All-American Sestina

The poem All-American Sestina abides to the strict format of the Sestia through 39 lines, six stanzas containing six lines, and ending with an envoy. These poems must repeat five words in each stanza and through these words the theme should be made clear. In All-American Sestia there are many hyphens, few commas, and zero periods. By eliminating periods the author conveys a tone of an unending statement, it seems the author could have easily continued the poem and relate many more common American hobbies with the five numbers. This poem doesnt adhere to any rhyme scheme, however it did contain alliteration, assonance, and allusions. Mayer's writes, "six shooter", "sweet sixteen", and "six string" to employ alliteration. Her poem also contains assonance in "five-and- dine." But most importantly it is full of allusions, Mayer's writes "four score and seven years ago," "One nation indivisible," "hole in one," and many other familiar terms to American ears. Mayer's is alluding to America's national Anthem, presidents speeches, and American sports, which all emphasize the All-American Sestia.

I thought Mayer's constructed the poem in a very clever way that captured the readers attention as well as entertained the reader. The poem in some parts enveloped the light heartedness of American pass times like "golf" "baseball" "cars" "music" and many others. At the same time the poem also shed importance on some of America's political history like the anthem and "four score and seven years ago"as well as "Fourth of July" and "five star general." I really appreciated both aspects of the poem because growing up in America I can relate to our war history as well as everyday pleasures.

Poetry Response

The title adds emphasis to the poem telling the reader this poem is somewhat of a news add/dating service. After a first read I thought this poem captured many different sorts of people all searching for different satisfactions. Each stanza relates a completely different attitude with different interest. The poem “Lonely Hearts” consists mainly of question marks. Cope, the author, entertains the reader with a Libran, which is a constellation of sorts reflecting the inner self to as Executive. Cope makes sure she encompasses the entire spectrum of North London.

However, I don’t think that is Wendy Copes message in her poem the idea of there are different and lonely people who despite their differences all crave affection. Rather, I think she strives to capture the essence of North London. All of the people come from all different walks of life and the all desperately want to find company either for “touring” or lasting companionship. I liked how the author moved from many individuals to a broader idea. She held my attention and allowed me to relate with North London.

The poem Ode to a Nightingale by "John Keats" uses the symbol of a nightingale to mirror inevitable death through haunting detail and direct personification, to enlighten the reader that although the bird may never die death is a journey every man must embark upon.
Haunting detail portrays itself most clearly in the third stanza, "where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies." Keats does not focus the death on old people, but rather challenges the reader to look beyond the obvious faces of death and see the young grow old and die. Another example of the haunting detail seen in this play is in stanza 4, "though the dull brain perplexes and retards." The tone can also be inferred through Keats detail. Keats employs words such as: "drowsy numbness pains", "darkness", "decieving", "cheat","fade", and "death." The shift in tone takes place in stanza 7, "Thou wast not born for death-immortal bird!" It is at this point where the bitterness the reader feels is activley portrayed. he envies the bird for never having to encounter death. However, it is ironic because throughout the poem when the Nightingale is narrarating, the bird makes it clear that, "here there is no light, save what Heaven is through the breezes blown. Through this discriptive imagery Keats intentionally throws death in the readers face that cannot be avoided.
Keats highlights the power of death by pointing out that not even the personified "love" or "beauty" can conquer death. Keats writes, "where Beauty cannot keep her lustrious eyes, or new Love pine at them beyond tomorrow." He goes onto descirbe life as a "fast fading violet." Throught personification of two very powerful emotions and descriptions, Keats underscores his point that not even supernatural entities can perserve life now.

Sonnet Poetry Response (March 1)

John Keats in his Italian Sonnet, On Seeing the Elgin Marbles shows the deterioration of mans body through synechdoche and metonomy to empahasize that "Fueds of the Heart."
Synechdoche presents itself clearly in this poem to highlight the disjointedness of the physical state showing that when man is segmented and not seen in his full colors he subjects himself to tourment. Words such as "spirit" "heart" and "brain" demonstate how cohesiveness does not exist within this man. The tourmant becaomes prevelant through the symbol of the clouds and weeping.
Also Keats employs a poignant example of metonomy in his opening line, "Mortality is an unwilling sleep." From the word "sleep" the reader can derive that the narrator is in a place of malcontent because sleep can be inturrpreted as death. Keats demonstates an ungrateful tone because paraphrased he basically is saying i didnt choose to live and this life you cannot even call living because it suffers from so much turmoil. Another example of metonomy is when Keats uses diction like "steep" and "pinnacle." These inclines tell the narrator that, "harships tell me i must die." From these two words alone a new emotion of terror and hopelessness is aroused inside the reader.
Through synechdoche and metonomy Keats utilizes every oppurtunity he gets in his writing to capture the picture he is trying to paint. The over all message which he attempts to convey is this: What makes your spirit weak and body disjointed and how can you repair it?

In the poem, A Sunset of the City, author Gwendolyn Brooks constructs her dramatic monologue in a may that suggest a hopeless tone and defeated lifestyle through strong diction and vivid imagery. Through her length in sentences Kathleen Eileen suggest the nearness of death that the she feels.

A Sunset of the City begins with longer sentences and ends in shorter sentences. The hopeless tone that the character expresses can be traced through her words and descriptions. The author writes, “I am cold in this cold house… there is no warm house.” This melancholy outlook signifies the author’s depressed tone. Brooks goes on to say her character is loved by no one, not even her own children who have forgotten her. Eileen has been “put away with marbles and dolls.” “Chill”, “lechery”, “chill”, “crisp”, “echoes” and “lost halls” are all words that denote Eileen’s depression and misery.

Also, through the use of vivid imagery the author expresses the misery of her character. Eileen compares herself to a “sweet dying flower.” This devastating picture is so depressing and hopes. Just as a dead flower has no purpose neither does this poor women who has no one to appreciate her.

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Louis Erdrich in her dramatic monologue Captivity and Edgar Lee Masters in his monologue Eugenia Todd both utilize imagery to accurately retell a story of the past or an inspiring revelation that has deeply affected the speaker in order to invest on an emotional level with the reader.

Through imagery both Erdrich and Masters make their poetry enriching and compelling to the reader through pictures so the reader feels in sync with the speakers personal remembrance. In Captivity the young woman describes her traumatic past with images like “Shadows gaped and roared and the trees flung down their sharpened lashes,” to express the utter despair and dangerous confusion of the night fires. Through this vivid imagery the reader relates to the fear and terror of the speaker, as she is a trapped prisoner.

Also, Masters employs imagery to signify his revelation on an intimate level with the audience. The energetic speaker says, “There was shadowy consciousness or the phantom of thought of the tooth.” The speaker addresses the audience and dives into great detail to describe the pains of a tooth or “malignant growth” to heighten the pain of the toothache or growth. By emphasizing the pain of the toothache he eventually near the end of the poem emphasizes the “perfect freedom” we will possess when we die. Imagery allows the reader to step into the speakers mind and see what the speaker is reliving.