"The Arm"

In the poem "The Arm", it tells an interesting off-beat story. I find this poem to be interesting simply because most poems do not start off with a line such as, "A doll’s pink, broken-off arm was floating in a pond. The man had come to with his dog.” It gives a whole different feel to opening lines. The meanings behind his words are very serious, tough, and most of the poem shows or represents sad thoughts. Which lead me to wonder why would the poet begin his poem with such a line? I find this line highly unusual. 

Another thing that was quite confusing and a bit odd was the poet referring to the subject "The man" as of to “A man". Normally a poems use first person, but this poet uses third person. If anything I would think that the poet would refer to the man for the first time as “A man". The use of “the” gives the reader a sense of already being familiar with the man, and gives the character a much different persona in the reader’s mind.

Another question that came to my mind while reading this poem is, “Who exactly is this man, who would see the arm of a doll in a pond on his walk and not regard it as garbage, but as a piece of plastic with a history, which someone once held dearly?" I wonder if the reason the man stopped is that the arm could have possibly brought back memories or a similar incident. I mean for example, the scenario he give us of an older sister being furious at her younger sister, taking it out on her one limb at a time. Maybe that the arm was in the water because the man came in the future and is remembering when he threw that doll’s arm that belonged to his sister in the water and forgot about it.

After my first analysis of the poem, I did not fully understand it, however, is kept on re-reading it over and over, thinking deeper into the meaning. The poem covers Covering sibling rivalry, sexuality, and marital differences, and probably more I probably did not even recognize, this poem is more complex in one page then most short poems or books I’ve read. The poet uses subtlety to tell the story of two rivaling sisters that fight and argue and at the peak of a dispute; the older sibling throws an arm from the younger girl’s doll in the pond. I feel that approach was probably to create a deep connection with the reader.

However, the poet goes on by pushing the level of complexity in this poem even further, by including a father’s dislike for his son’s sexuality. Explaining that taking the arm off of the doll was the father’s idea of a punishment. At this point, it would seem that those are the only messages that the poet is trying to tell us, but even in the final lines of the poem, he adds an even more subtle conflict/issue. Stating, “his wife was sure to question” which also leaves the impression in in my mind that he was also thinking of the differences in opinion or belief between a man and his wife.

One thing I did enjoy about this poem is the symbolic element of this man reacting to an odd situation in a good way, embracing it rather than ignoring it. I feel that the poem in general shows that this character reacts to odd situations like this in a good way all the time, taking advantage of things that most people wouldn’t. I really enjoyed  that this poem is both a story and a more general message about the character in it.

After Effect

" Ever After" by Joyce Sutphen

vs.

"What I Want" by George Bilgere

These two poems are extremely unique because they both address love of past relationships. Both poems address the same topic but they both address the topic in different ways. Not only does both poems address past relationships but they also express what they need.

In both, the narrators do not dwell on the negative things, but in one the narrator tries to think of the situation over objectively, while the other has a revenge motif  This is where the sadness of both poem comes from. I feel as though both poem do not try sugar-coat anything, and you get this honest and frank picture of a couples who used to love each other but whose love for each other has changed along the way.

Both poems address the sadness of each narrator's life (clearly their failed marriages).

In the first poem " Ever After", the narrator is able to describe emotions which prose can not. You are able to capture the emotions a woman who has been divorced and left to find out who she truly is. The poem itself portrays that after her divorced or separation of the persons she speaks of she has some curiosity of who she is to this person now,than just an ex.

In the second poem, the narrator uses anaphora or the repetition of initial opening words or phrases, throughout the poem.  The central idea of "I Want" is repeated and adds a plaintive quality to the structure of the poem. The poem does not sound like whining.  Rather, the list of things the speaker wants goes from the lyrically precise things such as his description of talking with his aunt "In the humid summer twilight, as the hot/St Louis day expires upon the water/And the moth-eaten Chinese lanterns /Glow like faded Kodachrome."  

As in the first poem the narrator addresses some of the sadness of his life (clearly his failed marriage, his father's drinking, the loss of his aunt, as well as numerous other relationships that no longer exist.) I found that the poem mood was hopeful. The narrator wants both beautiful things, as well as revenge. 

I really enjoyed this poem because of the revenge motif..the repeated threats and wished horrors for his ex-wife and all his wants which some I consider needs. I also like how the poem doesn't just include bashing of his ex-wife. Rather, he takes this as a way to both reflect and state on what he does need.

