In the first stanza of the poem "Exit", the narrator, presumably Persephone, describes the feeling when hope is lost, and when that hope is given back to you. The word "reprieve" is used here. "Reprieve" means to cancel or postpone punishment. So when Persephone's hope dies out down in the Underworld, she is allowed to go home for half of the year, which is her reprieve. The next line, "The door opens onto a street like in the movies,/clean of people, clean of cats;" is an allusion to movies that everyone has seen, with a character escaping their city apartment building to venture out into the empty city landscape. Persephone describes this as such, except for she knows that it is her street she is only leaving temporarily, as seen in the usage of the word "provisionally". That very word causes her stress, as seen in the usage of the word "fretful". In the second stanza, the actual leaving of home is what is described. "The windows you have closed/behind you are turning pink, doing what they do/every dawn." This line is a metaphor for Persephone having to leave her mother. The usage of the color pink describes her mother, because the color pink symbolizes caring and love, the feelings she gets from Demeter. The windows are the passage to the underworld, where Persephone must go, as seen with the line, "Here, it's grey". The taxicab in this stanza is a symbol for the boat one must ride in to get to the Underworld, on the River Styx. The suitcase is a symbol for Persephone's yearly journey, the saddest part of her year, leaving her mother, Demeter. Finally, in the third stanza, there is a small beacon of hope poking through. The main point of this stanza is the simile at the very end, "...the sky begins to blush,/as you did when your mother told you/what it took to be a woman in this life." This simile is a comparison of the blush in a young girl's cheeks when her mother talks to her about puberty and growing up. This could imply that Persephone was snatched away at too young of an age to be subjected to this torture that she describes in the very first stanza.
In the poem “ Demeter, Waiting” by Rita Dove, it is based on the greek mythology character, demeter, goddess of harvest, and mother of persephone. As we all know about the myth of persephone eating the pomegranate seeds, and hades wanting persephone to be his wife, and because she ate the pomegranate seeds she has to spend time in the underworld. In this poem, demeter is deeply saddened by persephone being gone hence the line from the poem “ No. Who can bear it. Only someone who hates herself, who believes to pull a hand back from a daughter's cheek is to put love into her pocket”, as well as the line “ I will wail and thrash until the whole goddamned golden panorama freezes over, then I will wait for her. Yes.” The title “ demeter, waiting” the word “ demeter” is illusion, and the title more or less, describes the poem ahead. In the first half of the poem, “ No. Who can bear it. Only someone Who hates herself, who believes To pull a hand back from a daughter’s cheek Is to put love into her pocket - Like one of those ashen christian philosophers, Or a war-bound soldiers.”, she is in despair, and in the utmost way, being a mother and having “ motherly feelings”, worry, concern, and grief. I found it interesting at how Rita Dove put into the poem“ Ashen christian philosophers” and “ warbound soldiers”, except for the fact that I couldn’t seem to connect at how “ to pull a hand back from a daughter’s cheek, is to pull love into her pocket--- like one of those ashen christian philosophers, or a warbound soldier”? This sounds like she is comparing putting love away to philosophers and soldiers, which would make it an analogy. Then the next half of the poem “ She is gone away, and i will not bear It, i will drag my grief through a winter Of my own making and refuse Any medows that recycles itself into Hope. Shit on the cicadas, dry meteor Flash, finicky butterflies! I will wail and thrash until the whole goddamned golden panorama freezes over. Then I will sit down to wait for her. Yes.”, the tone shifts into a very upset, and selfish tone. Hence the sentences “ I will not bear it, I will drag through a winter of my own making, and refuse and meadow that recycles itself into hope” or “ I will wail and thrash until the whole goddamned golden panorama freezes over”......... Obviously talking about missing persephone, and refuses to harvest anything until persephone comes back, here comes the myth of how demeter brought /created winter. And it would seem that if this was related toward modern society, I do believe she would have depression “ drag my grief through a winter” …. In the first few sentences of the second half “ I will not bear it, i will drag my grief through a etc…” there shows repetition. Then, “ shit on the cicadas, dry meteor flash, finicky butterflies” I thought that perhaps these were unusual types of imagery. And then with “goddamned golden panorama” she is making a very clear statement. Lastly with the poem ending, “ Then I will sit down and wait for. Yes.” , until spring time, she will continue to be sad. This poem has 14 lines, and it didn’t seem to a petrarchan sonnet, a shakespearean sonnet or a spenserian sonnet, so i think it's a indefinable sonnet.
I, too, wrote about the poem, "Demeter, Waiting", and I agree with you that it was an indefinable sonnet. This poem was very relatable to readers, as several are mothers with children and can understand how Demeter feels. Losing a child is every parents' worst fear. I thought the title, along with the first stanza of the poem, was foreshadow. As we read the title and first stanza, we began to get the idea that a mother was going to lose her daughter due to the line, "Who can bear it. Only someone who hates herself, who believes to pull a hand back from a daughter's cheek..." I also agree that she would suffer from depression as well.
The title of the poem, “Party Dress for a First Born”, has a positive, playful connotation and prior to reading the poem, the reader may assume that the poem has an innocent tone, possibly even relating to a baby’s christening. Once the poem actually begins, the reader realizes that the poem is anything but pure and naive. The poem starts out by saying, “Headless girl… ” and with the usage of a metaphor, Rita Dove implies that this girl has no brain, leading the reader to think that she is incapable of thought. There is also the usage of an idiom when Dove writes, “so ill at ease on the bed” immediately after. This specific idiom is defined as anxious, unsure, and uneasy. Only one line has been written in the poem, and the reader has already learned of the blank mind and the distress that the girl is experiencing. Dove goes on to continue to explain the “nothing” that the girl is thinking about, making the reader question what possible traumatic event the girl has experienced that has caused her to feel so empty. In the next stanza, a group of men are introduced, where Dove writes, “Tonight men stride like elegant scissors across the lawn…”, emphasizing the confidence and power they emanate. When using a simile to compare the men’s stride to elegant scissors, Dove portrays the cold, sharp, and dangerous feelings that the men also radiate. In the next line, Dove writes about how the men walk, “to the women arrayed there, petals waiting to loosen”, and this is where a prominent connection can be made, relating this specific poem to rape. Petals and flowers, which have a soft and beautiful connotation, are often used when describing the innocent nature of girls, untouched by the taboo subject of sex. By relating the men to scissors, Dove illustrates an image of these scissors cutting up these gentle petals to pieces. The petals, which are a metaphor for girls, are unable to return to their original form. They are scarred for life. The hatred that the girl feels for these men can be seen in the next three lines of the poem, where Dove writes, “When I step out, disguised in your blushing skin, they will nudge each other to get a peek and I will smile, all the while wishing them dead”. The usage of the phrase “disguised in your blushing skin” indicates that impressing the men is not what the girl desires. She is forced by society to live up to certain beauty standards and to accept the unwanted attention that men, whom she has an intense hatred for, give her. At the end of the poem, Dove writes, “Stand up: it will be our secret”, which sounds like a command that one of the men would give a girl after raping her. The words “stand up” are short, concise and direct, creating a harsh tone. The unpleasant mood continues when Dove writes, “it will be our secret”, indicating that an unlawful act had just occurred, one that would get the man in trouble. The reader can now make a connection to the beginning of the poem, where Dove depicts the “nothing” that the girl is thinking. She is traumatized by this event and is incapable of returning to how she was before.
I completely agree with your interpretation of "Party Dress for a First Born." The title of the poem sets the readers up for a complete surprise. As the poem continues, it's a backwards story line. However, through this, it captures the attention of the reader and makes them question the actions that resulted in this headless, ill girl. The second stanza emphasizes the severity of rape, while the first stanza evaluates the after-effects of rape. This situation is similar to the one described in "Used." Both of these recognize the superiority of men versus the weakness of women in society.
Throughout the poem “Heroes,” Rita Dove redefines the standard definition of a hero based on one’s perspective of the situation. As the poem begins, Dove sets the situation through visual imagery of a bright, red poppy in a “in a weedy field.” The red poppy contains a happy, radiant connotation which contrasts the flat, negative connotation of a weedy field. Directly following the oxymoron of “a flower in a weedy field,” Dove relates this experience to the readers through using second person. This situation is now in the reader's hands, along with the decision to pick the flower. The second stanza continues to account each of the reader’s actions. As the woman starts screaming that he/she “plucked the last poppy in her miserable garden, the one that gave her the strength every morning to rise!” there is a strong connection between the the woman and poppy. In the woman’s case, the only glimpse of something positive is seeing the poppy alive, as the poppy itself is also the only beautiful object in a field of weeds. The poppy symbolizes the woman herself. As the poppy is rid of life and begins the wilt, the reader no longer has control of the situation in the sense that the woman, represented by the poppy, will also begin to die away. This lack of control is portrayed in the fourth stanza, where Dove emphasizes that “It’s too late for apologies,” even “though you go through the motions” and try to control the situation. At this point, the death of the woman is inevitable, therefore, the reader makes another decision- to “strike her,” essentially ending her life in that instant. Again, in the fifth stanza, “there’s nothing to be done.” However, the character makes sure to physically combine the flower and the white boulder together in the stolen jar. The white boulder is a symbol, which creates an oxymoron. The white boulder is a representation of the woman’s ashes and this symbol is specifically emphasized in the sixth stanza, where the stone is broken into smaller pieces. Although the boulder represents ashes and death, it is also gives a pure connotation through the description of “white.” Together, as the deaths of the flower and the woman are physically combined in the stolen jar, it is as if both lives were stolen away from the readers. In the final three stanzas and the last line, Dove evaluates the character's actions and decisions. The character is described to be a fugitive, since she had murdered the woman, but there is also a valid reason behind the murder- the fact that the flower, therefore, the woman, would have died anyways. Although the character did, in fact, commit the act of murder, he/she may have done more good than bad. The character had saved the woman from more pain. If the only object that “gave her the strength every morning to rise” was the single poppy in the field, then clearly, she didn’t have much things in her life to live for. Through this reasoning, the debate of whether or not the reader was a fugitive or a hero arises. Although the villagers and even the audience may consider the character to be a fugitive, the second person perspective that Dove utilizes forces the audience to think through the perspective of the character. The character did commit an act of murder, but as the reader evaluates the situation as if it applies to him/her, he/she can recognize the reasoning behind the decisions, making the character a hero.
When I had initially read Heroes, I had no idea what its underlying meaning was or how the title “Heroes” could relate to something, in this case murder, so evil and heartless. I had continued to reread this poem and color mark it, but the only bit of analysis I was able to understand the kindness displayed by the narrator, or in this case the reader, since it is written in second person. It was strange for me to recognize such a desired human trait when the narrator had committed such an abhor crime. When reading your analysis of the poem, I began to comprehend and decipher the literary features used by Dove in order to craft the poem and tell a story. One compelling point you had made was how the white boulder embodied the dead woman’s ashes and death, which typically has a negative and dark connotation, yet also symbolized purity because of its white color. I’m not too sure what your stance is on why Dove chose to illustrate the boulder as a white rock, but I feel like she chose a clean and pure color in order to emphasize the good and virtue in the narrator’s actions. Dove could have chosen to make the boulder red, symbolizing the staining of blood and the wicked nature of the action, but because of the choice of white, the meaning behind the poem is completely altered.
I somewhat agree with your interpretation! I love how you mention Rita Dove’s use of second person to “include” the reader in the story. It is incredibly strange that saving a flower is valued over the life of a human in the poem. I also think that your idea that this poem can be interpreted two ways is very interesting. I disagree with the idea that the poppy represents the woman and that the woman would have died no matter what. In Greek mythology, the poppy is representative of Demeter. I believe that this poem comments on Demeter causing mass starvation just to save her daughter.
In the poem “Demeter, Waiting” by Rita Dove she is talking from a mom’s point of view. The first stanza is her talking about how could someone ever bear losing a child. An example being, “No. Who can bear it. Only someone who hates herself, who believes to pull a hand back from their daughter’s cheek is to put love into her pocket-” (Dove). She starts off this poem with wonder and excitement, “No. Who can bear it.” as we learn what the poem is about. Dove creates a very relatable feel in this poem, because a lot of women who could be moms read her poems and can relate to this poem if they have kids. Most, if not all, parents worst fear is to lose one of their children, and this is exactly what Demeter is feeling in this poem. She can’t imagine losing her daughter, someone who can imagine losing a child is, “...like one of those ashen Christian philosophers, or a war-bound soldier”. Reading this first stanza, I feel a sense of anger and sorrow for Demeter as she is fearing losing her daughter again. This first stanza foreshadows into the second stanza of the poem, Demeter lost her daughter. Dove writes, “She is gone again and I will not bear it, I will drag my grief through a winter of my own making and refuse any meadow that recycles itself into hope”. Demeter is feeling sorrow, anger, and disbelief that her beloved daughter is gone again from her arms. As I read this, I can relate to her in a way because my mom gets very worried when I’m not near her, she always wants me safe and in her arms just like Demeter wants her daughter. She starts of grieving her loss, but then builds up the courage and gets angry at whoever took her daughter and wants to give them a piece of her mind and take matters into her own hands, “Shit on the cicadas, dry meteor flash, finicky butterflies! I will wail and thrash until the goddamned golden panorama freezes over. Then I will sit down to wait for her. Yes.”. Her attitude towards the situation goes from grievance to frustration and astonishment that someone would even do this to her and her daughter and she will get her daughter back. Dove’s “Demeter, waiting” poem is an indefinable sonnet. It has 14 lines, but doesn’t have a fixed rhyme, but it still gets a powerful message across and makes the reader feel apart of the short story.
I agree with how some moms could relate this to themselves an their children. When I was analyzing this poem, I too noticed the multiple tone shifts through out the poem, anger and sorrow, to disbelief, to grievance and frustration.
I somewhat agree with your interpretation! I love how you mention Rita Dove’s use of second person to “include” the reader in the story. It is incredibly strange that saving a flower is valued over the life of a human in the poem. I also think that your idea that this poem can be interpreted two ways is very interesting. I disagree with the idea that the poppy represents the woman and that the woman would have died no matter what. In Greek mythology, the poppy is representative of Demeter. I believe that this poem comments on Demeter causing mass starvation just to save her daughter.
This poem is about a girl and her experience being bullied. The Gatlin kids bullied her, calling her “brainiac” and “stringbean”. My first analysis was relating this poem to bullying in society. It’s ironic that the Gatlin kids make fun of the girl’s skinny figure when they are described as skinny as well. They also call the girl “brainiac” which conveys the stereotype of the mean girls being superior especially when it says “besides, I knew they’d beat me up”. Even though they are similar (body shape), it’s the popularity/superiority that evokes them to make fun of the girl and the girl not being able to do anything about it. This relates to society about how popularity is toxic. I remember in middle school if a “popular” was mean to someone, they couldn’t retaliate because the “popular” was superior. My second analysis of this poem was about how we need a balance of independence and dependence. When it says, “ I survived their shoves across the schoolyard because my five-foot-zero mother drove up in her Caddie to shake them down to size. Nothing could get me into that car.” She refuses to get into the car because she is embarrassed about her mom standing up to them. This shows how even though we like to think we are independent and we don’t need help with our problems, we are actually dependent. She would rather be independent and try to solve the bullying herself rather than getting help from her mom to end the bullying right away.
The poem Canary is about singer Billie Holiday. She was an American jazz singer-songwriter. In the first stanza of the poem, Dove talks about Holiday's past by describing her voice as, "...burned voice has as many shadows as lights," This line implies that Holiday had as many good times as bad times, referring to her past. "...the gardenia her signature under that ruined face," the gardenia was the signature flower Holiday wore in her hair. 'that ruined face' may refer to her death. In the second stanza, Dove describes Holiday's drug abuse, "(Now you're cooking, drummer to bass, magic spoon, magic needle..." Holiday was a frequent drug abuser throughout her career. 'Cooking' refers to both her writing songs and her drug use. The very last line in the poem is my favorite, "If you can't be free, be a mystery." Literally, this could mean that if you are oppressed, treated unjustly, or given unequal opportunity, as African-Americans were throughout the pre-civil rights era, you must keep to yourself to escape from the oppression.
I really like your connection of the last sentence of the poem with civil rights. Although this set of poems are about historical figures, Rita Dove also had two other sets of poems relating to the civil rights movement and slavery. It's interesting to see a connection between two seemingly unrelated sets of poems! I think that although "Canary" may not be about civil rights, Dove's beliefs will always remain the same and will continue to show up in unrelated poems.
Your interpretation of the poem is very though provoking! It seems like both of our poems hold a similar message. Both the allusion to Billie Holiday and to St. Catherine of Alexandria are used as an example of people throughout history born into times of oppression and prevailed in their own ways. Both poems also use flowers for symbolism. The poem was published in 1989 so I doubt Dove is attempting to speak to people from the civil rights or pre-civil rights eras, but I do agree that she is reminding African Americans to continue to fight for rights.
