Writer's Notebook

Fire and Ice-- Robert Frost

"Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice,

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who have fire.

But if I had to perish twice,

I think I know enough to hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice."

This poem is very simplistic, and doesn't have much to interpret, but it is enjoyable to read. I'm sure you could look past the simple meaning of fire and ice, and find numerous references that Frost was trying to make with these two elements. But in general this poem just illustrates his opinion. This poem is really short, but it fits well because you wouldn't want to over analyze this topic, it is simply a matter of opinions.

One thing that I noticed about this poem was the rhyme scheme. The paragraph below the poem mentions that it is seen as an epigram because of the meter and the rhyme scheme. So that is the one element I would like to take from this poem, I would create an epigram. I love the fact that the simple words that he used can reference so many things, like human condition, with less than ten lines. I think that just shows what a great poet he is to have so much power behind so little words.

Writer's Notebook

"We Real Cool"-- Gwendolyn Brooks

"We real cool. We

Left school. We

Lurk Late. We

Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We

Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We

Die soon."

This poem is very simplistic, but has a powerful meaning behind it. One thing that I get out of this poem is that if the narrator continues on this path of destruction then death is inevitable. He describes the things that he does, the things that he thinks make him cool, but instead his actions are only getting him in trouble. The dialect reminds me of someone in the inner city involved in the wrong crowd. It is interesting that he uses the word "we" instead of "I" which leads the reader to believe that his peers are involved. Maybe this poem shows the negatives of peer pressure, and what happens if you are more concerned about "we" instead of "me."

One thing that I want to take from this poem is the repetition of a certain word, in this case the word "we". It makes the poem more focused and puts all the attention on one subject. But I would also like to take the rhyme scheme from this poem. I love the fact how the rhyme is not found at the end of every line, which is the conventional rhyming technique. Instead the line is ended by the repetition of the word "we" and the rhyme is found within the line.

Writer's Notebook

"Washing Rice"-- Lam Thi My Da

"A gentle wind ruffles the shade of the palms

The yellow rice glistens in rippled water

The ripe grains and the unripe look the same

They are both the color of silk, the same color

But why does she keep washing, washing so long?"

This poem really caught my attention. There are so many ways to interpret it and so many questions that the author introduces to answer. This poem has simple imagery then finishes with a number of questions that are running through the little girl's head. This easy task of washing rice gets turned into something bigger.

One thing that I want to take from the poem is the imagery. This poem is very short, but portrays a strong message. Another aspect of the poem that I want to take is the use of questions to finish off the poem. I feel that by leaving questions unanswered it leaves room for interpretation by the reader, and leaves them to ponder what the author's true intentions were of writing this poem.

Writer's Notebook

Negro-- Langston Hughes

"I am a negro:

black as the night is black,

black like the depths of my Africa."

The reason I chose this poem is because it reminds me of the book I am reading, and what people in the South went through. Not only were they discriminated when they were slaves, but even after they were emancipated they were not treated fairly. This poem just reiterates that opinion. This poem just shows that no matter what it comes down to the fact that someone is black. The narrator describes how he has been a slave, worker, singer, and victim, but he continues to come back to the "plain and simple".."I am a negro."

One thing that I want to take away from this poem is the repetition in both the beginning and ending of the poem. This repetition strengthens the meaning behind the words and makes this poem all the more powerful. It seems that no matter what the narrator accomplishes in life he will always be known just for his race.

Writer's Notebook

"Hope"-- Ariel Dorfman

"Somebody tell me frankly

what times are these

what kind of world

what country?

What I'm asking is

how can it be

that a father's

joy

a mother's

joy

is knowing

that they

that they are still

torturing

their son?

This poem is so powerful, not only the thoughts behind the words, but the set up of the poem. Throughout this piece the author seems indecisive about what she wants to write and how she can word something so painful for her to think about. This really shows what happens in other countries, and how we are lucky that we live in such a safe environment. Even though they knew the fate of their son they had no choice, but to proceed on with life. The pathos in this poem is incredible. It is so heart wrenching how she tells the reader that the only joy in her life is to know that her son is still being tortured, because that means he's still not dead, which derives the meaning of the title.

One thing that I would like to take away from this poem is her use of questions. The questions not only express what she is feeling, but also further the development of pathos in the poem. It allows the readers to interpret, while interjecting her own thoughts and beliefs. Another interesting aspect of the poem is her repetition or slight change of words, "and he may might could still be alive." I feel like this technique in the poem really shows her hopefulness, but also shows how she is unsure about the whole situation.

Writer's Notebook

"I'm four, in itchy woolen leggings,"- Marilyn Hacker

"the day that I can't recognize the man

down at the park entrance, waving,

as my father. He has ten

more years to live, that spring."

This poem really shows the innocence of a child. All of these images and emotions running through her head that it is hard to decipher what is right in front of her. The way the author describes the event is exactly like a four year old would see it. Instead of focusing on the negatives, like how awful her father looks she talks about her surroundings and little details others might not notice. Even how she starts the poem is relevant to that of a four year old. By introducing the problem with the itchy leggings it takes away some tension from her not even being able to identify her own father.

One thing that I want to get better at is being able to put the big picture in the background by portraying a lot of details. In this poem Hacker talks about her surrounding and what she is wearing in order to take some attention off the declining health of her father. This focus on surrounding shows a sense of innocence, but also allows the reader to identify pathos because of how she goes on to describe what she loves about her father.

Writer's Notebook

Mid Term Break- Seamus Heaney

"Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple,

He lay in the four foot box as in his cot.

No gaudy scars, bumpers knocked him clear.

A four foot box, a foot for every year."

This poem is so different from what you first expect. Seamus Heaney catches the reader off guard with the title Mid Term Break. College kids see this as a joyous time that they have been waiting for a long time, but then he explains in the first line that he is crying. There is so much sadness in this poem, but there are also little details that give hope, like the baby cooing. The narrator seems out of the loop because he was in college, which made this event even more traumatic.

The one thing that I would like to acquire from this poem is Heaney's ability to build suspense and momentum. Throughout the poem the reader tries to fit the pieces together and in the end one sentences makes you realize everything. It is so incredible how one sentence can stop you dead in your tracks, and it just completely makes the whole poem. This poem portrays a tragic event in the author's life and the structure makes it all the more powerful.