These two poems are so different in their own way but both pass the same message. They both project what they need. The poems both do a good job of portraying very memorable items and image. For example in the first poem the narrator describe the moment where her ex and her were holding the knife that cut their wedding cake. Another example would be from the second poem where he tells about a couple on their paddle boat coming in from the lake. Both poems lack complete details of both narrators past relationships, but gives enough to show the sadness of their lives.

"To Stammering"

When I first read this poem, I clearly did not know what the heck it was about. But when I read it a second time I think I figured out the meaning of this poem. The first line pulls you in by directly addressing the poem’s subject: “Where did you come from, lamentable quality?” (line 1).Clearly, the narrator, is looking back on his speech impairment because “Before” the speaker “had a life” its stammer was “about to ruin” its “life” (line 2).
I think that the narrator is looking back on his speech impairment. I wondered why the narrator used the subjective pronoun "You", throughout his poem, but then I realized that the use of the subjective pronoun was to address his stammering.
The narrator speech impediment was an “experience of enemies from inside” and this inward conflict caused all sorts of outward conflicts because it “ruined a cast party”, showed a lack of “confidence”, and showed a lack of “manliness” (lines 13, 14, 15). The narrator then made a statement that the stammer was more troubling than the “big boys / who cursed [him] and hit [him]” because he was unable to understand the conflict fully without “psychoanalysis” (lines 6-7, 18).
Throughout the poem the narrator projected anger toward his stammer but at the end of his poem their was a sense of understanding. The voice’s “elders said” “Don’t brood about things” and maybe they were right (line 4). Was he trying to imply that maybe the answer is to just get mad and then time for getting even comes later? Maybe. Its clear that he got over his problem though.
I feel that through out the poem the narrator was discovering himself. I also feel that the narrator had you use direct address to tell of his childhood-pass, and could not have done so another way. I feel like the use of this gives him another chance to say thing never said in verse.
After reading the poem I was like, why the use of second person so much, but then I came to realization he was addressing the subjects in his title. I found it to be unusual and a hard mode of expression to pull off be the narrator was able to execute it perfectly. I really found the narrators style of address both beautiful and different.
The narrators style of writing is very impressive. I found this poem to be very different from any other poem I read. I would like to try my hand at this stance some day, brainstorm times and personal traits that have yet to be fully explored and then speak to them directly. My feeling here is that unexpected conclusions would arise naturally and much that lies buried beneath my surface would soon rise to the surface. This poem intrigued me so much and also showed a reflection of my pass, which I will not discuss at the moment.

Stitches: A Memoir

[Taken From: whaatnext.wordpress.com ]

The book Stitches is a beautifully told graphic novel of one boys journey through a twisted world  of unhappiness and a dysfunctional family, where abuse was physical and emotional and expression was forbidden. 

In the beginning I found the book Stitches to be quite an unusual book which was completely made of sketches you would see in a comic book, but I found that these sketches were a perfect way to tell a story of this boy who loses his vocal cords at a young age due to cancer. Pictures as we all know tend say more than words could. The author made a clever decision of using pictures capture his frustration, sadness, the lack of ability to stand up for himself and fear of a young boy. 

I feel that the black and white of the illustrations worked amazingly to tell his story. Gray was a great hue for this novel considering the fact that the novel reveals Small's lonely and bleak childhood. Some of the best frames are when the author uses direct light source on the characters. For example when David goes into the elevator, and the door opens and closes, the author does a wonderful job of creating that direct lighting effect. The author does if throughout the book and if reading the book I recommend you stop and study the frames.

The illustrations in this book are just phenomenal. Even when there no dialogue the picture speak for them self. I think the beauty of this book comes from Small's illustration, the way he uses his illustrations to show emotion  and tell his story. Small's vision is extraordinary, he takes us as the readers through this journey of his life with artwork which hold breathtaking power. His illustrations remarkably cinematic, I mean down to the tiniest details.

One thing that I did notice through out his illustrations was the pictures of the modern furniture, which instantly told you this was during the baby boomer generations. For example all the lit cigarettes, cocktail parties and highballs, all gave you the sense of which generation he grew up in.

The author uses  a series of images so powerful and absorbing. The use of these illustrations allow us as readers to see the perceptions of this boy without Small persisting self- righteousness of that stance. These illustrations allows the author to show at the same time how he was a victim but to separate himself from the claims of victim-hood.

My honest opinion is that if this book had not include these illustrations, it would not be what it is. The illustrations add so much to this book. I've never read a graphic novel before, and probably never would have, if it was not selected for me to read for my English class. This novel completed changed my mind of graphic novels. I'm in love with this book and the authors clever ways of expressing his emotions through illustrations.

If you have never read a graphic novel in your life, this ones worth reading.