In the poem, “Sonnet in Primary Colors,” Rita Dove expresses her admiration towards Frida Kahlo’s ability to maintain strength, despite the painful experiences in her life. Dove begins by addressing the poem to “the woman with one black wing perched over her eyes: lovely Frida.” Instead of addressing Frida with simply her name, she introduces her through her unibrow. In our current society, a unibrow is often made fun of, but Frida had managed to embrace it. Through Rita’s metaphor of the unibrow as a “wing,” she admires Frida’s ability to embody herself. Dove continues to demonstrate her admiration towards Frida by alluding to the “Me and My Parrot” painting. By writing that Frida Kahlo is “erect among parrots,” Dove conveys how much Frida stands out. In the painting itself, two parrots sit on her shoulders, while she holds the other two. Although she is extremely close and comfortable with the parrots, she also illustrates that she is their guardian. In this allusion, Dove emphasizes Frida’s inner strength. However, after establishing Frida’s strength as a person, Dove mentions the painful experiences that Frida has had to endure in her life. In the last two lines of the first stanza, Dove alludes to both “Roots” and “The Broken Column.” Although “Roots” doesn’t symbolize a painful event in Frida’s life, in connection with “The Broken Column,” it conveys the message that Frida dedicated her life towards others, and ended up becoming weak herself. “The Broken Column” also refers to the physical pain she experienced earlier in her life, due to the bus accident. In the next two lines, Dove continues to emphasize Frida’s physical and emotional pain. The “Beloved Dead” references Diego Rivera, her husband; Dove elaborates on Diego more towards the end of the poem. As Dove mentions Lenin, Marx, and Stalin, these three figures symbolize Frida’s beliefs in communism; her belief in communism gave her the strength to rise. The effects of her dedication towards communism are expressed through the painting, “Marxism will give health to the sick.” This fortitude aids in transitioning the poem to the finale, where Frida rises. Dove expresses that Frida “rose to her easel,” taking comfort in her art, while she is torn over Diego, referencing “Diego and I” and “Thinking about death.” In both paintings, Diego and the “skull in the circular window” are above her eyebrows. Although the painting “Thinking about death” is related to Frida’s deteriorating health, Dove combined the two paintings to illustrate the pain that Diego had brought, and how it had hurt her as if she were dying. Throughout this poem, Dove reveals the numerous physically and emotionally painful experiences in Frida’s life, and utilizes them to fully express her admiration for the incredible amount of mental strength that Frida has in herself.
This poem alludes to St. Catherine of Alexandria from the 4th century. She converted to Christianity after seeing a vision and then proceeded to convert others to Christianity. The first stanza discusses St. Catherine’s conversion to Christianity. This poem demonstrates the theme that fate will always prevail because despite Catherine not being able to interact with any Christian forces outside of Egypt, she still became Christian. This can be morphed into a modern context where if something is desired enough and is bound to happen, setbacks are insignificant. Rita Dove mentions St. Catherine’s isolation in her faith at first, because the majority of Egypt was pagan. The symbol of a lily is used when Dove writes, “His breath of a lily.” In Christianity and the Bible, a lily is associated with the Virgin Mary and represents chastity, innocence, purity and piety. The line mentioned above, once again refers to Jesus’s message to St. Catherine and Jesus’s “spiraling pain” refers to Jesus dying on the cross. The final stanza discusses St. Catherine’s promise to marry Jesus and the ring refers to the ring Jesus gave Catherine marrying the two. The ring is “of milk” because when St. Catherine was tortured for her faith, instead of bleeding blood she bled milk, representing her virginity and purity. Rita Dove uses this powerful allusion to demonstrate the struggle through adversity and opposition that St. Catherine faced. This can be viewed as a message to African Americans struggling to gain equal rights along with women to stay true to their beliefs, fight without violence, and never give up, just like Saint Catherine.
Having done a blog on Catherine of Siena, I can draw many connections between her and Catherine of Alexandria. Both of them led pious lifestyles and were shunned by society, which Dove portrayed through the formatting of the poems. The first stanza of both of these poems represents their journey, while the final stanza discusses the a significant moment in their lives. The most captivating part of your analysis was when you discussed the ring of milk. I have little background knowledge on Catherine of Alexandria and had not initially noticed the allusion. It’s fascinating how Dove conveys the purity and virtue of Catherine of Alexandria through such a simple phrase.
The poem is an allusion to Catherine of Siena, a European saint born in the 1300s. Dove portrays the difficult life that Catherine of Siena experienced through the formatting of the poem, where the first stanza represents her pious journey, and the second stanza represents the impact that the saint had and how it affected her as a person. The first line of the poem states, “You walked the length of Italy”, referring to Catherine trekking through northern and central Italy with her followers, advocating for the reformation of the clergy and a total devotion to God. Dove later writes, “Under the star-washed dome of heaven”, alluding to the advice Catherine of Siena gave to Raymond of Capua, as she had built her own “inner cell” in her mind. The word dome is associated with confinement, as Catherine of Siena had felt restricted by the societal role of women as wives and mothers. In order to counteract this trapped feeling, she crafted a world where her father became a representation of Christ, her mother became a representation of the Virgin Mary, and her brothers represented apostles. Dove conveyed this with the usage of visual imagery, creating a beautiful, starry scene underneath the confining dome. In the next stanza, Dove writes about the intense passion that Catherine of Siena prayed with, saying, “you prayed until tears streaked the sky”. The visual imagery that Dove uses depicts the fervent emotions that Catherine of Siena had when praying, something she regarded as extremely sacred and holy. The last two lines of the poem emphasizes the strength and determination of Catherine of Siena, where Dove writes, “No one stumbled across your path. No one unpried your fists as you slept”. Again, this alludes to how Catherine rejected societal norms and followed her own path. She had a great influence on others. An interesting technique used by Dove is how the poem is written in second person. It is as if Dove is writing directly to both Catherine of Siena and the reader. This creates a personal connection between the reader and the saint, making the poem more relatable. Along with the usage of second person narration, Dove writes the poem in past tense. In doing so, she is reflecting on Catherine’s accomplishments in life. She was determined in her journey and no obstacles, or "boulder at the roadside" as Dove writes, deterred Catherine.
I think the way Dove used second person was a great way to connect the readers to her writing. I think this poem is very eye-opening to readers because it describes the hardships Catherine of Siena had to go through and that you should never give up just because life seems hard.
The poem “Canary” by Rita dove is about Billie Holiday, a female American-Jazz musician. She was known for her voice, it captured her audience's’ attention. The first lines, “Billie Holiday’s burned voice had as many shadows as lights,” describes her unique voice that became coarse over the years of her alcohol addiction which caused many ups and downs in her career depicted as the “...had as many shadows as lights,”. In the next line, “the mournful candelabra against a sleek piano,” explains the candelabra as her drug addiction that is working against the sleek piano, or her wonderful singing talent that’s being disrupted by her addiction. Then the last line of the first stanza, “the gardenia her signature under that ruined face” explains how she always wore a white gardenia in her hair. She would always wear one to hide her patches of lost hair that she burned off with a curling iron. I think the line means that she used the gardenia to hide her ruined face both physically and mentally from her incident and furthering addiction. The second stanza is more in depth about her addiction. “(Now you’re cooking, drummer to bass, magic spoon, magic needle. Take all day if you have to with your mirror and your bracelet of song.)” Dove is paitning the image of her doing drugs by using the magic spoon, magic needle reference and the word cooking. It is a sad stanza because this eventually causes her death as said in the last line of the poem, “If you can’t be free, be a mystery.” I think this line and the previous stanza, “Fact is, the invention of women under siege has been to sharpen love in the service of myth” are showing how unequal rights were for African Americans during her time because this relates to the title, “Canary”, which is an African bird with a melodious song like Billie Holiday. Dove is explaining how if you can’t be free from the siege, be a mystery and stay within yourself to avoid any and all consequences that may be thrown towards you, because rights were so unequal for colored people in her time.
The poem “Sonnet in Primary Colors”, is about the artist and feminist advocator Frida Kahlo. Rita Dove writes about her love for Frida Kahlo through imagery. It also talks about Frida Kahlo and her mark on the world. Dove writes, “one black wing perched over her eyes”, as imagery referring to Kahlo’s controversial and iconic unibrow. When Dove refers to Kahlo’s eyebrows as a wing, it could depict how free spirited she was by not obliging to the societal beauty norms. Also Dove writes, “painted herself a present --wildflowers entwining the plastic corset her spine resides in the romance of mirror.” Frida Kahlo often painted portraits of herself to show her unique beauty to herself and society shown as “painted herself a present.” Kahlo often paints herself with “wildflowers” on her head, again, to maybe show her unique and free spirited beauty. Frida loved to show off her beauty, “romance of mirrors”, to everyone to inspire people by showing her distinctive beauty. Dove also references Frida Kahlo’s paintings in her poem. When she writes, “erect among parrots,” she is referring to Kahlo’s painting “Me and My Parrot Painting” with her “erect” with parrots on her shoulders. She also alludes to her painting “Thinking about Death” when she writes, “a skull in the circular window of the thumbprint searing her immutable brow.” The painting shows a “circular” image of a “skull” right above her “immutable brow.” Rita Dove does an excellent job of referring to Frida Kahlo’s painting with the use of imagery.
I agree that Dove is writing this poem in order to show Kahlo’s influence on the world, but I also think it embodies the pain Kahlo felt throughout her life. A major event that altered Kahlo’s life that you might have missed was the bus accident she was involved in. In addition to many other injuries, she severely damaged her vertebrae and had to wear a plaster corset. In line 5 when Dove writes about “wildflowers entwining the plaster corset,” it could be interpreted as Kahlo’s desire to be “free-spirited” again after the accident that put her in pain for the rest of her life. The next line states: “her spine resides in the romance of mirrors.” I do not think this line is meant to inspire others. In order for her to paint again while recovering from her injuries, a mirror was placed in front of her so she could see herself. It is well known that Kahlo’s main subject is herself. Dove is referring to how her once-secure spine is now only a romantic thought in Kahlo’s mind that she can only paint or imagine. The pain that this caused Kahlo is depicted in the following line: “Each night she lay down in pain and rose,” illustrating how Kahlo’s injury was a major obstacle the rest of her life.
In the poem,The House Slave, Rita Dove writes from the eyes of a adolescent slave worker. In the poem, Rita Dove paints an image using very strategically written Literary devices. Not only does she create a image, she also uses these devices to show emotion through her words. The small slave views the work yard as people are being whipped and abused and he shivers with fear. Line nine in the poem reads, “While their mistress sleeps like an ivory toothpick”. This line has a powerful meaning. Rita Dove is saying that the slave owner is very expensive and valuable, but is also very strong and cannot be broken. Throughout the poem, she paints a very depressing, dark and unfriendly life of a slave worker. Rita also represents how the young slave is trembling with fear and knows that he has no hope of a new life. The slave has no idea on what his future will look like.
I thought this poem was very dark and sad to read because I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live like slaves did. I agree that the line, "While their mistress sleeps like an ivory toothpick." is a very powerful line and stands out.
In the poem, “Rosa”, Dove writes about Rosa Parks. She was a brave woman who stood her ground for what she believed in. She refused to give up her seat in the colored section of the bus to a white man since the white section was filled. “How she sat there, the time right inside a place so wrong it was ready.” is explaining the beginning of how she was sitting in her seat minding her own business not causing any trouble. “The trim name with its dream of a bench to rest on. Her sensible coat.” is her sitting on the bus bench thinking about a dream of hers, equal rights for colored people. She was an African American civil rights activist. The word trim refers to Rosa and her demeanor, it’s neat and smart, leaning against the bench that would soon create wonders for the world. Coat can mean a layer over something, therefore I think the coat refers to her classy and courageous personality. “Doing nothing was the doing: the clean flame of her gaze carved by a camera flash.” Dove is explaining how Rosa got in trouble by doing nothing. She was sitting in the correct area of the bus and wasn’t causing any trouble, but then got kicked out of her seat rudely by the bus driver. The second line is a metaphor comparing her innocent smile that was forced upon her by the cameras and reporters investigating what she did, it was unheard of for a colored person to stand up to a white one. “How she stood up when they bent down to retrieve her purse. That courtesy.” Rosa kept her act together and obeyed the people arresting her. I feel like this last stanza is written using a sarcastic tone, because white people didn’t treat colored people with courtesy and were most likely picking up her purse to search through it since she disobeyed the bus driver.
Our poems seem to be similar because of the connection to bus rides. My poem could also be another point of view of Rosa Parks, just first person, getting on the bus. The tone of both of our poems seem to be different, though. The poem "Climbing In" seems to give off a tone of uncertainty and nervousness, whereas "Rosa" gives a sense of confidence and pride.
This poem demonstrates Dove's admiration for Rosa. In the first stanza, when she writes, "the time right inside a place so wrong it was ready." is almost a tongue twister, emphasizing "right," "wrong," and "ready." Through this, Dove appreciates how someone finally stood up for the black community for all the wrong events that have been occurring. Also, when Dove says, "Doing nothing was the doing," I think not only was she describing Rosa's physical inaction, but the fact that, if they were in an equal society, Rosa's actions would have been "nothing" of importance, for it would be considered as normal. In the very last line, I think that Dove is actually describing Rosa as having courtesy. Because the officials were already searching her purse, if she didn't stand up on her own, she would be dragged up. Dove describes Rosa's decision of standing up as courtesy, and fully appreciates Rosa's actions.
It’s super cool how Rita Dove portrays someone as completely innocent. This truly shows how there was something wrong with civil rights in America and creates the theme that all innocent people should be given freedom. I also find it interesting how Rita Dove made the title “Rosa” instead of “Rosa Parks.” This furthers the idea that Rosa Parks was just an everyday person. This fabricates the notion that everyone deserves freedom. I love the quote “doing nothing was the doing…” This paradox shows the absolute ridiculousness of the idea that an innocent person can be jailed for sitting down on a white person bus.
The poem "Climbing In" is a huge allusion to the fable "Little Red Riding Hood", comparing the process of an African-American person getting onto a public bus in a segregated state. In the poem, the wolf is both the bus and its driver, whereas the narrator is Little Red Riding Hood. There is a lot of mouth diction in the poem, with words like, 'teeth, lie-gapped, smiling, and gullet'. The first stanza references the deadly teeth of the bus ("metallic"). The second stanza describes the process of the narrator climbing up the steps to the bus. The narrator holds a dime, the fare for riding the bus. The third stanza cuts off the sentence to put in parentheses. Another third person narrator butts in, telling the reader that the first person narrator is a woman."Sweat gilding the dear lady's cheek" describes how nervous the woman is to be getting on this bus. The next line is a direct allusion to the fable. These two lines describe the teeth of the bus driver, who is forcing a smile, pretending, just as the wolf did in the Grandmother's cap. The reader can deduce that it is a forced smile because of a line in the fourth stanza, "Not quite a grin", which implies that there's something wrong with him. As the narrator is paying, the final stanza seems to have switched back to third person, as it is described that the woman "tumbles head over tail down the clinking gullet", which means that the woman has to travel to the back of the bus, or wolf, to find a seat.
I definitely agree with your interpretation of this poem! The most interesting part of your analysis is the part about the parentheses, as I had not understood its purpose when I had read the poem. I had never considered it to be a third person narrator who would be butting in. I enjoyed this poem because of its allusion to "Little Red Riding Hood", as it is something that is well-recognized and easy to relate to other pieces of literature, like the poem "Climbing In". You also made interesting connections between who on the bus is what character in the fable and explained it well.
In “The situation in intolerable,” Rita Dove speaks from the perspective of a black civil rights activist, encouraging the black community to fight for their own rights, despite their standing in society at that time. On the first line, Dove places emphasis on the word “Intolerable,” by not only using italicization but also defines it as a “civilized word.” Dove describes intolerable as a civilized word because only people who have experienced better conditions, therefore civilized, could recognize intolerable or worse situations. This goes on to support Dove’s question: “Aren’t we civilized, too?” Dove refers to “we” as the black community, and wants to highlight that the black community is also civilized, contrasting the common notion made by the white people that blacks are “uncivilized.” She also describes the physical appearance of a black man’s outfit to justify that blacks are civilized both inside and out. In this outfit, the man is wearing shiny shoes, cuffs, and dovegray pleated trousers. All three of these items combine to make up a suit, which often symbolizes money and power. In the final three lines of the first stanza, Dove describes the situation as “a righteous sword advancing onto the field of battle.” This description represents the black civil rights movement as a whole, and that this movement is supported with power and civility. In the following stanza, Dove utilizes visual imagery to paint the current situation. The first three lines of darkness and flames symbolize the fear that the black activists must hold when fighting for their rights. Although they are just as civilized, they still feel as if they are standing on new territory, expressed through the phrase “assay the terrain.” However, Rita Dove contrasts this notion in the second part of this stanza. She conveys the message that although their actions may be terrifying, the should proceed with hope. This hope that she refers to is symbolized through “the stars--tiny, missionary stars.” The stars may be tiny, but they are mighty, for they are missionary stars. Lastly, in the third stanza, Dove cycles back to the discussion about the intolerable situation, underlining the idea that the black community should continue to fight for their rights with all their strength. The first four lines provides a metaphorical experience that describes the blacks’ lack of rights from the start. Blacks began their lives in America with absolutely nothing, and through the metaphor of the pot, even if they were given freedom, society would not know how to adapt. This is Rita Dove’s definition of an intolerable situation. However, she concludes the poem by stating that although their current situation may be intolerable, it would be more disgraceful to not attempt to solve it. In this poem, Dove takes into account all of the daily injustices that the black community have to suffer through, and stresses that, despite all of the inequalities, blacks should still fight for their freedom and rights.
