Robert Lowell has a different style of writing that I found difficult to follow. Lowell’s passion for war and man-kind shines through his poems, but what he relates these feelings to had me slightly lost. Lowell takes one idea, in this instance in the poem “For the Union Dead,” of death. He uses the destruction of a landmark, the Boston Common, which is being torn down to build a parking garage over. In the seventh stanza a description of what occurred during the hardships of war is described, “Two months after marching through Boston,/half the regiment was dead;/ at the dedication,/ William James could almost hear the bronze Negroes breathe.” (lines 25-28) Lowell is bothered by the destruction of a once significant historical landmark. He shows his disgust of the modernization in Boston through this poem. Lowell supported the war effort and all those once involved. To see a landmark destroyed only to be replaced by cement proves a blatant disregard for history and the fallen. This poem could also be looked at from a political sense as well. It could be viewed as the greed of the growing city and its lack of respect for how it even came into existence.   

Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry takes a more personal route of writing. She exposes herself in many of her poems and all the different emotions that are occurring throughout her life. In Bishop’s poem “One Art,” she writes of losing. Bishop says, “The art of losing isn’t hard to master; /so many things seem filled with the intent/to be lost that their loss is no disaster.” (lines 1-3) in these first few lines Bishop does not seem to be distraught over losing things, in fact she almost seems to find humor in loss. Then the poem takes a turn from humor to fear. Bishop writes of loss in a different sense in the next stanza, “Then practice losing farther, losing faster;/ places, and names, and where it was you meant/ to travel. None of these will bring disaster.” (lines 7-9). Bishop increases the intensity of loss and the impact it can make upon a person, she then states “none of these will bring disaster.” (line 9) The last line of stanza two seems to be the calming factor of loss. She realizes that one’s memory will go, but it will not be the undoing of them just yet, it will not be a disaster unless you let it become one.  

In Shel Silverstein’s “The Perfect High,” we are taken on a journey through the life of Gimme-Some-Roy, a greedy and unsatisfied boy. In this story Silverstein describes this boy’s journey down the path of drugs trying to find that perfect high, but just can’t. This poem takes a turn and reveals an ending of irony for the young boy and his journey to achieve the perfect high. Silverstein’s story leads this boy to Baba Fats, who has the knowledge of the perfect high, “Another burned out soul, Who’s lookin’ for an alchemist to turn his trip to gold. It isn’t in a dealer’s stash, or on a druggist’s shelf…Son, if you would find the perfect high, find it in yourself.” In this stanza Silverstein takes the reader from a drug induced journey to a religious high (spiritual awakening). The boy does not like this answer and ridicules Baba Fats for his response, so in the end Baba Fats creates an impossible journey for the boy to make to obtain an imaginary flower. Silverstein’s character Baba Fats creates this unobtainable flower because he realizes that everyone is the same and will only accept God if they truly choose to believe.

Dylan Thomas’s poems stay true to his Christian roots. In the poem “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,” Thomas speaks of aging men and the road into darkness that follows age. Thomas writes, “Though wise men at their end know dark is right,/Because their words had forked no lightning they/Do not go gentle into that good night” (lines 4-6), in this stanza Thomas introduces going old and passing away. He states that the aging men know their time has come and gone and that they must leave the light of life and enter into the dark of night. This poem makes use of symbolism when referring to night/day and dark/light. This words play off of one another forming the idea of life as the light that burns on during the day forming one’s life, and death as the night leading the men away from the light into dark. It suggests that this transition from light to dark is the ending of life from old age.

Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl is a different form of poetry. He pursues new ideas and forms in his poetry. Ginsberg’s poem Howl comes across as if it were written from his direct thoughts at each given moment. He searched throughout his entire career to find ways to tap into the direct stream of consciousness of the mind, one’s direct thoughts. He would follow the motion of his thoughts and channel them into poetic creations. When reading Howl I felt as if I was reading his direct thoughts, what he had been thinking at that very moment. Ginsberg’s poetry is a different approach than what many prior poets had produced before him. Ginsberg writes “who ate fire in paint hotels or drank turpentine in Paradise Alley, death, or purgatoried their torsos night after night/with dreams, with drugs, with walking nightmares, alcohol and cock and endless balls,” (lines 10-11). In these two lines Ginsberg invites the reader into a hellish and sexual setting. In these two lines Ginsberg address what many people might consider sinful acts and uses key words that paint a disturbing picture of slum life living.

