored
    means you have no
    Inner Resources.'I conclude I have no
    inner resources.'
    The reason why I find this meaningful is because in order to not be bored, you have to use your inner resources to avoid it. To not give up once you have come to thinking you are bored and settle to stay bored. I also find this poem funny because the narrator is so serious and has accepted that everything bores him/her. Overall we should always use our inner resources to help us avoid boredom.

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  33. The poem that related to my current mood in life right now was "Dream Song 14". This poem related to me the most and caught my attention after reading it. Sometimes you go through dry spots in life and you just go through the motions.This poem remind me of they way I feel sometimes.

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  34. The poem that speaks to me the most is "Between" by C.K. Stead. The reason why it spoke out to me is because this poem can relate to anyone. The protagonist of the story expresses how she is tired of hearing the troubles and complains of others, such as her teacher, mother or her own life. She just want to escape from it all and like anyone would. We all seek to find a way to escape this world of troubles and complaints but the more we try to escape the more we find our selves brought into them.

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  35. The prom Dream Song 14 is the one that I can most relate to. Not because I am always bored, but because I see so many people around me that are. My schedual is full of class, homework, work, and extra curricular activities like, clubs and organizations. Sometimes I wish I had the liberty of being bored with nothing to do and have time to just relax and read a book that's not assigned by a class. Unlike the children I work with they are always bored, especially when they r doing their homework, but that's only because it not interesting to them. So would I rather be bored or be busy? My answer is be busy, with some time to fill with activities I can relax with.

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  36. I found the poem "The Calling" by R.S. Thomas(Wales) to be meaningful. I interpreted the message of the poem to be that we should all seek a meaning in life and find our calling, something we enjoy and are good at doing. I found this poem to be meaningful because we all go through a time in our lives where we question what we are meant to do in this journey called "life". We all strive to find a sense of self and this poem emphasizes that by simply taking the time to appreciate life, we will find our calling.

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  37. John Berryman's "Dream Song 14", conveys the message that life itself is not boring, and instead theres a calling for everyone. This poem is relatable because often times people will say "I'm bored" and complain theres nothing to do, when in actuality they just haven't found what they enjoy, even if it's the simplest thing, like a dog.

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  38. One poem that had my interest was "Dream Song 14" by John Berryman. This poem
    was memorable to me because I too find a lot of things boring. I think Berryman is saying in his poem that a lot of things bore him but there are some things that don't bore him. Also, the things that he finds boring can be enjoyable to someone else and vice versa. Just like the dog was fascinating to him but is probably boring to someone else.

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  39. "Dream Song 14" by John Berryman is one of the poems that spoke to me because of the bland direct diction that is used. Not only because it is unique from most poems, but I can also relate to it to a certain extent. Berryman truly conveys a speaker that is bored with his life. Not necessarily someone who does not have anything to do or is lazy, but a person that no longer finds the excitement they once used to in certain parts of his or her life. Being bored with one's life is not something people enjoy talking about, as he mentions it in the first line, but it is something that happens within some human beings as part of life. The speaker acknowledges the great, vast and beautiful sceneries around us, but the inevitable feeling comes within. Like sometimes in life, sometimes we are aware of all the amazing people, places and things, but fail to find the thrill in it.

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  40. The poem "Where the Rainbow Ends" by Richard Rive was one of the poems that stood out to me. Mainly because his poem reminded me about heaven, and how in heaven no one judges. We live in this world full of hate, judgement, and racism sad to say. He talks about where the rainbow ends as a symbol of heaven. He states at the end of the rainbow there will no longer be any racism and we will finally be equal as a whole.
    --Stephanie Hurtado

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  41. The poem that spoke to me was "Squarings by Seamus Heaney. This poem originally caught my attention because he's writing about the ocean, and i love the ocean. The use of imagery was beautiful, it made me feel as if I were there. This poem's meaning is deeper than imagery, its about death and loss and dealing with a death of a loved one.

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  42. A poem that really stood out to me is "Dream song 14". The reason why it stood out to me is because boredom is something I don't experience. I understand many people say they are bored, but to be bored in a class or be bored because you have nothing to do in your free time are two different things. I do get tired or bored in classes that I am required to attend or at work however to be bored in your free time is ultimately your decision and I never consider myself being bored if I have free time because as the writers mother claimed, "Ever to confess you’re bored
    means you have no Inner Resources." And because I enjoy to live my life everyday to the fullest, I always have to do something or else I feel like I did not enjoy my free time.

    Brian Gonzalez

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  43. I really enjoyed reading the poem "Lady Lazarus", by Sylvia Plath. It caught my attention because to me, I believe that the poem is about how women can also be evil. How sometimes women are even more dangerous than men. I think that the women mentioned in the poem is trying to commit suicide and how she has managed to survived every single time that she has attempted to. She feels like a failure for not being able to succeed with her suicide. The woman has a weakness of self-hatred and not being able to love herself for who she is.

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  44. Roberto Jurroz, Author of " Tenth.9" describes poetry as a way of different acts and also an actual creature, his use of personification is incredible and he really does the the peom justice with his small use of metaphors but the Overall key literary device is personification down to its core.

    Please excuse my last submission did the wrong poem.

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