Rita Dove illustrates the impact Rosa Parks had on the civil rights movement in the poem fittingly titled, Rosa. In the first stanza, Dove says, “the time right inside a place/ so wrong it was ready” (2-3). This is referring to how terrible the issue of segregation was at the time of this poem. The situation that Parks was shoved into was so morally wrong, that it was finally time for someone to stand up against the oppression African Americans faced. The people on the bus, and everyone else in the deep South, were finally ready to face reality. The lines, “That time name with/ its dream of a bench/ to rest on. Her sensible coat” (4-6) make up the next stanza. Dove uses Parks’ name to represent her dream of equal rights for African Americans, which is a synecdoche. Dove describes it as trim which means her small name that is so easy to remember, yet had such a large impact on civil rights. The line, “Doing nothing was the doing:” refers to how Parks wasn’t in the wrong for not giving up her seat and standing up for herself. This is also referred to in the next stanza which says, “How she stood up” (10). This line could be interpreted in two different ways. The first thought I had is that Dove is reciting how Rosa Parks stood up for herself by not giving up her seat. Then after reading the poem again, I noticed that this line was placed there for the effect of irony because Parks did not stand up in her effort to fight against segregation. The last lines of the poem are also very sarcastic because in the time period in which this poem is set, no one would have the courtesy to actually pick up Parks’ purse even if she had dropped it. Dove is trying to convey this message through the use of sarcasm.
There is a very clear allusion to Lady Freedom in this poem. Lady Freedom is a statue outside of the capitol building. In this poem, Rita Dove frequently uses anaphora! Fun! This anaphora of “with her” and “don’t.” This anaphora strengthens the mood of this poem, demanding change! The main purpose of the allusion in this poem is to remind the reader of the principles America was founded on: liberty and justice for all. Dove uses the metaphor “she’s not going to budge” in the eighth stanza to represent how African Americans should never have to give up their freedom, and will never stop fighting. Dove also uses a lot of personification when describing lady freedom. Her “drenched gaze” shows demonstrates Lady Freedom’s power along with her “shining brow.” The last stanza pushes the theme of this poem; America is known as a country of freedom for more than only white, property owning men. “Crown her with a sky,” means that freedom should be given to all, held over all, and a part of all. This is furthered by Dove when she writes, “she is one of the many and she is each of us.” This demonstrates how freedom should be the standard; freedom should be within all. That is all.
I thought your analysis of the poem was very accurate! I analyzed the same poem and did not notice the anaphora until you pointed it out. I thought the interpretation of the metaphor “she’s not going to budge” was very specific, although I agree with it. I also think it could be generalized into the theme that no one should have to give up their freedom, although African Americans are definitely struggling with that the most in modern society. Adding on to that, I thought the theme you got from the poem was very precise. It is great how you related it to today's society. I liked your interpretation of the personification; it really emphasizes the importance of Lady Freedom. That is all.
In the poem “Claudette Colvin Goes to Work”, Rita Dove illustrates the persecution that blacks experienced on a daily basis with the usage of dreary diction and the formatting of the stanzas. A significant part of this poem that isn’t necessarily a part of the poem is the quote that Dove includes prior to the poem. The quote mentions how “another Negro woman” has been arrested for failing to give up her seat to a white person, then references “Claudette Colbert [sic]” as the first. Though the misspelling of Colvin’s name may seem insignificant, it represents the initial nonexistent impact that she had on society. This simple spelling error highlights the societal mistreatment of minorities, as Colvin was black, a female, and a pregnant teenager in the 1950s, during which conservative ideals were prevalent. In the first two stanzas, Dove shows the hardships black women faced at home. With the usage of forlorn diction such as “menial”, “bleak”, and “scourge of the earth”, Dove embodies the emotions and feelings of inferiority that a black woman, like Colvin herself, would feel at home. The next stanza continues to explain the sorrowful home lives of black women, where Dove writes, “Sometimes I wait until it’s dark enough for my body to disappear”, insinuating the unhappiness and unfulfillment that many women felt during the Civil Rights era. In this same stanza, Dove also writes, “Mostly I say to myself Still here”, continuing to highlight the dullness and chagrin in the women’s lives. It is as if the narrator is sighing, disappointed that her life is stagnant. The next stanza moves on to describe the hardships that black women faced out in public, as they were often subject to harassment by men, typically white males. Dove illustrates this provocation when she writes, “‘Hey Mama’ souring quickly to ‘Your Mama’ when there’s no answer”. Dove explicitly notes how the attention the men are giving the narrator is unwanted, yet despite no interaction between the two, the men still feel obligated to insult the woman. The stanza laters says, “So ugly, so fat, so dumb, so greasy What do we have to do to make God love us?” shifting the formerly public hardship into an internal struggle. The repetition used by Dove illustrates the impact that the harsh words left on the narrator, as the rhythm that the “so” creates is more easily remembered by her. It’s easy to repeat such simple yet strong and hurtful words and have them embedded in one’s mind. The question that is asked by the narrator also exemplifies the lasting impact that the constant harassment had on blacks. They felt worthless and unloved. Dove goes on to write, “I’m the crazy girl off the bus, the one who wrote in class she was going to be President”, embodying the view that the narrator had of herself. The last part of the quote where she has a flashback to when she said she had wanted to be President sets a tone of disbelief, as if the narrator could never even consider that as an actual occupation. Again, the persecution that blacks faced from whites had a lasting effect. The last stanza creates a feeling of justification, almost like the narrator is reminding herself that she is doing good as a confidence booster. Dove writes, “And I don’t curse or spit or kick and scratch like they say I did then”, alluding to the troublemaker reputation that Colvin had established. Then, the poem goes on to say, “I help those who can’t help themselves, I do what needs to be done… and I sleep whenever sleep comes down on me”. These last lines emphasize how Colvin, as this poem is written in first person, did whatever she wanted. Though the poem had started off on a somber, monotonous tone, it ends in a more triumphant and validated tone. This shift in tones represents the bus ride that changed Colvin’s life, as she herself had said she initially felt terrified when refusing to give up her seat, but later gained confidence and compelled to fight for what she believed was her “constitutional right”.
The Freedom Ride was the civil rights movement to integrate buses in the southern United States. In this poem, Rita Dove uses imagery and symbolism to explain the effect that discrimination had towards African Americans lives and emotions. When Rita Dove writes, “the view would veer onto someplace fresh: Curacao, or a mosque adrift on a mile-fed pond,” shows the false hope African Americans have. They want to have a “fresh start” without being discriminated. In the quote it mentions “Curacao” which is a warm island in the Caribbean that is geographically similar to Africa. It also mentions a “mosque” because many African Americans were Muslim like Malcolm X (mentioned later in the poem). Those two places depict how African Americans just wanted to be somewhere in which they belonged and fit in rather than be somewhere where they felt unsafe and fearful. Also in this poem, fear and discrimination are frequent themes. For example it says, “the little houses with their fearful patches of yard rushing into the flames.” I interpreted this as the fear of discrimination will always be chasing them no matter how much they want to hide from it. Another quote says, “playing its mistake over and over.” This shows the constant discrimination they faced. Within a broader perspective it means that there is always an act of discrimination (“mistake”) occurring among people through all period of time. Later in that same stanza it says, “at every corner the same scorched brick, darkened windows,” which symbolizes the spread of the fear and discrimination. The last stanza shows a sense of authority and caution to the poem. It says “Make no mistake” and “Pick any stop” which has an orderly tone to it showing how they were forced into their life of fear and cautiousness. After it says “you can ride and sing with stranger or go home and drink scotch.” This conveys, again, how they were forced to either choose to rebel or hide. The last sentence adds on stating, no matter how little or greatly they rebelled they would still be discriminated and there was no hiding from it, it will just keep following them. Fire is a constant symbol in this poem. It is mentioned at the end of every stanza. The fire symbolizes how African Americans could escape the constant fear and discrimination. It just continued to chase them and grow , much like an actual fire.
In “Parsley,” Rita Dove illustrates the stark contrast between the rich and the poor in every society, through the example of the Dominican Dictator Rafael Trujillo. In the first two lines, Rita introduces a “parrot imitating spring in the palace.” Obviously, a palace is an indication of wealth, but the parrot imitating spring also contributes to that concept. As the parrot imitates spring, the action is a representation of livelihood, rather than the main theme of death. The dark, dirty tone arises in the third line of the first stanza, where the cane appears in the swamp. The climate of the swamp itself is not only humid and sticky, but the cane symbolizes the sugarcane industry that is largely related to slavery. The next stanza introduces “El General,” referring to Trujillo. As Dove describes, “he is all the world there is.” This statement signifies that for the Haitians, Trujillo is there entire world, and certainly not a good way. Instead, he takes over their lives, and strips them of any power. Dove also paints a suspenseful tone, as the audience awaits Trujillo’s choice of word. Even before Trujillo chooses a word, the Haitians are already “screaming as rain punches through and we come up green.” The first part of this phrase simply gives an example of the Haitians’ torturous experiences, but the second part metaphorically represents death and rebirth. As people and animals die, the body decomposes, and the nutrients are used to support new plants. In this case, it represents how Trujillo takes over the Haitians and pushes them towards death. In the next phrase, the Haitians indicate that “we cannot speak an R,” but Trujillo can. This adds to the difference in the amount of power that Trujillo has versus the power of the Haitians. In the last three stanzas, Dove describes the moments before, during, and after Trujillo chooses the word. In the third stanza, the “children gnaw their teeth to arrowheads.” This contributes to the suspenseful tone as the Haitians desperately and nervously wait for Trujillo’s decision. As “El General” decides on the “perejil,” which translates to parsley in English, he laughs with his teeth shining. Although laughing is usually associated with a positive, cheerful connotation, Trujillo’s laughter is just the opposite: evil, in a cackling manner. He cackles in such a way because he knows the effect that his decision will have on the Haitians, as it is described in the last stanza. Not only is the cane a part of the Haitians’ everyday lives, but it also consumes their being so much so that it haunts them in their dreams. They are tortured “by wind and streaming,” eventually shedding blood, which represents the death that is compelled upon them as a result of their inability to pronounce “perejil” correctly. In this situation, although it is one [dictator] versus many [Haitians], because of the amount of wealth and power Trujillo has, the Haitians still aren’t able to defeat him. Through this, Dove illustrates the constant societal battle between the rich and the poor for power, and conveys that the rich always win the battle.
I agree with you, I thought that the cane represented the torture Trujillo brought upon the slaves. I also thought that the parrot symbolized wealth and prosperity because they're usually pets of wealthier people. I saw the poem as more of an allusion to slavery, but I also see it as a comparison of the wealthy and poor like you said.
In the poem, “Parsley” by Rita Dove, she writes about a spanish dictator named Rafael Trujillo. The poem starts off with a parrot, which I think represents spring and wealth since parrots are usually a pet of richer people. In the second stanza, “to haunt us, and we cut it down. El General searches for a word; he is all the world there is. Like a parrot imitating spring…” I think the parrot is a symbol for spring since its feathers were described as parsley green, a common color in spring. The people being haunted are the people working in the sugarcane fields, the cane is a symbol for slavery. El General is a very mean man, he seeks for death and feels no remorse for the poor cane workers. He found his word, “El General has found his word: perejil. Who says it, lives. He laughs, teeth shining out of the swamp. The cane appears in our dreams, lashed by wind and streaming.” This is an allusion to how El General will kill any of the workers who can’t pronounce the word “perejil” and feels no sadness or regret when beating up the workers. In the second stanza of the poem, it starts with the word parsley and not a parrot. Dove writes about El General thinking about his deceased mother, “The word the general’s chosen is parsley. It is fall, when thoughts turn to love and death; the general thinks of his mother, how she died in the fall…” Then, in the next couple of lines, his mood changes and he begins to think of all the people he can kill in that day. Thinking about his mom brings out a sweeter, more humane side to El General compared to the other side we saw in the previous stanza. This mood quickly changes when Dove writes, “the general sees the fields of sugar cane, lashed by rain and streaming. He sees his mother’s smile, the teeth gnawed to arrowheads. He hears as the Haitians sing without R’s as they swing the great machetes:...” El General goes from being sad about his mom to feeling anger and hate towards the Haitians since they can’t pronounce their R’s. In the last line of the poem, Dove describes how El General will kill any Haitians that can’t pronounce their R’s, “He will order many, this time, to be killed for a single, beautiful word.” This creates a sad, eerie mood in the reader as they finish the poem, a feeling of sorrow for the poor, innocent Haitians, also showing how the rich more powerful people have a better life while the poor who work all their life don’t get luxuries and get mistreated.
I too noticed the shift in moods during the poem. An interesting point that you had brought up the possibility of the parrot representing wealth as well as spring. I didn't realize that parrots are typically a pet of the wealthy, but it makes sense in the context of this poem, as those who were considered to be superior tended to be of a higher social class. Another part of your analysis I agreed with was the reasoning behind Trujillo's vicious actions. There is definitely a softer side to the dictator that has such an awful reputation. Despite his bad decisions, the second part of the poem exposes a more emotional intention behind his actions.
I too noticed the shift in moods during the poem. I think it is extremely important how Dove shows both sides of the story in this poem. The titles of each set of stanzas, "The Cane Fields" and "The Palace," show how each different set of stanzas describe the story from a different perspective. Your background research is incredibly extensive of this topic and I have learned more about this poem and subject from all the information you have gathered! I disagree with your interpretation of the parrot. I think the parrot is in reference to Trujillo and the parrot he had. "Imitating spring" is a metaphor comparing spring and a new birth for the Dominican Republic.
In the poem “Parsley”, Rita Dove uses juxtaposition to illustrate the presence of beauty within an abhor situation. The poem begins with a refrain, “There is a parrot imitating spring”, creating a pleasant, cheerful mood, but then immediately after, Dove describes, “Out of the swamp the cane appears to haunt us”, shifting to a more dreary, grimy tone. The juxtaposition between the beautiful parrot and the swamp depicts beauty that can be found in a horrific situation. This correlates with the second part of the poem named “The Palace”, in which there is a description of the reasoning behind Dictator Trujillo’s actions. Vengeance of his mother’s death is a key reasoning behind the deviousness in Trujillo’s actions -- her death had changed his life completely. Despite the atrocious acts, readers understand the reasoning and justification of Trujillo’s actions. The first part of the poem illustrates the horror of the mass murders from the Haitian perspective, but the second part of the poem conveys the good behind the actions, or at least what Trujillo believes is beneficial. The mass murder, though it is a horrible thing, was his way of coping. The structure of the poem reflects the refrain of the parrot juxtaposed with the swamp, conveying the message that there is something good in everything.
The poem “Parsley” alludes to the Parsley massacre that occurred in 1937. The first set of stanzas, titled The Cane Fields, discusses the massacre in the perspective of the Haitian workers. Rita Dove personifies the cane by writing, “the cane appears to haunt us.” This reoccurring personification demonstrates the fear the massacre brought the farmers and how horrifying the massacre was for them. This personification also creates a tone of fear, connecting the reader and Haitian farmer. The end stop used in the second stanza furthers the fear created in the first stanza. It is almost as if the speaker is pausing to whisper. “A parrot imitating spring,” is repeated thrice during the first set of stanzas. Dove uses synecdoche when saying the parrot to represent Trujillo and his regime. This is because Trujillo had a parrot. The parrot imitates spring because Trujillo framed the massacre in a sense that the country needed rain in order for it to grow and to emerge from the winter. Trujillo is referred to as El General during the poem, when Trujillo was more commonly known as El Jefe. This is a reminder of the perspective the first set is written in: from the eyes of a Haitian worker. The second set of stanzas, titled The Palace, has a complete perspective shift. Instead of the Haitian worker, the perspective revolves around Trujillo. This clearly shows how massacres and other horrific events can have justification. Trujillo is portrayed in a much more positive light when his tragic past and the death of his mother is shown. Dove reveals that Trujillo massacred all of the people because he hated sugar cane because his mother died while baking skull-shaped candies. (This is a bit of a stretch to justify murder). All in all, Rita Dove compares the two perspectives of Trujillo to show that there is light in darkness; not all bad people are as bad as you think!