In Ginsberg’s “Last Night in Calcutta,” the poem takes a turn from tranquil to dark and slightly morbid. Ginsberg starts off with the setting of being in Calcutta “A few mosquitoes waken the itch, the fan turn slowly—“ (lines 5-6). The night seems to be still with nothing going on, except distant noises in the background and the stirring of insects in the night. The night is desolate and dark, “—perfect night for sleepers to dissolve in tranquil blackness, and rest there eight hours” (lines 16-18) these lines speak of an almost restful and peaceful sleep, a full night’s sleep which most do not get. Ginsberg then turns from tranquil to dark. He writes about “—Leave immortality for another to suffer like a fool, not get stuck in the corner of the universe sticking morphine in the arm and eating meat.” (lines 38-40). Ginsberg takes a tranquil night and reveals that truth’s that are occurring in Calcutta, the side of drugs and death that over power man.

The poem “Changing Diapers,” by Gary Snyder says to me, “stay at home dad.” In today’s society dad’s who stay at home are more prominent than they use to be. Dads have taken on the mother role recently and it has become very common. In this poem Snyder addresses changing his son’s diaper. He seems to make it sound like more of a manly task, and not the simple task of a diaper change. Snyder writes, “How intelligent he looks!/ on his back/both feet caught in my one hand/ his glance set sideways,/ on a giant poster of Geronimo” (lines 1-5) in these lines, if you had not read the title, you may not realize what Snyder is talking about. The poem then comes round and described the baby. To me this is a stay at home dad who does not look at diaper changing as a females job, but a manly job that he and his son make masculine and routine.

William Carlos Williams has more followers than W.B. Yeats or T.S. Elliot, he has taken poetry to a new level of literature. In Williams poem “Tract,” he calls out the taboo that surrounds death and the process of the funerals and burial. Williams poem “Tract” presents a new idea of what  the process of death should look like and represent. He say’s “Let it be weathered—like a farm wagon—“ (line 11) in this line Williams breaks down the idea of a hearse into a less fabricated idea of carrying the body of the deceased. He is not making death morbid, but instead making it simple and more realistic. Why put on a parade for the dead, when really “Some common memento is better,/ something he prized and is known by:/ his old clothes—a few books perhaps—“ (lines 36-38) in these lines he takes the idea of the deceased individual and says instead of dressing them up for others, dress them up for them. Let the deceased truly be seen as the individual they once were.   

Edna St. Vincent Millay poetry relates to love. She wrote many poems over this theme. I found her poetry to be easy to read and enjoyed all of her poems. They seemed airy and light hearted with a feminine sense.  In the poem “Recuerdo,” Millay the use of imagery is brings forth the light hearted mood of this poem. Millay writes “And the sky went wan, and the wind came cold,/ And the sun rose dripping, a bucket of gold.” (lines 11-12). I particularly like line 12 and the metaphor about the sun and a bucket of gold.  Another one of Millay’s poems I found refreshing was “First Fig,” this poem is only 4 lines, but makes a statement. Millay writes, “My candle burns at both ends;” (line 1), this line alone represents life and how many people do burn the candle at both ends, either with love or life. They want it all and do not rest or indulge in the smaller things in life and there for the flame goes out before it should. Both of these poems make use of light and life.

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” by T.S. Elliot

In the poem “The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (The Love Song), Elliot uses a dramatic monologue. The poem reads as Prufrock’s soliloquy. It is a poem about isolation from the modern world of one man. This isolation is demonstrated through imagery of the sea. Elliot also uses refrains “In the room the women come and go/ Talking of Michael Angelo.” These refrains bring the reader back to Prufrock’s continual battle of isolation. Prufrock sees himself as a man of superiority, but soon discovers that this is not true. Elliot makes reference to Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet,” “No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was I meant to be;” (line 111) this line shows that Prufrock believe himself to be of hero status, but not quite as superior as Hamlet was. In the last seven stanza’s Elliot introduces the romantic period by referring to Hamlet, but only uses this reference to build his anti-romantic outlook. The last line in the poem “The Love Song…” says “Till human voices wake us, and we drown” (line 131). This line is the most powerful line, because the world that Prufrock lives in will eventually be shattered, and his isolated existence will be taken with it.

