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.

Writer's Notebook

ABC- Robert Pinsky

"Any body can die, evidently. Few

Go happily, irradiating joy,

Knowledge, love. Many

Need oblivion, painkillers,

Quickest respite.

Sweet time unafflicted,

Various world:

X= your zenith."

This piece really shows the art of poetry. Pinsky went into a lot of thought to make all of these words align, and to actually have a meaning behind the words. It is one thing to write a poem with all of the letters in the alphabet, but it is another to have a purpose behind those words. Although the main concern is the layout of this poem the meaning is also very powerful. Death means different thing to different people, and it is interesting how Pinsky chose this topic to describe in very few words. Death is something that many people cannot describe because they have never experienced it, so his ability to put it in the small amount of words that he used is significant. By using this alphabet technique I feel like it takes some tension out of the subject. No longer is the main focus on death, instead it is on using the letter in the alphabet.

The one thing that I would obviously take from this poem is the layout of using all the letter in the alphabet. When I first saw this poem I thought it would be pretty simple to write something with only those letters in that specific order, but when I started jotting down ideas I started realizing how difficult it truly is. Pinsky put a lot of time and effort into this poem, and although there are few words to prove it, his message is powerful.

Writer's Notebook

"The Great Figure"-- William Carlos Williams

"Among the rain

and lights

I saw the figure 5

in gold

on a red

firetruck"

This poem is really powerful. Williams is able to get his point across with the fewest words possible. The reader may not know every detail about the event, but poetry is more than just details. This phrasing is very refreshing; often times in this world we over analyze everything. We take every little thing we can out of a situation until there is nothing more to say. To me, this poem shows that life doesn't always have to be certain, every detail is not as important as the big picture. In this excerpt he describes the firetruck so plainly that the reader is enthralled to read each line in order to find out a little bit more about it. This poem reminds me of innocence; like when little children tell stories and they talk about the little things that wouldn't matter to anyone else (like the fact that a firetruck is red) you can't help but to smile. This poem is not about realizing the true meaning of the author, instead it is about sitting back and looking at something for what it truly is.

The technique that I want to apply to my own writing is the simple imagery. Often times when readers think of imagery they think of elaborate sentences and various details, but sometimes the most descriptive scenes have the simplest words. By condensing the details into a couple words you take every word for what it is, as if the moment was frozen in time. This scene has a lot going on in it but only a few words to describe it. It is a raining night and there are lights everywhere and it is hectic and all that can be heard is the sirens, but the only thing Williams lets on to is the firetruck. By isolating the details he takes the chaos out of the story, and this way he can control the focus of the reader.

Writer's Notebook

Uphill- Christina Rossetti

"Shall I find comfort, travel sore and weak?

Of labor you shall find the sum.

Will there be beds for me and all who seek?

Yes, beds for all who come."

This poem uses an ongoing metaphor to describe life. This layout of the poem makes it seem like a conversation is going on between two people. This poem portrays a sense of reassurance and promise. The diction in this poem is very friendly and makes you want to continue reading. The diction helps with the metaphor that is being portrayed in this poem. The beginning is talking about the journey through life and how there is always room and something will always come up and then at the end it is reassurance that there will be peace when life ceases to exist. This poem is peaceful and reaches out to life in a way that is not expected.

The technique that I want to take from this poem is the use of asking question and then answering them. This helps with the personal sense of the poem. The reader may feel like the writer is directly talking to them. And although this technique may seem like it is not open to interpretation the use of the metaphor allows for creativity to take place. People who read the poem for what it is will see the poem differently than those who look at it figuratively. The questions make this poem unique from many others, especially when interpreting.

Writer's Notebook

Morning Song- Slyvia Plath

"Love set you going like a fat gold watch.

The midwife slapped your footsoles, and your bald cry

Took its place among the elements."

This poem is so pure and mesmerizing. Plath uses simple actions or phrases to explain something so dear to her heart. Her word choice in this poem is so significant onto how this scene plays out in a reader's head. This excerpt shows her simple use of words that signifies the birth of a child. It was such a peaceful encounter and the baby's cry is not something sharp or piercing it simply fits. This poem portrays a mother's interpretation of birth and true love for a child. Morning is seen to be the beginning of the day that is very peaceful and serene. And in this poem morning signifies a new life and a new beginning. The way that Plath describes her emotions and scene shows her compassion for her child through actions rather than just words.

The literary technique that really had a crucial role in the poem is the imagery. How Plath describes this surreal moment for a mother makes the poem so realistic and captivating. Her love is so modest in the poem. She describes how she is no more your mother than the clouds, but at the same time she is so enthralled by the new life that she moves to every noise. Plath also uses many words that relate to the morning aspect that she is trying to portray such as "cloud that distills" "dull stars" and "rise like balloons." By making connections with nature she is able to have a very calm tone which really describes a morning and the growing love between a mother and child.

Writer's Notebook

We Wear the Mask- Paul Laurence Dunbar

"We wear the mask that grins and lies,

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes-

This debt we pay to human guile;

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile," (lines 1-4)

This small excerpt from the poem shows despair and grief behind the people wearing the mask. Dunbar really tries to portray a sense of denial and hiding behind the mask or shielding yourself from the rest of the world. This poem reminds me of slavery and the cruelty displayed towards minorities in the United States. There is always going to be someone who is picked on or someone that people are against, back then it was African American people, other times in history it was Asian Americans, and now it is Hispanics. These people have to hide behind all their hard coming because they realize that no one will give them sympathy. This poem shows that they those people don't want to be known for being weak and regretful, but instead they wanted to be remembered as being strong and putting up with all the things that occurred in their lives. The mask is symbolic of everything being okay, and they would rather have the world see them as something they are not than know them for something they are.

The technique that really stands out to me in this poem is the use of pathos. Dunbar's word choice plays a key part in developing pathos. The whole poem is about describing their turmoil with words instead of with events and occurrences. Instead of telling about times when they were hurt they indirectly talk about the good times. The poem talks about how people don't want the world to see their pain but by saying this the reader can see what these people are actually going through. "Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs?" This quotation shows how the author talks about what they don't want the world to know, which helps the development of pathos. By pointing out that they would rather be seen as happy than as sad it stresses the point of sad an why they feel this way. The mask helps with the development of pathos as well because it shows the importance of the mask and why the people are wearing it. This poem shows that even though people's situations might be horrid they would rather pretend to live happily than face their life.