I really enjoyed your analysis of this poem! I did not think about the personification of the cane until you pointed it out. I like how you related the personification to how it creates tone and also connects with the reader. I did not know what to think about the "parrot imitating spring." I like your idea that it represents Trujillo and his regime. However, that is also a bit confusing to me because at the end of the second stanza and at the beginning of the third one in the second part, Dove writes about the parrot traveling from Australia in an ivory cage while "practicing spring." Ivory is a very expensive material and I did not know what to think about these few lines. Trujillo is from the Dominican Republic, so if he was a representation of the parrot, why was he coming from Australia? I thought the parrot might have something to do with the symbolizing the massacres that took place. Spring has a connotation with things that are fresh and new. While the massacres were taking place, a new beginning was kind of taking place. That is all.
In the poem “Parsley”, Rita Dove illustrates the Parsley Massacre of 1937. The first half of the poem, The Cane Fields, explains the situation in the perspective of a slave. Whereas the second half of the poem, The Palace, shows the perspective of Rafael Trujillo. The first half of “Parsley” exhibits a switch in tone. The first line says, “a parrot imitating spring in the palace,” which introduces a calm and joyful tone/mood. One sentence after it says, “Out of the swamp the cane appears to haunt us,” which demonstrates a dark and creepy/scary tone. Also the line “cane appears to haunt us” personifies the real situation of the Parsley Massacre and how terrible/horrific it was to the Haitian. This poem brings up the symbol of the parrot quite frequently. I interpreted it as the parrot symbolizing wealth. This is because during this time not a lot of people had parrot because of how expensive they were. It also portrays the parrot of being valuable because it says, “The parrot, who has traveled all the way from Australia in an ivory cage…” Ivory is a very expensive material and if the parrot has a cage made out of ivory it means the parrot is of great value.
In the poem “ parsley” by rita dove, us readers get an insight on what happened in the Parsley massacre. 1937, El General was the dictator over Dominican Republic, and he had made Haiti people pronounce the word “parsley” in a spanish accent with the “R” rolled. If haiti people weren’t able to pronounce the rolled “r” correctly, the people would get killed. All over the word “ Parsley”. Rita Dove splits the poem into two sections “ The Cane Fields, and The Palace”. In the section of “The Cane Fields”, the readers get an insight on how harsh the Cane Field Farmers were treated, and scared. While in the section of “ The Palace”, it goes more into the description of the luxurious life that he had, and it shows the other side of him: He had emotions. His mother died,he’s been through war, pain, sorrow, and everything else that comes with pain. A theory from a student from class said that the reason why El General choose the word “ parsley” was because, instead of using his mother's name “ Katalina” , he really wanted the strong emphasis of the “R”, and so Parsley has a strong “R” roll to the tongue, that's so distinct that you could tell if the person was pronouncing the correct word or not.
In the poem, “Fox Trot Fridays” by Rita Dove, imagery is used throughout the entire poem creating the feel that you were in the poem. Fox Trot is a famous dance that is a continuous and smooth dance that flows across the dance floor just like the poem Dove wrote. It is divided into nine different stanzas, each flowing gracefully into the other just like the dance. Fox Trot Fridays was a day for everyone to unwind and forget their worries for a little while. “Thank the stars there’s a day each week to tuck in the grief, lift your pearls, and stride bush stride” (1-4) explains how this was a time for people to take off their stress and worries and their material things to let loose on the dancefloor. Dove writes about Nat King Cole’s satin smile which is like the dance. “One man and one woman, rib to rib, with no heartbreak in sight- just the sweep of Paradise and the space of a song to count all the wonders in it” (11-17). Rita explains how the dance is performed, very close to one another, almost like becoming one person together forgetting their worries and embracing the length of the song and all the wonders it created. Dance was a great way for people to forget their worries and have fun with one another. It brought people a lot of joy just like how Dove wrote, “with no heartbreak in sight-” (14). I felt a sense of happiness while reading this poem because I imagined the people dancing just enjoying each other's company and not thinking of anything else for awhile.
I find it interesting how your poem, “Fox Trot Fridays,” and mine, “Ta Ta Cha Cha,” seem to carry a similar message. In both poems, Dove portrays dancing as an escape from the difficulties of the world. It’s also interesting how Dove separated the poem into nine stanzas in a very William Carlos Williams-esque way. I like/agree with your thought that she has these stanzas flow into each other to show the flowing nature of the dance! It’s interesting that Dove alludes to Nat King Cole, which, after a bit of research, I can confidently say did not have a smooth life in any way. His smile though, as Dove mentions, was smooth and radiant. This is a perfect example of how dance can allow one to forget about all of their issues and smile.
In “Fox,” Rita Dove illustrates her own state of mind, referring to herself through third person. Dove expresses herself as someone with a personality similar to a fox– quick-witted and confident. Throughout the poem, Dove incorporates both alliteration and repetition to build a confident statement. The entire poem is only composed of four sentences divided in two stanzas, yet still manages to effectively demonstrate the amount of self-confidence Dove holds within herself. In the first sentence, Dove expresses that “She knew what she was and so was capable of anything anyone could imagine.” The first section indicates that Dove fully understands the person she is. As teenagers, many of us ask ourselves, “Who am I?” or conclude that “I’m just trying to discover myself.” Instead, Dove states that she knows exactly who she was, and therefore, capable of anything. The alliteration of “w” in “what” and “was,” seemingly stripped down the grammatical level of the sentence. This use of basic language implies that it doesn’t take much for someone to be “capable of anything anyone could imagine.” In fact, it’s very simple- one just needs to understand themselves. The repetition of “any,” further emphasized the power that she holds within herself, for she has to ability to do anything. For someone to truly achieve something, that person will have to understand their own weaknesses and strengths. The next sentence further explores the idea of knowing oneself. At this point, she demonstrates that Dove not only knows who she is, but she also embraces it. However, the second part of this second may have two meanings, one applying to the general theme, and the other connecting specifically to the fourth and final sentence. As Dove describes, “there for the taking,” she may have been referring to herself and the fact that she has the ability to take all opportunities and excel in them. However, she also incorporates the topic of gender, that as a woman, she is “there for the taking” by any man. The repetition of “imagine” as the final word for the first two sentences connects the first stanza to the second stanza. Dove directly addresses the idea that “she imagined nothing.” In connection with the beginning parts of the last sentence, Dove conveys that she is currently content with her life. Unlike a child during Christmas, she doesn’t need nor want more than what she already has. Therefore, Dove “imagined nothing.” Everything that she loved was already in her possession, and didn’t require imagining. Again, the repetition of “nothing” creates a bare, empty feeling, that Dove still fills up with love. In this sense, it’s as if Dove had no materialistic objects, and lived in poverty, yet was still able to find the light. Lastly, Dove introduces a new idea- another person, and more importantly, a man. Previously, this poem had evolved completely around herself, yet in the very last moment, she introduces a foreign subject. Dove argues that she is “more than any man could handle.” Not only is Dove confident in herself and her life, giving her all the inner power that she needs, but she is also more powerful than any man, contradicting societal norms.
I really love your analysis of "fox " and I agree with many of your points, especially that Dove portrayed the main character as confident. I also really liked how you went in depth on certain words that Dove uses to help the reader understand the poem better.
In the poem “American Smooth”, Rita Dove comments on the societal roles of women and the daily oppression they face through the usage of visual imagery, pristine diction and oxymorons. All three of these literary elements work together to depict the deference towards men that is expected from women. The title, “American Smooth”, refers to the a category of dance typically found in ballroom competitions. It is a type of dance that emphasizes individual expression and improvisation, as seen in the poem when Dove writes, “I didn’t notice / how still you’d become until / we had done it / (for two measures? / four?) -- achieved flight”. Through visual imagery, the reader is able to put oneself in the narrator’s place, they too forget the dance partner’s presence as they are lost in the moment, solely focused on the dance. The quote also highlights the individualistic aspect of the American Smooth ballroom dancing; when connecting it to the underlying message of the societal roles of women, it relates to the way women are so distracted by their effort to maintain their expected roles as mothers and wives and lose sight of who they are as a person. Dove also employs visual imagery when she writes, “rise and fall, precise / execution as we moved / into the next song without / stopping, two chests heaving / above a seven-league / stride…” By using visual imagery, the reader is again placed in the narrator’s position, feeling the rhythm of the dance and the exactness of the narrator’s motions. It elicits a stressful mood as everything must be perfect and on beat, but at the same time give off an impression of ease, as shown in the oxymorons used by Dove. Oxymorons such as “perfect agony” and “ecstatic mimicry” emphasize the immense amount of stress the dancers are under. Their motions must be “perfect” and look “ecstatic”, but the dancer feels “agony” that Dove writes, “one learns to smile through”. The oxymorons add to the anxious tone, where the dancers, or women in general, must radiate perfection, but make it look easy at the same time. Dove shows the ease that the dancers -- and women -- emanate through the usage of pristine and graceful diction. Dove writes, “achieved flight, / that swift and serene / magnificence”, crafting a tranquil tone where the reader feels at ease, as it is near the end of the poem. The last three lines of the poem, where Dove writes, “before the earth / remembered who we were / and brought us down” is where the dancer, and women in general, are aware of their surroundings again. They go back into reality. The structure of the poem reflects this, as it is one long stanza. The dance is smooth, graceful, and long, but each line is also quite short, reflecting the rhythm of the dance (the “rise and fall” that Dove writes about”.) Overall, the poem is a commentary on the societal roles of women, as they strive for a perfection that society has defined for them. The emphasis on facial expression, too, such as when Dove writes, “smiling, smiling”, relates back to the underlying commentary, as it indicates that the smile is fake -- the smile hides all of the suffering that women go through in order to achieve the role of an ideal mother and wife.
I really love your interpretation of "American Smooth"! I think this poem really connects to "Fox," in the sense that both are related to societal roles of women. However, although they share a same theme, "Fox" contrasts "American Smooth" entirely. In "Fox," Dove describes herself as someone who knows exactly who she is, and embraces herself. She is so incredible that she is "more than any man could handle." I think that "Fox" follows "American Smooth" in timeline, and shows the progression of not only societal norms, but also the process of how she has changed.
I agree with your interpretation that “American Smooth” depicts the struggle in women’s common societal roles. This idea is also present in Dove’s “Fox”, which describes a woman who has come to terms with her strength and confidence. In past, present, (and most likely future) society, women are generally portrayed as the weaker, more dependent sex, while men tend to be the leader figure; whether on the dance floor, in the workplace, or in the home, men are typically having their way. In this sense, “Fox” and “American Smooth” are on the opposite ends of the spectrum, as if the same woman from “American Smooth” has evolved and advanced into the powerful vixen in “Fox”. When comparing “American Smooth” and “Fox”, I noticed the difference in the emphases of the poems. “Fox” is a short poem, consisting of two sentences in each two stanzas, beginning with the same pronoun, “she”, while “American Smooth” uses “we” more often. “Fox” directly addresses who “she” is and what she honestly feels. Significance is placed on just the woman, not the man or the stereotypes. “American Smooth” dances around the idea, though when it focuses on the female subject, it’s mostly to note her lack of importance compared to her partner.
In the poem “Ta Ta Cha Cha,” Rita Dove illustrates the Cha Cha dance, which is a very fast paced partner dance. Rita Dove metaphorically compares dancers to doves to show the freeing nature of dance. Dove are commonly associated with freedom and peace and this can be seen as the speaker, an American, Dove, is at no difference while dancing in Venice. In the second stanza, Dove compares the Cha Cha to a conversation between two shoes. The personification of the shoe once again shows the freeing nature of the dance. Dove views the anonymity assumed by the two dancers freeing. Overall dance is seen as an escape from the responsibilites and hardships of the world. In the third stanza, Dove refers to the dance as a gray vagabond, meaning that dance is universal, and also as a buffoon messenger for grounded lovers, meaning that dance is freeing from the earth and allows one to “fly.” At the end of the poem, Dove writes, “...snatching a sweet / from the path of a man / who, because he knows / where he’s headed, walks / without seeing, face hidden / by a dirty wingspan / of the daily news” (30-36). Dove says that dance brings joy to life which, in the modern world, is completely missing. The “dirty wingspan of the daily news” demonstrates how almost everyone in the world is too tunnel minded and focused on one goal. The hate of the world hurts one’s ability to fly. These two factors combined makes one’s wings dirty, or removes one’s ability to be happy. Dove’s main message here is that dance frees one from the world; everyone should dance: all ages, all genders, and all regions of the world. This poem has very short lines, but many line in total. This represents the very fast pace of Cha Cha dancing over a span of time.
When reading the poem "Ta Ta Cha Cha", I too noticed of the motif of the dove. An interesting point you made was that how Dove is an American and her pride for her country, as embodied by the dove, is ubiquitous, regardless of where she is. I think that this statement is applicable to today's society. The dove (I laughed because of Rita DOVE and the usage of a dove as a symbol) is similar to the canary in Siddhartha, which also represented freedom and tranquility. The usage of any kind of bird in literature is so universal and generally all emanate the idea of freedom and liberation.
I decided to analyze the open “Fox Trot Fridays” from American Smooth. Rita Dove uses imagery and figurative language to allude to the style of dance called the foxtrot. The “Fridays” portion of the title is shown within the first and second stanza when it says, “ a day each week to tuck in the grief.” It shows that Friday is the day where people go out and leave the stress of the week behind to have fun dancing. It alludes to going out when Dove writes, “lift your pearls.” Dove uses imagery to show how people got all dressed up to go dancing and have a carefree night. She also refers to the dance when she says, “quick-quick with a heel-ball-toe.” The foxtrot is a very fast pace dance with a lot of complicated footwork involved. That quote refers to the technical part of the foxtrot. Later she mentions the emotional part of the dance using figurative language, specifically simile. Rita Dove writes, “smooth as Nat King Cole’s slow satin smile” and “easy as taking one day at a time.” Dove references Nat King Cole’s music as being smooth through his smile. The jazz music they danced to was so easy and smooth that they got lost in the music and forgot about the technical aspect of the dance and just let the music entrance them. Dove again mentions the carefree theme again when she says, “rib to rib, with no heartbreak in sight.” Everyone would just come together after a long week, set aside their problems and just have fun and not take it too seriously.
In the poem “The House Slave,” Rita Dove incorporates an assortment of repetition, symbolism, and the motif of family to illustrate the particular situation of one slave and the emotions she experiences. The repetition of the “first horn” and the “second horn” in stanzas one and three, respectively, demonstrates the constant repeat of the slaves’ days, and the strict timelines that they have to follow. Everyday, they wake up at a certain time, work until a certain time, come back, and restart this cycle the next morning. These slaves’ lives are on a never-ending repeat, producing a desperate tone. Along with that, the repetition of “Oh! pray” and “Oh! pray!” further strengthens the desperate tone. As her sister cries these words, she screams of the pain they suffer, but also demonstrates the miniscule amount of hope that she holds in her heart as she prays. The addition of the second exclamation mark in the second repetition signifies that as the situation worsens, she grasps on to the hope even tighter. The repetition of both the horn and “Oh! pray” displays the slaves’ suffering and the importance of hope. Throughout the poem, Dove includes many instances of visual and kinesthetic imagery describing the time of day. In the first line, Dove sets the scene with “dew-lit grass.” Dew drops on grass most often occur at the very beginning of the day. As darkness usually creates a negative mood, while light forms a positive mood, the very beginning of the day symbolizes the little fragment of hope that the slaves hold within themselves. Dove clarifies this moment by describing a “vague before-dawn” in the second stanza; these are the few moments before the sky lights up, where the slaves aren’t fully hopeful, but still slightly believe in the future. In the fourth stanza, Dove paints the character as “shivering in the early heat.” Although heat is often supposed to be warm, the character shivers in it, creating the notion that she is struggling under her current circumstances. Lastly, the poem ends with “It is not yet daylight.” This symbolizes the lack of freedom and hope. Throughout the entire poem, the process from night to day is painfully slow, barely progressing from stanza to stanza, representing the lack of progress in the topic of slavery. Because of this lack of progress, the slaves also lack hope and their right to freedom. The motif of family plays a big role in describing the character’s situation and contributing to the desperate tone. As “children are bundled into aprons,” it shows that everyone is getting ready to go out to the field and work. However, the character is held back, as she is a “House Slave,” most likely because of an injury that she had previously suffered. This instance creates a depressed tone, because it shows that she is separated from the others. In the fourth stanza, she depicts the times when “the whip curls across the backs of the laggards— /sometimes my sister’s voice, unmistaken, among them. This moment in particular, illustrates the character’s weakness, for she is unable to save her sister from this torturing. Although the character is exempt from suffering the labor that all other slaves have to endure, she is filled with emotional pain. Through repetition, symbolism, and the motif of family, Dove emphasizes the amount of pain and torture that all slaves endure.
I loved your analysis of "The House Slave"! I agreed with all of your points, but I also would like to further your analysis of the repetition as it creates a rhythm within the poem. This rhythm is somewhat dull and monotonous, representative of the lives of slaves. It's repetitive and the words used have quite harsh sounds, such as "first", with the "f-" sound, and "second", with the "-cond" sound. This relates back to your idea of the daily routine of the slaves, as it rarely diverges from the norm. Their lives go in a continuous cycle, and when relating it back to the rhythm aspect of the poem, is like a simple drum beat; it's dull, repetitive, and menial even. The rhythm created by the repetition of the poem really conveys the tedious lives of the slaves.