I found Louise MacNeice’s poetry to be easy to read. In the poem “The Sunlight on the Garden,” MacNeice uses a sestet for the form of the poem. He follows a simple meter with his rhymes. In the first stanza MacNeice introduces symbolism “The sunlight on the garden/ Hardens and grows cold,” (line 1-2). These two lines introduce a dark side to the garden, the opposite of a welcoming warm sunny day. These lines make you rethink the title and what it really means. I feel that “The Sunlight on the Garden,” is a metaphor for false freedoms in life. In the second stanza MacNeice writes “Advances towards its end;/ The earth compels, upon it/ Sonnets and birds descend;/ and soon, my friend,/ we shall have no time for dances” (lines 8-12). In this stanza a sense of freedom is being taken away and their leisurely time in the garden will soon come to an end.

Both poet’s Warner and Ackland wrote about their experiences in Spain. Ackland’s poem “Winter” and “Instructions from England” I particularly liked. They related to the Spanish Civil War and were written during this struggle that was occurring in Spain. In the poem “Winter” Valentine writes “Then we whisper together and the word we say is red, /Over screech of sirens when morning comes and the red sun rises” (lines 8, 12). The use of the color red represents anger and the death of war. It also represents the color for communism. The word “red” is the devotion to communism and its role in the war. In Valentines poem “Instructions from England,” the last two lines were the strong points of this poem. Valentine writes “note churches burned and popes in pain/ but not the men who die” (lines 7-8). Line seven describes the pain that Spain is going through and how religion is being torn apart. Line eight talks about how the men who have already died no longer suffer, they do not have to see Spain in ruins and they are taken away from the crumbling foundation of Spain.

D.H. Lawrence

D.H. Lawrence’ poem “The English Are So Nice,” is a sarcastic poem. This is no wonder considering the English accused Lawrence of being a spy during World War I. This notion only came about because Lawrence was opposed to the war instead of for it. In Lawrence’s poem “The English Are So Nice,” he sets the sarcastic mood right of the bat. In the first stanza, “The English are so nice/so awfully nice/they’re the nicest people in the world” (line 1-3). In this first stanza alone you get the idea that he is not truly writing about how nice the English really are. Instead he is in fact mocking them in a sense.

This poem demonstrates one of Lawrence’s looser forms of poetry using sarcastic social commentary to portray the point his wishes to make. It is a free flowing poem with mockery and humor as the theme of the poem.

H.D. and Stein

H.D. and Gertrude Stein has similar backgrounds in life and when it came to writing their poetry. Both women were born in Pennsylvania, shared the same relationship values in partners, and were friends during their lifetimes. Although H.D. was considered an imagist poet and Stein was not. They both worked with psychologists to reveal their thoughts of the unconscious mind.

Both these poets had similar lifestyles. H.D. was not initially involved with women, but as she grew and lost loved ones to others she soon found love with Winifred Ellerman. The two continued their futures together in a relationship. Stein also had a lifelong romance with Alice B. Toklas. Unlike H.D., Stein only had this one romance and was not hurt from past lovers.

These two poets both wrote of the war. H.D. did not endure the war like Stein did, but she wrote of it in her poem “Helen in Egypt.” H.D.’s poems had a strong feminist background, and embodied the idea of strong females. Stein’s poetry made use of literary devises and words. She often repeated words throughout her poetry form open-ended poems.

Erza Pound and Amy Lowell were both considered Imagism poets. Pound would disagree with this statement, but none the less they are both in the imagist category. Pound, H.D., Richard Aldington, and F.S. Flint founded the Imagist poets group. They founded it on three Do’s. Pound’s definition of “an image is that which presents an intellectual and emotional complex of an instant of time” (347). Pound wanted this form of poetry to be simplistic. Pound later turned away from imagism. He did this upon the late arrival of Amy Lowell into their group of poets. Pound felt she was “taking over Imagism, turning it toward what he considered sentimentality and derided” (347), Pound called it “Amygism” (347).

Amy Lowell’s poetry was broad in contrast to the precision and focus of the founded Imagist work. After Pound left the Imagist’s group, Lowell formed her own group and changed the rules of Imagism to suit her style and ideas. Lowell and other poets appeared in a volume called “Des Imagistes.”

Robert Frost identified himself with rural New England, and in the poem “Mending Wall,” I identified with this rural setting. The poem “Mending Wall,” is about two neighbors who have a wall that separates their land from one another. This poem tells the story of two neighbors who must repair and mend their wall each year. Frost uses free verse in “Mending Wall,” and no stanza breaks. The “Mending Wall,” could represent, separation of society by a barrier, how nature will always conquer man, and human stubbornness and their persistence of tradition and the dislike of change.