I also enjoyed reading your analysis of "The House Slave" because I had many similar points. I thought the poem was repetitive and thought that the poem was told from the slave's point of view describing the other slaves' work. I think the idea of how the poem is repetitive just like the slaves' lives, it is very true. Their lives were the same everyday, very busy and very tiring.
In the poem, “The House Slave” by Rita Dove, she writes about slavery in the fields from a house slave’s point of view using repetition, enjambment, and similes. In the first line, “The first horn lifts its arm over the dew-lit grass and in the slave quarters there is a rustling-” (1-2) Dove uses personification to describe the early mornings of slaves being summoned by their masters to go to the work field. This horn is used again later in the poem creating a sense of repetition, just like how the slaves’ lives were the same day by day. In the young slave’s perspective he witnesses the other slaves and their work, “children are bundled into aprons, cornbread and water gourds grabbed, a salt pork breakfast taken. I watch them driven into the vague before-dawn while their mistress sleeps like an ivory toothpick…” Dove intertwines a simile comparing the mistress sleeping similar to an ivory toothpick because an ivory toothpick is strong and a symbol for wealth since they were a fashion statement back in the 1700s, and I think Dove used this comparison to explain how the mistress of the Master sleeps well because she doesn’t have to worry about dealing with the slaves or even imagine being one herself. She’s rich and has a strong husband to always protect her. In the third stanza, the slave is talking about his fear of his master and getting whipped, “At the second horn, the whip curls across the backs of the laggards-” (8-9). The horn being brought up again, creating repetition as I said earlier. This line is explaining how the slow slaves in the back get punished by being whipped, and this makes the slave very nervous. In the last two stanzas, the mood changes from nervousness to sadness. Dove describes the slave’s sister praying frantically after seeing her fellow slaves get whipped, “sometimes my sister’s voice, unmistaken, among them. ‘Oh! Pray,’ she cries. ‘Oh! Pray!’ Those days I lie on my cot, shivering in the early heat,” (11-12) made me feel even more frantic and scared just like how they were feeling in the poem, but this line really strengthened those feelings. The part where Dove writes, “shivering in the early heat,” describes how the slave is so scared for his life and dreads waking up every morning to endure the endless cycle, therefore he shivers in the heat of the new day. Slavery was such an awful thing to ever happen and Dove really made me feel this way while reading her poem. I experienced moods ranging from, desperation to sympathy to anger that someone could treat another human so negatively that they are scared to wake up each morning.
Rita Dove’s poem “The Abduction” is told from the perspective of Solomon Northup, a free African American from the north during the 19th century. Northrup was tricked into being taken South and forced into slavery. The first stanza has an incredibly happy tone brought on by the unknowing of Northrup. In the second line, Dove writes, “all for the great Harrison!” President William Henry Harrison only served in office for 31 days. Harrison’s predecessor Tyler facilitated the expansion of slavery. The end of Harrison’s presidency represents the end of Northup's life as a free man. The use of the word “clotted” in the third line shows also foreshadows Northrup’s demise. The stanza ends with “my new friends Brown and Hamilton by my side.” Brown and Hamilton were clearly not Northrup’s friends because they kidnapped him! All of this foreshadowing produces dramatic irony within the reader and creates a stressful tone. The second stanza continues this tone and even exacerbates it. Dove writes, “Brown’s tall hat collected pennies at the tent flap, Hamilton’s feet did a jig on a tightrope,” to represent both the historical circumstances of Northrup’s abduction (Brown and Hamilton said they wanted Northrup to join their circus) and how Northrup was completely lost in the deception of Brown and Hamilton like a child thrilled by a circus. Dove says that “pigs squealed invisibly from the bleachers” to produce a tense feeling. Pigs squeal when they fear something, but Northrup is unaware of this warning. The next two stanzas are Northrup after he had been drugged. “I floated on water I could not drink” the complete inability for Northrup to fight back and with this the hope of the reader disappears. The use of “I” connects the reader with Northrup and makes this poem super sad! :(. The message of this poem is to never be overconfident. Danger is lurking everywhere; Dove warns the reader to stay observant.
I really liked your analysis on this poem! I did not understand the allusion to William Henry Harrison, but now that I do the poem makes a little bit more sense. I liked how you went further with the allusion and related the end of Harrison’s presidency to the end of Northup’s life as a free man. I also really like your interpretation of the line “pigs squealed invisibly from the bleachers and I fiddled.” I did not notice how significant the pigs were until I read your analysis on them. I agree that the use of “I” gives a clearer emotional connection between the reader and Northrup. Something interesting I noticed about the poem was its structure. It starts off with a quintent, then a quatrain, then a triplet, then a couplet, and finally ends with one line. I thought this was significant because it could represent Northrup’s hopes for freedom because this quickly decreases as he is kidnapped and sold off into slavery. I like your use of the semicolon as well. That is all.
I think your analysis of the poem was really good. I would like to point out that all of the events of Northrup's life were included in the movie: 12 Years a Slave. Your interpretation of how Northrup had been drugged was really interesting. Originally, I had thought it was more of a surrealistic scene in his head, similar to a dream. In the last stanza, it indicates that "I woke," suggesting that he woke up from the fantasy of freedom. I can definitely also see your interpretation of the last few stanzas. Either way, both of our interpretations would suggest that Northrup was weak, had to suffer through torture, and struggled to hold on to some hope.
In the poem “David Walker (1785-1830)”, Rita Dove demonstrates the hardships that blacks, both free and enslaved, encountered through visual imagery and shifts in narration. The poem obviously refers to David Walker who was a free, African-American abolitionist. He wrote a pamphlet entitled, “Walker's Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Coloured Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America”, calling for blacks to fight for their right to freedom and equality. The pamphlet is frequently referenced in the poem, where Dove uses visual imagery to depict the furtive, somewhat dangerous nature surrounding its existence. Dove writes, “Pamphlets transported / in the coat linings of itinerant seament, jackets / ringwormed with salt traded drunkenly to pursers”, illustrating how the pamphlets were kept hidden and a secret. By describing the spread of the pamphlets to be so undisclosed, Dove conveys to the reader that David Walker was no ordinary citizen who abided by rules. Walker’s pamphlet was condemned as slaveholders and state legislatures believed that he was inciting violence. Despite the uproar against the pamphlet, it remained influential. Another significant aspect of the poem is the shift in narration, indicated by Dove’s usage of italics. Dove writes, “We are the most wretched, degraded and abject set / of beings that ever lived since the world began”, depicting the way that whites degraded blacks. This shift in narration, going from third person to first person, elicits a sorrowful tone, as blacks had continually been demeaned and treated as if they were dirt. Through the usage of of visual imagery and the varying narration, Dove crafts a downcast mood and depicts the obstacles that blacks had faced on a daily basis.
In the poem “The House Slave”, Rita Dove uses imagery, symbolism, and similes to portray the life of slaves in the fields. The first line of the poem says, “The first horn its arm over the dew-lit grass.” The horn alerts the slaves that it’s time for work like a first warning or a wake up call. The lines following use imagery to show the slaves hurrying to get ready by using verbs like “grabbed” and “taken” to depict a tone of alertness. They are rushing to get ready in fear of punishment for being late which is later shown in stanza three. The horn is mentioned again stating, “At the second horn the whip curls across the backs of the laggards.” Laggards are defined as someone who is slow. If the slaves were slow to attend their field work they would be punished by getting whipped across the back. Even the smallest mistakes have big punishments for the slaves. Also it shows that the slaves live in pure fear for their lives. Going back to stanza two, Rita Dove writes, “their mistress sleeps like an ivory toothpick and Massa dreams of asses, rum and slave-funk.” On a side note from this quote we can tell his poem is in the point of view of a slave because of the language he uses like “Massa”. This simile compares the mistress to an ivory toothpick. Ivory is very expensive and is often used to symbolize wealth and we know a toothpick is very weak and frail. Men of wealth took advantage of their power so they would have mistresses at their disposal. Plantation owners often had the mentality of “I can do whatever I want because I’m in charge.” That theme also occurs later in the quote when it says he “dreams of asses, rum and slave-funk.” I analyzed this as the boss can just relax, take in all the power, and live carefree while the slaves are the complete opposite. They live life in fear, and are seen as inferior/powerless. Going back to symbolism, I noticed that at the very beginning and the very end of the poem Dove mentions the time of day. In the beginning it says, “dew-lit grass” and at the end it says, “not yet daylight.” Both times are in the morning before the sun has appeared. I think Dove used the morning as a symbol showing how much pain and fear the slaves had to go through before the sun was even up and before they even start working. The slaves lived in constant fear throughout their days working.
I like how you pointed out Dove’s description of the time of day. I would like to further your point by saying that this shows the absolute horrible conditions of a slave’s life. Before the sun even went up, they would have to experience all the stress we feel in a week. I disagree with your idea that this poem is about the easy life of plantation owners. I think this poem is completely (100%) about the horrible lives slaves had to live and the mention of “Massa’s” dreams is just to contrast the roles of slaves and owners to further express how bad slavery was.
I also wrote about the poem, "The House Slave" and I agree with your analysis and think it's good. I agree with how the slaves dreaded getting up everyday and going out to work. It was very miserable. I agree with Josh, though, that the poem is from the slaves point of view and describes their horrible life, not the plantation owner and their easy life.
No early posters, eh?? :)
ReplyDeletepoem used: Exit
ReplyDeleteIn the first stanza of the poem "Exit", the narrator, presumably Persephone, describes the feeling when hope is lost, and when that hope is given back to you. The word "reprieve" is used here. "Reprieve" means to cancel or postpone punishment. So when Persephone's hope dies out down in the Underworld, she is allowed to go home for half of the year, which is her reprieve. The next line, "The door opens onto a street like in the movies,/clean of people, clean of cats;" is an allusion to movies that everyone has seen, with a character escaping their city apartment building to venture out into the empty city landscape. Persephone describes this as such, except for she knows that it is her street she is only leaving temporarily, as seen in the usage of the word "provisionally". That very word causes her stress, as seen in the usage of the word "fretful".
In the second stanza, the actual leaving of home is what is described. "The windows you have closed/behind you are turning pink, doing what they do/every dawn." This line is a metaphor for Persephone having to leave her mother. The usage of the color pink describes her mother, because the color pink symbolizes caring and love, the feelings she gets from Demeter. The windows are the passage to the underworld, where Persephone must go, as seen with the line, "Here, it's grey". The taxicab in this stanza is a symbol for the boat one must ride in to get to the Underworld, on the River Styx. The suitcase is a symbol for Persephone's yearly journey, the saddest part of her year, leaving her mother, Demeter.
Finally, in the third stanza, there is a small beacon of hope poking through. The main point of this stanza is the simile at the very end, "...the sky begins to blush,/as you did when your mother told you/what it took to be a woman in this life." This simile is a comparison of the blush in a young girl's cheeks when her mother talks to her about puberty and growing up. This could imply that Persephone was snatched away at too young of an age to be subjected to this torture that she describes in the very first stanza.
In the poem “ Demeter, Waiting” by Rita Dove, it is based on the greek mythology character, demeter, goddess of harvest, and mother of persephone. As we all know about the myth of persephone eating the pomegranate seeds, and hades wanting persephone to be his wife, and because she ate the pomegranate seeds she has to spend time in the underworld. In this poem, demeter is deeply saddened by persephone being gone hence the line from the poem “ No. Who can bear it. Only someone who hates herself, who believes to pull a hand back from a daughter's cheek is to put love into her pocket”, as well as the line “ I will wail and thrash until the whole goddamned golden panorama freezes over, then I will wait for her. Yes.” The title “ demeter, waiting” the word “ demeter” is illusion, and the title more or less, describes the poem ahead. In the first half of the poem, “ No. Who can bear it. Only someone Who hates herself, who believes To pull a hand back from a daughter’s cheek Is to put love into her pocket - Like one of those ashen christian philosophers, Or a war-bound soldiers.”, she is in despair, and in the utmost way, being a mother and having “ motherly feelings”, worry, concern, and grief.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting at how Rita Dove put into the poem“ Ashen christian philosophers” and “ warbound soldiers”, except for the fact that I couldn’t seem to connect at how “ to pull a hand back from a daughter’s cheek, is to pull love into her pocket--- like one of those ashen christian philosophers, or a warbound soldier”? This sounds like she is comparing putting love away to philosophers and soldiers, which would make it an analogy.
Then the next half of the poem “ She is gone away, and i will not bear
It, i will drag my grief through a winter
Of my own making and refuse
Any medows that recycles itself into
Hope. Shit on the cicadas, dry meteor
Flash, finicky butterflies! I will wail and thrash until the whole goddamned golden panorama freezes over. Then I will sit down to wait for her. Yes.”, the tone shifts into a very upset, and selfish tone. Hence the sentences “ I will not bear it, I will drag through a winter of my own making, and refuse and meadow that recycles itself into hope” or “ I will wail and thrash until the whole goddamned golden panorama freezes over”.........
Obviously talking about missing persephone, and refuses to harvest anything until persephone comes back, here comes the myth of how demeter brought /created winter. And it would seem that if this was related toward modern society, I do believe she would have depression “ drag my grief through a winter” ….
In the first few sentences of the second half “ I will not bear it, i will drag my grief through a etc…” there shows repetition. Then, “ shit on the cicadas, dry meteor flash, finicky butterflies” I thought that perhaps these were unusual types of imagery. And then with “goddamned golden panorama” she is making a very clear statement. Lastly with the poem ending, “ Then I will sit down and wait for. Yes.” , until spring time, she will continue to be sad. This poem has 14 lines, and it didn’t seem to a petrarchan sonnet, a shakespearean sonnet or a spenserian sonnet, so i think it's a indefinable sonnet.
I, too, wrote about the poem, "Demeter, Waiting", and I agree with you that it was an indefinable sonnet. This poem was very relatable to readers, as several are mothers with children and can understand how Demeter feels. Losing a child is every parents' worst fear. I thought the title, along with the first stanza of the poem, was foreshadow. As we read the title and first stanza, we began to get the idea that a mother was going to lose her daughter due to the line, "Who can bear it. Only someone who hates herself, who believes to pull a hand back from a daughter's cheek..." I also agree that she would suffer from depression as well.
DeleteThe title of the poem, “Party Dress for a First Born”, has a positive, playful connotation and prior to reading the poem, the reader may assume that the poem has an innocent tone, possibly even relating to a baby’s christening. Once the poem actually begins, the reader realizes that the poem is anything but pure and naive. The poem starts out by saying, “Headless girl… ” and with the usage of a metaphor, Rita Dove implies that this girl has no brain, leading the reader to think that she is incapable of thought. There is also the usage of an idiom when Dove writes, “so ill at ease on the bed” immediately after. This specific idiom is defined as anxious, unsure, and uneasy. Only one line has been written in the poem, and the reader has already learned of the blank mind and the distress that the girl is experiencing. Dove goes on to continue to explain the “nothing” that the girl is thinking about, making the reader question what possible traumatic event the girl has experienced that has caused her to feel so empty. In the next stanza, a group of men are introduced, where Dove writes, “Tonight men stride like elegant scissors across the lawn…”, emphasizing the confidence and power they emanate. When using a simile to compare the men’s stride to elegant scissors, Dove portrays the cold, sharp, and dangerous feelings that the men also radiate. In the next line, Dove writes about how the men walk, “to the women arrayed there, petals waiting to loosen”, and this is where a prominent connection can be made, relating this specific poem to rape. Petals and flowers, which have a soft and beautiful connotation, are often used when describing the innocent nature of girls, untouched by the taboo subject of sex. By relating the men to scissors, Dove illustrates an image of these scissors cutting up these gentle petals to pieces. The petals, which are a metaphor for girls, are unable to return to their original form. They are scarred for life. The hatred that the girl feels for these men can be seen in the next three lines of the poem, where Dove writes, “When I step out, disguised in your blushing skin, they will nudge each other to get a peek and I will smile, all the while wishing them dead”. The usage of the phrase “disguised in your blushing skin” indicates that impressing the men is not what the girl desires. She is forced by society to live up to certain beauty standards and to accept the unwanted attention that men, whom she has an intense hatred for, give her. At the end of the poem, Dove writes, “Stand up: it will be our secret”, which sounds like a command that one of the men would give a girl after raping her. The words “stand up” are short, concise and direct, creating a harsh tone. The unpleasant mood continues when Dove writes, “it will be our secret”, indicating that an unlawful act had just occurred, one that would get the man in trouble. The reader can now make a connection to the beginning of the poem, where Dove depicts the “nothing” that the girl is thinking. She is traumatized by this event and is incapable of returning to how she was before.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your interpretation of "Party Dress for a First Born." The title of the poem sets the readers up for a complete surprise. As the poem continues, it's a backwards story line. However, through this, it captures the attention of the reader and makes them question the actions that resulted in this headless, ill girl. The second stanza emphasizes the severity of rape, while the first stanza evaluates the after-effects of rape. This situation is similar to the one described in "Used." Both of these recognize the superiority of men versus the weakness of women in society.
DeleteThroughout the poem “Heroes,” Rita Dove redefines the standard definition of a hero based on one’s perspective of the situation. As the poem begins, Dove sets the situation through visual imagery of a bright, red poppy in a “in a weedy field.” The red poppy contains a happy, radiant connotation which contrasts the flat, negative connotation of a weedy field. Directly following the oxymoron of “a flower in a weedy field,” Dove relates this experience to the readers through using second person. This situation is now in the reader's hands, along with the decision to pick the flower. The second stanza continues to account each of the reader’s actions. As the woman starts screaming that he/she “plucked the last poppy in her miserable garden, the one that gave her the strength every morning to rise!” there is a strong connection between the the woman and poppy. In the woman’s case, the only glimpse of something positive is seeing the poppy alive, as the poppy itself is also the only beautiful object in a field of weeds. The poppy symbolizes the woman herself. As the poppy is rid of life and begins the wilt, the reader no longer has control of the situation in the sense that the woman, represented by the poppy, will also begin to die away. This lack of control is portrayed in the fourth stanza, where Dove emphasizes that “It’s too late for apologies,” even “though you go through the motions” and try to control the situation. At this point, the death of the woman is inevitable, therefore, the reader makes another decision- to “strike her,” essentially ending her life in that instant. Again, in the fifth stanza, “there’s nothing to be done.” However, the character makes sure to physically combine the flower and the white boulder together in the stolen jar. The white boulder is a symbol, which creates an oxymoron. The white boulder is a representation of the woman’s ashes and this symbol is specifically emphasized in the sixth stanza, where the stone is broken into smaller pieces. Although the boulder represents ashes and death, it is also gives a pure connotation through the description of “white.” Together, as the deaths of the flower and the woman are physically combined in the stolen jar, it is as if both lives were stolen away from the readers. In the final three stanzas and the last line, Dove evaluates the character's actions and decisions. The character is described to be a fugitive, since she had murdered the woman, but there is also a valid reason behind the murder- the fact that the flower, therefore, the woman, would have died anyways. Although the character did, in fact, commit the act of murder, he/she may have done more good than bad. The character had saved the woman from more pain. If the only object that “gave her the strength every morning to rise” was the single poppy in the field, then clearly, she didn’t have much things in her life to live for. Through this reasoning, the debate of whether or not the reader was a fugitive or a hero arises. Although the villagers and even the audience may consider the character to be a fugitive, the second person perspective that Dove utilizes forces the audience to think through the perspective of the character. The character did commit an act of murder, but as the reader evaluates the situation as if it applies to him/her, he/she can recognize the reasoning behind the decisions, making the character a hero.
ReplyDeleteWhen I had initially read Heroes, I had no idea what its underlying meaning was or how the title “Heroes” could relate to something, in this case murder, so evil and heartless. I had continued to reread this poem and color mark it, but the only bit of analysis I was able to understand the kindness displayed by the narrator, or in this case the reader, since it is written in second person. It was strange for me to recognize such a desired human trait when the narrator had committed such an abhor crime. When reading your analysis of the poem, I began to comprehend and decipher the literary features used by Dove in order to craft the poem and tell a story. One compelling point you had made was how the white boulder embodied the dead woman’s ashes and death, which typically has a negative and dark connotation, yet also symbolized purity because of its white color. I’m not too sure what your stance is on why Dove chose to illustrate the boulder as a white rock, but I feel like she chose a clean and pure color in order to emphasize the good and virtue in the narrator’s actions. Dove could have chosen to make the boulder red, symbolizing the staining of blood and the wicked nature of the action, but because of the choice of white, the meaning behind the poem is completely altered.
DeleteI somewhat agree with your interpretation! I love how you mention Rita Dove’s use of second person to “include” the reader in the story. It is incredibly strange that saving a flower is valued over the life of a human in the poem. I also think that your idea that this poem can be interpreted two ways is very interesting. I disagree with the idea that the poppy represents the woman and that the woman would have died no matter what. In Greek mythology, the poppy is representative of Demeter. I believe that this poem comments on Demeter causing mass starvation just to save her daughter.
DeleteIn the poem “Demeter, Waiting” by Rita Dove she is talking from a mom’s point of view. The first stanza is her talking about how could someone ever bear losing a child. An example being, “No. Who can bear it. Only someone who hates herself, who believes to pull a hand back from their daughter’s cheek is to put love into her pocket-” (Dove). She starts off this poem with wonder and excitement, “No. Who can bear it.” as we learn what the poem is about. Dove creates a very relatable feel in this poem, because a lot of women who could be moms read her poems and can relate to this poem if they have kids. Most, if not all, parents worst fear is to lose one of their children, and this is exactly what Demeter is feeling in this poem. She can’t imagine losing her daughter, someone who can imagine losing a child is, “...like one of those ashen Christian philosophers, or a war-bound soldier”. Reading this first stanza, I feel a sense of anger and sorrow for Demeter as she is fearing losing her daughter again. This first stanza foreshadows into the second stanza of the poem, Demeter lost her daughter. Dove writes, “She is gone again and I will not bear it, I will drag my grief through a winter of my own making and refuse any meadow that recycles itself into hope”. Demeter is feeling sorrow, anger, and disbelief that her beloved daughter is gone again from her arms. As I read this, I can relate to her in a way because my mom gets very worried when I’m not near her, she always wants me safe and in her arms just like Demeter wants her daughter. She starts of grieving her loss, but then builds up the courage and gets angry at whoever took her daughter and wants to give them a piece of her mind and take matters into her own hands, “Shit on the cicadas, dry meteor flash, finicky butterflies! I will wail and thrash until the goddamned golden panorama freezes over. Then I will sit down to wait for her. Yes.”. Her attitude towards the situation goes from grievance to frustration and astonishment that someone would even do this to her and her daughter and she will get her daughter back. Dove’s “Demeter, waiting” poem is an indefinable sonnet. It has 14 lines, but doesn’t have a fixed rhyme, but it still gets a powerful message across and makes the reader feel apart of the short story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how some moms could relate this to themselves an their children. When I was analyzing this poem, I too noticed the multiple tone shifts through out the poem, anger and sorrow, to disbelief, to grievance and frustration.
DeleteI somewhat agree with your interpretation! I love how you mention Rita Dove’s use of second person to “include” the reader in the story. It is incredibly strange that saving a flower is valued over the life of a human in the poem. I also think that your idea that this poem can be interpreted two ways is very interesting. I disagree with the idea that the poppy represents the woman and that the woman would have died no matter what. In Greek mythology, the poppy is representative of Demeter. I believe that this poem comments on Demeter causing mass starvation just to save her daughter.
ReplyDeletewrong blog sorry oops :)))))))))))0
ReplyDeletePoem Used: Primer
ReplyDeleteThis poem is about a girl and her experience being bullied. The Gatlin kids bullied her, calling her “brainiac” and “stringbean”. My first analysis was relating this poem to bullying in society. It’s ironic that the Gatlin kids make fun of the girl’s skinny figure when they are described as skinny as well. They also call the girl “brainiac” which conveys the stereotype of the mean girls being superior especially when it says “besides, I knew they’d beat me up”. Even though they are similar (body shape), it’s the popularity/superiority that evokes them to make fun of the girl and the girl not being able to do anything about it. This relates to society about how popularity is toxic. I remember in middle school if a “popular” was mean to someone, they couldn’t retaliate because the “popular” was superior.
My second analysis of this poem was about how we need a balance of independence and dependence. When it says, “ I survived their shoves across the schoolyard because my five-foot-zero mother drove up in her Caddie to shake them down to size. Nothing could get me into that car.” She refuses to get into the car because she is embarrassed about her mom standing up to them. This shows how even though we like to think we are independent and we don’t need help with our problems, we are actually dependent. She would rather be independent and try to solve the bullying herself rather than getting help from her mom to end the bullying right away.
poem used: Canary
ReplyDeleteThe poem Canary is about singer Billie Holiday. She was an American jazz singer-songwriter. In the first stanza of the poem, Dove talks about Holiday's past by describing her voice as, "...burned voice has as many shadows as lights," This line implies that Holiday had as many good times as bad times, referring to her past. "...the gardenia her signature under that ruined face," the gardenia was the signature flower Holiday wore in her hair. 'that ruined face' may refer to her death.
In the second stanza, Dove describes Holiday's drug abuse, "(Now you're cooking, drummer to bass, magic spoon, magic needle..." Holiday was a frequent drug abuser throughout her career. 'Cooking' refers to both her writing songs and her drug use.
The very last line in the poem is my favorite, "If you can't be free, be a mystery." Literally, this could mean that if you are oppressed, treated unjustly, or given unequal opportunity, as African-Americans were throughout the pre-civil rights era, you must keep to yourself to escape from the oppression.
I really like your connection of the last sentence of the poem with civil rights. Although this set of poems are about historical figures, Rita Dove also had two other sets of poems relating to the civil rights movement and slavery. It's interesting to see a connection between two seemingly unrelated sets of poems! I think that although "Canary" may not be about civil rights, Dove's beliefs will always remain the same and will continue to show up in unrelated poems.
DeleteYour interpretation of the poem is very though provoking! It seems like both of our poems hold a similar message. Both the allusion to Billie Holiday and to St. Catherine of Alexandria are used as an example of people throughout history born into times of oppression and prevailed in their own ways. Both poems also use flowers for symbolism. The poem was published in 1989 so I doubt Dove is attempting to speak to people from the civil rights or pre-civil rights eras, but I do agree that she is reminding African Americans to continue to fight for rights.
DeleteIn the poem, “Sonnet in Primary Colors,” Rita Dove expresses her admiration towards Frida Kahlo’s ability to maintain strength, despite the painful experiences in her life. Dove begins by addressing the poem to “the woman with one black wing perched over her eyes: lovely Frida.” Instead of addressing Frida with simply her name, she introduces her through her unibrow. In our current society, a unibrow is often made fun of, but Frida had managed to embrace it. Through Rita’s metaphor of the unibrow as a “wing,” she admires Frida’s ability to embody herself.
ReplyDeleteDove continues to demonstrate her admiration towards Frida by alluding to the “Me and My Parrot” painting. By writing that Frida Kahlo is “erect among parrots,” Dove conveys how much Frida stands out. In the painting itself, two parrots sit on her shoulders, while she holds the other two. Although she is extremely close and comfortable with the parrots, she also illustrates that she is their guardian. In this allusion, Dove emphasizes Frida’s inner strength.
However, after establishing Frida’s strength as a person, Dove mentions the painful experiences that Frida has had to endure in her life. In the last two lines of the first stanza, Dove alludes to both “Roots” and “The Broken Column.” Although “Roots” doesn’t symbolize a painful event in Frida’s life, in connection with “The Broken Column,” it conveys the message that Frida dedicated her life towards others, and ended up becoming weak herself. “The Broken Column” also refers to the physical pain she experienced earlier in her life, due to the bus accident. In the next two lines, Dove continues to emphasize Frida’s physical and emotional pain. The “Beloved Dead” references Diego Rivera, her husband; Dove elaborates on Diego more towards the end of the poem.
As Dove mentions Lenin, Marx, and Stalin, these three figures symbolize Frida’s beliefs in communism; her belief in communism gave her the strength to rise. The effects of her dedication towards communism are expressed through the painting, “Marxism will give health to the sick.” This fortitude aids in transitioning the poem to the finale, where Frida rises. Dove expresses that Frida “rose to her easel,” taking comfort in her art, while she is torn over Diego, referencing “Diego and I” and “Thinking about death.” In both paintings, Diego and the “skull in the circular window” are above her eyebrows. Although the painting “Thinking about death” is related to Frida’s deteriorating health, Dove combined the two paintings to illustrate the pain that Diego had brought, and how it had hurt her as if she were dying.
Throughout this poem, Dove reveals the numerous physically and emotionally painful experiences in Frida’s life, and utilizes them to fully express her admiration for the incredible amount of mental strength that Frida has in herself.
Poem: Catherine of Alexandria
ReplyDeleteThis poem alludes to St. Catherine of Alexandria from the 4th century. She converted to Christianity after seeing a vision and then proceeded to convert others to Christianity. The first stanza discusses St. Catherine’s conversion to Christianity. This poem demonstrates the theme that fate will always prevail because despite Catherine not being able to interact with any Christian forces outside of Egypt, she still became Christian. This can be morphed into a modern context where if something is desired enough and is bound to happen, setbacks are insignificant. Rita Dove mentions St. Catherine’s isolation in her faith at first, because the majority of Egypt was pagan. The symbol of a lily is used when Dove writes, “His breath of a lily.” In Christianity and the Bible, a lily is associated with the Virgin Mary and represents chastity, innocence, purity and piety. The line mentioned above, once again refers to Jesus’s message to St. Catherine and Jesus’s “spiraling pain” refers to Jesus dying on the cross. The final stanza discusses St. Catherine’s promise to marry Jesus and the ring refers to the ring Jesus gave Catherine marrying the two. The ring is “of milk” because when St. Catherine was tortured for her faith, instead of bleeding blood she bled milk, representing her virginity and purity. Rita Dove uses this powerful allusion to demonstrate the struggle through adversity and opposition that St. Catherine faced. This can be viewed as a message to African Americans struggling to gain equal rights along with women to stay true to their beliefs, fight without violence, and never give up, just like Saint Catherine.
Having done a blog on Catherine of Siena, I can draw many connections between her and Catherine of Alexandria. Both of them led pious lifestyles and were shunned by society, which Dove portrayed through the formatting of the poems. The first stanza of both of these poems represents their journey, while the final stanza discusses the a significant moment in their lives. The most captivating part of your analysis was when you discussed the ring of milk. I have little background knowledge on Catherine of Alexandria and had not initially noticed the allusion. It’s fascinating how Dove conveys the purity and virtue of Catherine of Alexandria through such a simple phrase.
DeleteThe poem is an allusion to Catherine of Siena, a European saint born in the 1300s. Dove portrays the difficult life that Catherine of Siena experienced through the formatting of the poem, where the first stanza represents her pious journey, and the second stanza represents the impact that the saint had and how it affected her as a person. The first line of the poem states, “You walked the length of Italy”, referring to Catherine trekking through northern and central Italy with her followers, advocating for the reformation of the clergy and a total devotion to God. Dove later writes, “Under the star-washed dome of heaven”, alluding to the advice Catherine of Siena gave to Raymond of Capua, as she had built her own “inner cell” in her mind. The word dome is associated with confinement, as Catherine of Siena had felt restricted by the societal role of women as wives and mothers. In order to counteract this trapped feeling, she crafted a world where her father became a representation of Christ, her mother became a representation of the Virgin Mary, and her brothers represented apostles. Dove conveyed this with the usage of visual imagery, creating a beautiful, starry scene underneath the confining dome. In the next stanza, Dove writes about the intense passion that Catherine of Siena prayed with, saying, “you prayed until tears streaked the sky”. The visual imagery that Dove uses depicts the fervent emotions that Catherine of Siena had when praying, something she regarded as extremely sacred and holy. The last two lines of the poem emphasizes the strength and determination of Catherine of Siena, where Dove writes, “No one stumbled across your path. No one unpried your fists as you slept”. Again, this alludes to how Catherine rejected societal norms and followed her own path. She had a great influence on others. An interesting technique used by Dove is how the poem is written in second person. It is as if Dove is writing directly to both Catherine of Siena and the reader. This creates a personal connection between the reader and the saint, making the poem more relatable. Along with the usage of second person narration, Dove writes the poem in past tense. In doing so, she is reflecting on Catherine’s accomplishments in life. She was determined in her journey and no obstacles, or "boulder at the roadside" as Dove writes, deterred Catherine.
ReplyDeleteI think the way Dove used second person was a great way to connect the readers to her writing. I think this poem is very eye-opening to readers because it describes the hardships Catherine of Siena had to go through and that you should never give up just because life seems hard.
DeleteThe poem “Canary” by Rita dove is about Billie Holiday, a female American-Jazz musician. She was known for her voice, it captured her audience's’ attention. The first lines, “Billie Holiday’s burned voice had as many shadows as lights,” describes her unique voice that became coarse over the years of her alcohol addiction which caused many ups and downs in her career depicted as the “...had as many shadows as lights,”. In the next line, “the mournful candelabra against a sleek piano,” explains the candelabra as her drug addiction that is working against the sleek piano, or her wonderful singing talent that’s being disrupted by her addiction. Then the last line of the first stanza, “the gardenia her signature under that ruined face” explains how she always wore a white gardenia in her hair. She would always wear one to hide her patches of lost hair that she burned off with a curling iron. I think the line means that she used the gardenia to hide her ruined face both physically and mentally from her incident and furthering addiction. The second stanza is more in depth about her addiction. “(Now you’re cooking, drummer to bass, magic spoon, magic needle. Take all day if you have to with your mirror and your bracelet of song.)” Dove is paitning the image of her doing drugs by using the magic spoon, magic needle reference and the word cooking. It is a sad stanza because this eventually causes her death as said in the last line of the poem, “If you can’t be free, be a mystery.” I think this line and the previous stanza, “Fact is, the invention of women under siege has been to sharpen love in the service of myth” are showing how unequal rights were for African Americans during her time because this relates to the title, “Canary”, which is an African bird with a melodious song like Billie Holiday. Dove is explaining how if you can’t be free from the siege, be a mystery and stay within yourself to avoid any and all consequences that may be thrown towards you, because rights were so unequal for colored people in her time.