The Speaker’s neighbor in the poem repeats and old adage throughout “Mending Wall,” he states “Good fences make good neighbors.” (Line 26, 45) This adage represents tradition and foundation for society. Walls represent literal boundaries and rights, the mending of wall represents keeping those rules and boundaries in place. The mending also represents the sense of community among neighbors and society.

Frost’s speaker in the poem almost seems against the wall and finds humor in the task of mending the wall, but if you take a closer look at the speaker he is a contradiction. It is the speaker who sets the date to mend the wall, and the speakers still continues to patch up his side of the wall throughout the year, even though he says he sees’ the wall as no use.

William Butler Yeats is a poet of many words and of few. In the poem “He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven,” Yeats uses few words, but still convey’s an in-depth concept using symbolism. The peome “He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven,” is about being in love and possibly his lover.

In the first stanza Yeats is writing about the beauty of love. He describes heaven embroidered cloths in detail. If the cloths were from heaven it would give them a “god-like” quality, making them the most beautiful thing any human has seen. The use of the colors gold and silver represent items that are expensive and can be rare. The color blue can also represent royalty. Being from royalty would place one above the common people and they would be at the top of the social class. The word “clothsl” in this poem is symbolism for love, and how he views love. A beautiful thing of value and that is rare.

In the second stanza Yeats describes giving these rare and valuable cloths away to the one he loves. He brings the second stanza into a reality by stating that he is poor and only has his dreams. Yeats dream represents the dream of love and what he would offerhis love if he could obtain it. He asks this person he loves to consider his dreams and to tread softly on his dreams. He asks this hoping that his love will consider what he is offering and not bring down his dreams.

From this poem I picked up a sense of love divided by socail class standing. A man whose dreams are unobtainable under his circumstances, but whose dreams allow him to convey to his love his wants and desires.

To get the ball rolling on my first blog post, I am going to write my reaction over the poet Thomas Hardy. I found him to be a very pessimistic poet while reading his works. I have chosen the poem "Neutral Tones" to discuss in today's blog post.
 "Neutral Tones" is a poem about a relationship that does not last. Hardy hints or suggests that he should have seen the doomed relationship coming. In the first stanza, fourth line, Hardy mentions "they had fallen from an ash, and were gray." Hardy's mention of a dark and gloomy color is a foreshadowing of what is to come in the poem. The first thing I noticed and related to in this poem was the use of color. It jumped out at me, possibly because the poem's first stanza ends with the use of the color gray and in the fourth stanza once again ending with the description of the color gray.
In the first stanza, first line; Hardy describes the setting of this poem on a winter day at the pond. When I picture winter I visualize bare trees, grass less grounds, overcast skies that are gray and not clear blue. I feel the cold and a sense of loneliness. During winter it is as if all things go away and all that is left is emptiness. I believe the first stanza emphasizes on setting. I do not believe Hardy describes the setting to let the reader know where the event or this poem is taking place, but to give the reader a sense of what is to come in the next three stanza's. I felt the setting of a winter day and throughout the poem I grasped an even stronger sense of death and emptiness.
The second stanza is almost reminiscent of their past love. Hardy describes her wandering eyes that gaze upon him. Hardy also mentions being lost by their love. He seems to be remembering a pleasant time when nothing mattered except each other's company.
I viewed the third stanza as his past memories, but past memories that could have possibly been a hint into what the future would hold for these two lovers. Lines one and two in stanza three, "The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing, Alive enough to have the strength to die." These two lines alone represent the life and death of love in a relationship. I also believe that they tie back into that sense of loneliness, death and emptiness that a winter day and the color of gray can portray. Lines three and four in stanza three "And a grin of bitterness swept thereby," "Like an ominous bird a-wing..." gave me a feeling that this love was not lasting. The words "swept" and "ominous" were key indicators that their love was not going to last, and that these feelings would soon end. The use of the simile "Like an ominous bird a-wing..." is a very powerful line for me. Ominous meaning something bad or unpleasant that is going to happen, informs the reader what is next, but the use of relating it to a "bird a-wing," described the death of their love. When I think of a bird or wings I envision leaving, flying away, nothing permanent.
The fourth and last stanza, brings the whole poem together. It is the explanation to what Hardy is truly writing about. It ties back in the setting, which is used this time for the use of his feelings. We know after this stanza that the love did not last and he finds love to be empty and untrue.