ReplyDeletePoem: Sonnet in Primary Colors
ReplyDeleteThe poem “Sonnet in Primary Colors”, is about the artist and feminist advocator Frida Kahlo. Rita Dove writes about her love for Frida Kahlo through imagery. It also talks about Frida Kahlo and her mark on the world. Dove writes, “one black wing perched over her eyes”, as imagery referring to Kahlo’s controversial and iconic unibrow. When Dove refers to Kahlo’s eyebrows as a wing, it could depict how free spirited she was by not obliging to the societal beauty norms. Also Dove writes, “painted herself a present --wildflowers entwining the plastic corset her spine resides in the romance of mirror.” Frida Kahlo often painted portraits of herself to show her unique beauty to herself and society shown as “painted herself a present.” Kahlo often paints herself with “wildflowers” on her head, again, to maybe show her unique and free spirited beauty. Frida loved to show off her beauty, “romance of mirrors”, to everyone to inspire people by showing her distinctive beauty.
Dove also references Frida Kahlo’s paintings in her poem. When she writes, “erect among parrots,” she is referring to Kahlo’s painting “Me and My Parrot Painting” with her “erect” with parrots on her shoulders. She also alludes to her painting “Thinking about Death” when she writes, “a skull in the circular window of the thumbprint searing her immutable brow.” The painting shows a “circular” image of a “skull” right above her “immutable brow.” Rita Dove does an excellent job of referring to Frida Kahlo’s painting with the use of imagery.
I agree that Dove is writing this poem in order to show Kahlo’s influence on the world, but I also think it embodies the pain Kahlo felt throughout her life. A major event that altered Kahlo’s life that you might have missed was the bus accident she was involved in. In addition to many other injuries, she severely damaged her vertebrae and had to wear a plaster corset. In line 5 when Dove writes about “wildflowers entwining the plaster corset,” it could be interpreted as Kahlo’s desire to be “free-spirited” again after the accident that put her in pain for the rest of her life. The next line states: “her spine resides in the romance of mirrors.” I do not think this line is meant to inspire others. In order for her to paint again while recovering from her injuries, a mirror was placed in front of her so she could see herself. It is well known that Kahlo’s main subject is herself. Dove is referring to how her once-secure spine is now only a romantic thought in Kahlo’s mind that she can only paint or imagine. The pain that this caused Kahlo is depicted in the following line: “Each night she lay down in pain and rose,” illustrating how Kahlo’s injury was a major obstacle the rest of her life.
DeleteIn the poem,The House Slave, Rita Dove writes from the eyes of a adolescent slave worker. In the poem, Rita Dove paints an image using very strategically written Literary devices. Not only does she create a image, she also uses these devices to show emotion through her words. The small slave views the work yard as people are being whipped and abused and he shivers with fear. Line nine in the poem reads, “While their mistress sleeps like an ivory toothpick”. This line has a powerful meaning. Rita Dove is saying that the slave owner is very expensive and valuable, but is also very strong and cannot be broken. Throughout the poem, she paints a very depressing, dark and unfriendly life of a slave worker. Rita also represents how the young slave is trembling with fear and knows that he has no hope of a new life. The slave has no idea on what his future will look like.
ReplyDeleteI thought this poem was very dark and sad to read because I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live like slaves did. I agree that the line, "While their mistress sleeps like an ivory toothpick." is a very powerful line and stands out.
DeleteIn the poem, “Rosa”, Dove writes about Rosa Parks. She was a brave woman who stood her ground for what she believed in. She refused to give up her seat in the colored section of the bus to a white man since the white section was filled. “How she sat there, the time right inside a place so wrong it was ready.” is explaining the beginning of how she was sitting in her seat minding her own business not causing any trouble. “The trim name with its dream of a bench to rest on. Her sensible coat.” is her sitting on the bus bench thinking about a dream of hers, equal rights for colored people. She was an African American civil rights activist. The word trim refers to Rosa and her demeanor, it’s neat and smart, leaning against the bench that would soon create wonders for the world. Coat can mean a layer over something, therefore I think the coat refers to her classy and courageous personality. “Doing nothing was the doing: the clean flame of her gaze carved by a camera flash.” Dove is explaining how Rosa got in trouble by doing nothing. She was sitting in the correct area of the bus and wasn’t causing any trouble, but then got kicked out of her seat rudely by the bus driver. The second line is a metaphor comparing her innocent smile that was forced upon her by the cameras and reporters investigating what she did, it was unheard of for a colored person to stand up to a white one. “How she stood up when they bent down to retrieve her purse. That courtesy.” Rosa kept her act together and obeyed the people arresting her. I feel like this last stanza is written using a sarcastic tone, because white people didn’t treat colored people with courtesy and were most likely picking up her purse to search through it since she disobeyed the bus driver.
ReplyDeleteOur poems seem to be similar because of the connection to bus rides. My poem could also be another point of view of Rosa Parks, just first person, getting on the bus. The tone of both of our poems seem to be different, though. The poem "Climbing In" seems to give off a tone of uncertainty and nervousness, whereas "Rosa" gives a sense of confidence and pride.
DeleteThis poem demonstrates Dove's admiration for Rosa. In the first stanza, when she writes, "the time right inside a place so wrong it was ready." is almost a tongue twister, emphasizing "right," "wrong," and "ready." Through this, Dove appreciates how someone finally stood up for the black community for all the wrong events that have been occurring. Also, when Dove says, "Doing nothing was the doing," I think not only was she describing Rosa's physical inaction, but the fact that, if they were in an equal society, Rosa's actions would have been "nothing" of importance, for it would be considered as normal. In the very last line, I think that Dove is actually describing Rosa as having courtesy. Because the officials were already searching her purse, if she didn't stand up on her own, she would be dragged up. Dove describes Rosa's decision of standing up as courtesy, and fully appreciates Rosa's actions.
DeleteIt’s super cool how Rita Dove portrays someone as completely innocent. This truly shows how there was something wrong with civil rights in America and creates the theme that all innocent people should be given freedom. I also find it interesting how Rita Dove made the title “Rosa” instead of “Rosa Parks.” This furthers the idea that Rosa Parks was just an everyday person. This fabricates the notion that everyone deserves freedom. I love the quote “doing nothing was the doing…” This paradox shows the absolute ridiculousness of the idea that an innocent person can be jailed for sitting down on a white person bus.
DeleteThe poem "Climbing In" is a huge allusion to the fable "Little Red Riding Hood", comparing the process of an African-American person getting onto a public bus in a segregated state. In the poem, the wolf is both the bus and its driver, whereas the narrator is Little Red Riding Hood. There is a lot of mouth diction in the poem, with words like, 'teeth, lie-gapped, smiling, and gullet'. The first stanza references the deadly teeth of the bus ("metallic"). The second stanza describes the process of the narrator climbing up the steps to the bus. The narrator holds a dime, the fare for riding the bus. The third stanza cuts off the sentence to put in parentheses. Another third person narrator butts in, telling the reader that the first person narrator is a woman."Sweat gilding the dear lady's cheek" describes how nervous the woman is to be getting on this bus. The next line is a direct allusion to the fable. These two lines describe the teeth of the bus driver, who is forcing a smile, pretending, just as the wolf did in the Grandmother's cap. The reader can deduce that it is a forced smile because of a line in the fourth stanza, "Not quite a grin", which implies that there's something wrong with him. As the narrator is paying, the final stanza seems to have switched back to third person, as it is described that the woman "tumbles head over tail down the clinking gullet", which means that the woman has to travel to the back of the bus, or wolf, to find a seat.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your interpretation of this poem! The most interesting part of your analysis is the part about the parentheses, as I had not understood its purpose when I had read the poem. I had never considered it to be a third person narrator who would be butting in. I enjoyed this poem because of its allusion to "Little Red Riding Hood", as it is something that is well-recognized and easy to relate to other pieces of literature, like the poem "Climbing In". You also made interesting connections between who on the bus is what character in the fable and explained it well.
DeleteIn “The situation in intolerable,” Rita Dove speaks from the perspective of a black civil rights activist, encouraging the black community to fight for their own rights, despite their standing in society at that time. On the first line, Dove places emphasis on the word “Intolerable,” by not only using italicization but also defines it as a “civilized word.” Dove describes intolerable as a civilized word because only people who have experienced better conditions, therefore civilized, could recognize intolerable or worse situations. This goes on to support Dove’s question: “Aren’t we civilized, too?” Dove refers to “we” as the black community, and wants to highlight that the black community is also civilized, contrasting the common notion made by the white people that blacks are “uncivilized.” She also describes the physical appearance of a black man’s outfit to justify that blacks are civilized both inside and out. In this outfit, the man is wearing shiny shoes, cuffs, and dovegray pleated trousers. All three of these items combine to make up a suit, which often symbolizes money and power. In the final three lines of the first stanza, Dove describes the situation as “a righteous sword advancing onto the field of battle.” This description represents the black civil rights movement as a whole, and that this movement is supported with power and civility.
ReplyDeleteIn the following stanza, Dove utilizes visual imagery to paint the current situation. The first three lines of darkness and flames symbolize the fear that the black activists must hold when fighting for their rights. Although they are just as civilized, they still feel as if they are standing on new territory, expressed through the phrase “assay the terrain.” However, Rita Dove contrasts this notion in the second part of this stanza. She conveys the message that although their actions may be terrifying, the should proceed with hope. This hope that she refers to is symbolized through “the stars--tiny, missionary stars.” The stars may be tiny, but they are mighty, for they are missionary stars.
Lastly, in the third stanza, Dove cycles back to the discussion about the intolerable situation, underlining the idea that the black community should continue to fight for their rights with all their strength. The first four lines provides a metaphorical experience that describes the blacks’ lack of rights from the start. Blacks began their lives in America with absolutely nothing, and through the metaphor of the pot, even if they were given freedom, society would not know how to adapt. This is Rita Dove’s definition of an intolerable situation. However, she concludes the poem by stating that although their current situation may be intolerable, it would be more disgraceful to not attempt to solve it. In this poem, Dove takes into account all of the daily injustices that the black community have to suffer through, and stresses that, despite all of the inequalities, blacks should still fight for their freedom and rights.
ReplyDeleteRita Dove illustrates the impact Rosa Parks had on the civil rights movement in the poem fittingly titled, Rosa. In the first stanza, Dove says, “the time right inside a place/ so wrong it was ready” (2-3). This is referring to how terrible the issue of segregation was at the time of this poem. The situation that Parks was shoved into was so morally wrong, that it was finally time for someone to stand up against the oppression African Americans faced. The people on the bus, and everyone else in the deep South, were finally ready to face reality. The lines, “That time name with/ its dream of a bench/ to rest on. Her sensible coat” (4-6) make up the next stanza. Dove uses Parks’ name to represent her dream of equal rights for African Americans, which is a synecdoche. Dove describes it as trim which means her small name that is so easy to remember, yet had such a large impact on civil rights. The line, “Doing nothing was the doing:” refers to how Parks wasn’t in the wrong for not giving up her seat and standing up for herself. This is also referred to in the next stanza which says, “How she stood up” (10). This line could be interpreted in two different ways. The first thought I had is that Dove is reciting how Rosa Parks stood up for herself by not giving up her seat. Then after reading the poem again, I noticed that this line was placed there for the effect of irony because Parks did not stand up in her effort to fight against segregation. The last lines of the poem are also very sarcastic because in the time period in which this poem is set, no one would have the courtesy to actually pick up Parks’ purse even if she had dropped it. Dove is trying to convey this message through the use of sarcasm.
^^^^Wrong group sorry!!
DeletePoem: Lady Freedom Among Us
ReplyDeleteThere is a very clear allusion to Lady Freedom in this poem. Lady Freedom is a statue outside of the capitol building. In this poem, Rita Dove frequently uses anaphora! Fun! This anaphora of “with her” and “don’t.” This anaphora strengthens the mood of this poem, demanding change! The main purpose of the allusion in this poem is to remind the reader of the principles America was founded on: liberty and justice for all. Dove uses the metaphor “she’s not going to budge” in the eighth stanza to represent how African Americans should never have to give up their freedom, and will never stop fighting. Dove also uses a lot of personification when describing lady freedom. Her “drenched gaze” shows demonstrates Lady Freedom’s power along with her “shining brow.” The last stanza pushes the theme of this poem; America is known as a country of freedom for more than only white, property owning men. “Crown her with a sky,” means that freedom should be given to all, held over all, and a part of all. This is furthered by Dove when she writes, “she is one of the many and she is each of us.” This demonstrates how freedom should be the standard; freedom should be within all. That is all.
I thought your analysis of the poem was very accurate! I analyzed the same poem and did not notice the anaphora until you pointed it out. I thought the interpretation of the metaphor “she’s not going to budge” was very specific, although I agree with it. I also think it could be generalized into the theme that no one should have to give up their freedom, although African Americans are definitely struggling with that the most in modern society. Adding on to that, I thought the theme you got from the poem was very precise. It is great how you related it to today's society. I liked your interpretation of the personification; it really emphasizes the importance of Lady Freedom. That is all.
DeleteIn the poem “Claudette Colvin Goes to Work”, Rita Dove illustrates the persecution that blacks experienced on a daily basis with the usage of dreary diction and the formatting of the stanzas. A significant part of this poem that isn’t necessarily a part of the poem is the quote that Dove includes prior to the poem. The quote mentions how “another Negro woman” has been arrested for failing to give up her seat to a white person, then references “Claudette Colbert [sic]” as the first. Though the misspelling of Colvin’s name may seem insignificant, it represents the initial nonexistent impact that she had on society. This simple spelling error highlights the societal mistreatment of minorities, as Colvin was black, a female, and a pregnant teenager in the 1950s, during which conservative ideals were prevalent. In the first two stanzas, Dove shows the hardships black women faced at home. With the usage of forlorn diction such as “menial”, “bleak”, and “scourge of the earth”, Dove embodies the emotions and feelings of inferiority that a black woman, like Colvin herself, would feel at home. The next stanza continues to explain the sorrowful home lives of black women, where Dove writes, “Sometimes I wait until it’s dark enough for my body to disappear”, insinuating the unhappiness and unfulfillment that many women felt during the Civil Rights era. In this same stanza, Dove also writes, “Mostly I say to myself Still here”, continuing to highlight the dullness and chagrin in the women’s lives. It is as if the narrator is sighing, disappointed that her life is stagnant. The next stanza moves on to describe the hardships that black women faced out in public, as they were often subject to harassment by men, typically white males. Dove illustrates this provocation when she writes, “‘Hey Mama’ souring quickly to ‘Your Mama’ when there’s no answer”. Dove explicitly notes how the attention the men are giving the narrator is unwanted, yet despite no interaction between the two, the men still feel obligated to insult the woman. The stanza laters says, “So ugly, so fat, so dumb, so greasy What do we have to do to make God love us?” shifting the formerly public hardship into an internal struggle. The repetition used by Dove illustrates the impact that the harsh words left on the narrator, as the rhythm that the “so” creates is more easily remembered by her. It’s easy to repeat such simple yet strong and hurtful words and have them embedded in one’s mind. The question that is asked by the narrator also exemplifies the lasting impact that the constant harassment had on blacks. They felt worthless and unloved. Dove goes on to write, “I’m the crazy girl off the bus, the one who wrote in class she was going to be President”, embodying the view that the narrator had of herself. The last part of the quote where she has a flashback to when she said she had wanted to be President sets a tone of disbelief, as if the narrator could never even consider that as an actual occupation. Again, the persecution that blacks faced from whites had a lasting effect. The last stanza creates a feeling of justification, almost like the narrator is reminding herself that she is doing good as a confidence booster. Dove writes, “And I don’t curse or spit or kick and scratch like they say I did then”, alluding to the troublemaker reputation that Colvin had established. Then, the poem goes on to say, “I help those who can’t help themselves, I do what needs to be done… and I sleep whenever sleep comes down on me”. These last lines emphasize how Colvin, as this poem is written in first person, did whatever she wanted. Though the poem had started off on a somber, monotonous tone, it ends in a more triumphant and validated tone. This shift in tones represents the bus ride that changed Colvin’s life, as she herself had said she initially felt terrified when refusing to give up her seat, but later gained confidence and compelled to fight for what she believed was her “constitutional right”.
ReplyDeletePoem: Freedom Ride
ReplyDeleteThe Freedom Ride was the civil rights movement to integrate buses in the southern United States. In this poem, Rita Dove uses imagery and symbolism to explain the effect that discrimination had towards African Americans lives and emotions. When Rita Dove writes, “the view would veer onto someplace fresh: Curacao, or a mosque adrift on a mile-fed pond,” shows the false hope African Americans have. They want to have a “fresh start” without being discriminated. In the quote it mentions “Curacao” which is a warm island in the Caribbean that is geographically similar to Africa. It also mentions a “mosque” because many African Americans were Muslim like Malcolm X (mentioned later in the poem). Those two places depict how African Americans just wanted to be somewhere in which they belonged and fit in rather than be somewhere where they felt unsafe and fearful. Also in this poem, fear and discrimination are frequent themes. For example it says, “the little houses with their fearful patches of yard rushing into the flames.” I interpreted this as the fear of discrimination will always be chasing them no matter how much they want to hide from it. Another quote says, “playing its mistake over and over.” This shows the constant discrimination they faced. Within a broader perspective it means that there is always an act of discrimination (“mistake”) occurring among people through all period of time. Later in that same stanza it says, “at every corner the same scorched brick, darkened windows,” which symbolizes the spread of the fear and discrimination. The last stanza shows a sense of authority and caution to the poem. It says “Make no mistake” and “Pick any stop” which has an orderly tone to it showing how they were forced into their life of fear and cautiousness. After it says “you can ride and sing with stranger or go home and drink scotch.” This conveys, again, how they were forced to either choose to rebel or hide. The last sentence adds on stating, no matter how little or greatly they rebelled they would still be discriminated and there was no hiding from it, it will just keep following them.
Fire is a constant symbol in this poem. It is mentioned at the end of every stanza. The fire symbolizes how African Americans could escape the constant fear and discrimination. It just continued to chase them and grow , much like an actual fire.
In “Parsley,” Rita Dove illustrates the stark contrast between the rich and the poor in every society, through the example of the Dominican Dictator Rafael Trujillo. In the first two lines, Rita introduces a “parrot imitating spring in the palace.” Obviously, a palace is an indication of wealth, but the parrot imitating spring also contributes to that concept. As the parrot imitates spring, the action is a representation of livelihood, rather than the main theme of death. The dark, dirty tone arises in the third line of the first stanza, where the cane appears in the swamp. The climate of the swamp itself is not only humid and sticky, but the cane symbolizes the sugarcane industry that is largely related to slavery.
ReplyDeleteThe next stanza introduces “El General,” referring to Trujillo. As Dove describes, “he is all the world there is.” This statement signifies that for the Haitians, Trujillo is there entire world, and certainly not a good way. Instead, he takes over their lives, and strips them of any power. Dove also paints a suspenseful tone, as the audience awaits Trujillo’s choice of word. Even before Trujillo chooses a word, the Haitians are already “screaming as rain punches through and we come up green.” The first part of this phrase simply gives an example of the Haitians’ torturous experiences, but the second part metaphorically represents death and rebirth. As people and animals die, the body decomposes, and the nutrients are used to support new plants. In this case, it represents how Trujillo takes over the Haitians and pushes them towards death. In the next phrase, the Haitians indicate that “we cannot speak an R,” but Trujillo can. This adds to the difference in the amount of power that Trujillo has versus the power of the Haitians.
In the last three stanzas, Dove describes the moments before, during, and after Trujillo chooses the word. In the third stanza, the “children gnaw their teeth to arrowheads.” This contributes to the suspenseful tone as the Haitians desperately and nervously wait for Trujillo’s decision. As “El General” decides on the “perejil,” which translates to parsley in English, he laughs with his teeth shining. Although laughing is usually associated with a positive, cheerful connotation, Trujillo’s laughter is just the opposite: evil, in a cackling manner. He cackles in such a way because he knows the effect that his decision will have on the Haitians, as it is described in the last stanza. Not only is the cane a part of the Haitians’ everyday lives, but it also consumes their being so much so that it haunts them in their dreams. They are tortured “by wind and streaming,” eventually shedding blood, which represents the death that is compelled upon them as a result of their inability to pronounce “perejil” correctly. In this situation, although it is one [dictator] versus many [Haitians], because of the amount of wealth and power Trujillo has, the Haitians still aren’t able to defeat him. Through this, Dove illustrates the constant societal battle between the rich and the poor for power, and conveys that the rich always win the battle.
I agree with you, I thought that the cane represented the torture Trujillo brought upon the slaves. I also thought that the parrot symbolized wealth and prosperity because they're usually pets of wealthier people. I saw the poem as more of an allusion to slavery, but I also see it as a comparison of the wealthy and poor like you said.
DeleteIn the poem, “Parsley” by Rita Dove, she writes about a spanish dictator named Rafael Trujillo. The poem starts off with a parrot, which I think represents spring and wealth since parrots are usually a pet of richer people. In the second stanza, “to haunt us, and we cut it down. El General searches for a word; he is all the world there is. Like a parrot imitating spring…” I think the parrot is a symbol for spring since its feathers were described as parsley green, a common color in spring. The people being haunted are the people working in the sugarcane fields, the cane is a symbol for slavery. El General is a very mean man, he seeks for death and feels no remorse for the poor cane workers. He found his word, “El General has found his word: perejil. Who says it, lives. He laughs, teeth shining out of the swamp. The cane appears in our dreams, lashed by wind and streaming.” This is an allusion to how El General will kill any of the workers who can’t pronounce the word “perejil” and feels no sadness or regret when beating up the workers. In the second stanza of the poem, it starts with the word parsley and not a parrot. Dove writes about El General thinking about his deceased mother, “The word the general’s chosen is parsley. It is fall, when thoughts turn to love and death; the general thinks of his mother, how she died in the fall…” Then, in the next couple of lines, his mood changes and he begins to think of all the people he can kill in that day. Thinking about his mom brings out a sweeter, more humane side to El General compared to the other side we saw in the previous stanza. This mood quickly changes when Dove writes, “the general sees the fields of sugar cane, lashed by rain and streaming. He sees his mother’s smile, the teeth gnawed to arrowheads. He hears as the Haitians sing without R’s as they swing the great machetes:...” El General goes from being sad about his mom to feeling anger and hate towards the Haitians since they can’t pronounce their R’s. In the last line of the poem, Dove describes how El General will kill any Haitians that can’t pronounce their R’s, “He will order many, this time, to be killed for a single, beautiful word.” This creates a sad, eerie mood in the reader as they finish the poem, a feeling of sorrow for the poor, innocent Haitians, also showing how the rich more powerful people have a better life while the poor who work all their life don’t get luxuries and get mistreated.
ReplyDeleteI too noticed the shift in moods during the poem. An interesting point that you had brought up the possibility of the parrot representing wealth as well as spring. I didn't realize that parrots are typically a pet of the wealthy, but it makes sense in the context of this poem, as those who were considered to be superior tended to be of a higher social class. Another part of your analysis I agreed with was the reasoning behind Trujillo's vicious actions. There is definitely a softer side to the dictator that has such an awful reputation. Despite his bad decisions, the second part of the poem exposes a more emotional intention behind his actions.
DeleteI too noticed the shift in moods during the poem. I think it is extremely important how Dove shows both sides of the story in this poem. The titles of each set of stanzas, "The Cane Fields" and "The Palace," show how each different set of stanzas describe the story from a different perspective. Your background research is incredibly extensive of this topic and I have learned more about this poem and subject from all the information you have gathered! I disagree with your interpretation of the parrot. I think the parrot is in reference to Trujillo and the parrot he had. "Imitating spring" is a metaphor comparing spring and a new birth for the Dominican Republic.
DeleteIn the poem “Parsley”, Rita Dove uses juxtaposition to illustrate the presence of beauty within an abhor situation. The poem begins with a refrain, “There is a parrot imitating spring”, creating a pleasant, cheerful mood, but then immediately after, Dove describes, “Out of the swamp the cane appears to haunt us”, shifting to a more dreary, grimy tone. The juxtaposition between the beautiful parrot and the swamp depicts beauty that can be found in a horrific situation. This correlates with the second part of the poem named “The Palace”, in which there is a description of the reasoning behind Dictator Trujillo’s actions. Vengeance of his mother’s death is a key reasoning behind the deviousness in Trujillo’s actions -- her death had changed his life completely. Despite the atrocious acts, readers understand the reasoning and justification of Trujillo’s actions. The first part of the poem illustrates the horror of the mass murders from the Haitian perspective, but the second part of the poem conveys the good behind the actions, or at least what Trujillo believes is beneficial. The mass murder, though it is a horrible thing, was his way of coping. The structure of the poem reflects the refrain of the parrot juxtaposed with the swamp, conveying the message that there is something good in everything.
ReplyDeleteThe poem “Parsley” alludes to the Parsley massacre that occurred in 1937. The first set of stanzas, titled The Cane Fields, discusses the massacre in the perspective of the Haitian workers. Rita Dove personifies the cane by writing, “the cane appears to haunt us.” This reoccurring personification demonstrates the fear the massacre brought the farmers and how horrifying the massacre was for them. This personification also creates a tone of fear, connecting the reader and Haitian farmer. The end stop used in the second stanza furthers the fear created in the first stanza. It is almost as if the speaker is pausing to whisper. “A parrot imitating spring,” is repeated thrice during the first set of stanzas. Dove uses synecdoche when saying the parrot to represent Trujillo and his regime. This is because Trujillo had a parrot. The parrot imitates spring because Trujillo framed the massacre in a sense that the country needed rain in order for it to grow and to emerge from the winter. Trujillo is referred to as El General during the poem, when Trujillo was more commonly known as El Jefe. This is a reminder of the perspective the first set is written in: from the eyes of a Haitian worker. The second set of stanzas, titled The Palace, has a complete perspective shift. Instead of the Haitian worker, the perspective revolves around Trujillo. This clearly shows how massacres and other horrific events can have justification. Trujillo is portrayed in a much more positive light when his tragic past and the death of his mother is shown. Dove reveals that Trujillo massacred all of the people because he hated sugar cane because his mother died while baking skull-shaped candies. (This is a bit of a stretch to justify murder). All in all, Rita Dove compares the two perspectives of Trujillo to show that there is light in darkness; not all bad people are as bad as you think!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your analysis of this poem! I did not think about the personification of the cane until you pointed it out. I like how you related the personification to how it creates tone and also connects with the reader. I did not know what to think about the "parrot imitating spring." I like your idea that it represents Trujillo and his regime. However, that is also a bit confusing to me because at the end of the second stanza and at the beginning of the third one in the second part, Dove writes about the parrot traveling from Australia in an ivory cage while "practicing spring." Ivory is a very expensive material and I did not know what to think about these few lines. Trujillo is from the Dominican Republic, so if he was a representation of the parrot, why was he coming from Australia? I thought the parrot might have something to do with the symbolizing the massacres that took place. Spring has a connotation with things that are fresh and new. While the massacres were taking place, a new beginning was kind of taking place. That is all.
DeletePoem used: “Parsley”
ReplyDeleteIn the poem “Parsley”, Rita Dove illustrates the Parsley Massacre of 1937. The first half of the poem, The Cane Fields, explains the situation in the perspective of a slave. Whereas the second half of the poem, The Palace, shows the perspective of Rafael Trujillo. The first half of “Parsley” exhibits a switch in tone. The first line says, “a parrot imitating spring in the palace,” which introduces a calm and joyful tone/mood. One sentence after it says, “Out of the swamp the cane appears to haunt us,” which demonstrates a dark and creepy/scary tone. Also the line “cane appears to haunt us” personifies the real situation of the Parsley Massacre and how terrible/horrific it was to the Haitian.
This poem brings up the symbol of the parrot quite frequently. I interpreted it as the parrot symbolizing wealth. This is because during this time not a lot of people had parrot because of how expensive they were. It also portrays the parrot of being valuable because it says, “The parrot, who has traveled all the way from Australia in an ivory cage…” Ivory is a very expensive material and if the parrot has a cage made out of ivory it means the parrot is of great value.
In the poem “ parsley” by rita dove, us readers get an insight on what happened in the Parsley massacre. 1937, El General was the dictator over Dominican Republic, and he had made Haiti people pronounce the word “parsley” in a spanish accent with the “R” rolled. If haiti people weren’t able to pronounce the rolled “r” correctly, the people would get killed. All over the word “ Parsley”. Rita Dove splits the poem into two sections “ The Cane Fields, and The Palace”. In the section of “The Cane Fields”, the readers get an insight on how harsh the Cane Field Farmers were treated, and scared. While in the section of “ The Palace”, it goes more into the description of the luxurious life that he had, and it shows the other side of him: He had emotions. His mother died,he’s been through war, pain, sorrow, and everything else that comes with pain. A theory from a student from class said that the reason why El General choose the word “ parsley” was because, instead of using his mother's name “ Katalina” , he really wanted the strong emphasis of the “R”, and so Parsley has a strong “R” roll to the tongue, that's so distinct that you could tell if the person was pronouncing the correct word or not.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem, “Fox Trot Fridays” by Rita Dove, imagery is used throughout the entire poem creating the feel that you were in the poem. Fox Trot is a famous dance that is a continuous and smooth dance that flows across the dance floor just like the poem Dove wrote. It is divided into nine different stanzas, each flowing gracefully into the other just like the dance. Fox Trot Fridays was a day for everyone to unwind and forget their worries for a little while. “Thank the stars there’s a day each week to tuck in the grief, lift your pearls, and stride bush stride” (1-4) explains how this was a time for people to take off their stress and worries and their material things to let loose on the dancefloor. Dove writes about Nat King Cole’s satin smile which is like the dance. “One man and one woman, rib to rib, with no heartbreak in sight- just the sweep of Paradise and the space of a song to count all the wonders in it” (11-17). Rita explains how the dance is performed, very close to one another, almost like becoming one person together forgetting their worries and embracing the length of the song and all the wonders it created. Dance was a great way for people to forget their worries and have fun with one another. It brought people a lot of joy just like how Dove wrote, “with no heartbreak in sight-” (14). I felt a sense of happiness while reading this poem because I imagined the people dancing just enjoying each other's company and not thinking of anything else for awhile.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how your poem, “Fox Trot Fridays,” and mine, “Ta Ta Cha Cha,” seem to carry a similar message. In both poems, Dove portrays dancing as an escape from the difficulties of the world. It’s also interesting how Dove separated the poem into nine stanzas in a very William Carlos Williams-esque way. I like/agree with your thought that she has these stanzas flow into each other to show the flowing nature of the dance! It’s interesting that Dove alludes to Nat King Cole, which, after a bit of research, I can confidently say did not have a smooth life in any way. His smile though, as Dove mentions, was smooth and radiant. This is a perfect example of how dance can allow one to forget about all of their issues and smile.
DeleteIn “Fox,” Rita Dove illustrates her own state of mind, referring to herself through third person. Dove expresses herself as someone with a personality similar to a fox– quick-witted and confident. Throughout the poem, Dove incorporates both alliteration and repetition to build a confident statement. The entire poem is only composed of four sentences divided in two stanzas, yet still manages to effectively demonstrate the amount of self-confidence Dove holds within herself.
ReplyDeleteIn the first sentence, Dove expresses that “She knew what she was and so was capable of anything anyone could imagine.” The first section indicates that Dove fully understands the person she is. As teenagers, many of us ask ourselves, “Who am I?” or conclude that “I’m just trying to discover myself.” Instead, Dove states that she knows exactly who she was, and therefore, capable of anything. The alliteration of “w” in “what” and “was,” seemingly stripped down the grammatical level of the sentence. This use of basic language implies that it doesn’t take much for someone to be “capable of anything anyone could imagine.” In fact, it’s very simple- one just needs to understand themselves. The repetition of “any,” further emphasized the power that she holds within herself, for she has to ability to do anything. For someone to truly achieve something, that person will have to understand their own weaknesses and strengths.
The next sentence further explores the idea of knowing oneself. At this point, she demonstrates that Dove not only knows who she is, but she also embraces it. However, the second part of this second may have two meanings, one applying to the general theme, and the other connecting specifically to the fourth and final sentence. As Dove describes, “there for the taking,” she may have been referring to herself and the fact that she has the ability to take all opportunities and excel in them. However, she also incorporates the topic of gender, that as a woman, she is “there for the taking” by any man.
The repetition of “imagine” as the final word for the first two sentences connects the first stanza to the second stanza. Dove directly addresses the idea that “she imagined nothing.” In connection with the beginning parts of the last sentence, Dove conveys that she is currently content with her life. Unlike a child during Christmas, she doesn’t need nor want more than what she already has. Therefore, Dove “imagined nothing.” Everything that she loved was already in her possession, and didn’t require imagining. Again, the repetition of “nothing” creates a bare, empty feeling, that Dove still fills up with love. In this sense, it’s as if Dove had no materialistic objects, and lived in poverty, yet was still able to find the light.
Lastly, Dove introduces a new idea- another person, and more importantly, a man. Previously, this poem had evolved completely around herself, yet in the very last moment, she introduces a foreign subject. Dove argues that she is “more than any man could handle.” Not only is Dove confident in herself and her life, giving her all the inner power that she needs, but she is also more powerful than any man, contradicting societal norms.
I really love your analysis of "fox " and I agree with many of your points, especially that Dove portrayed the main character as confident. I also really liked how you went in depth on certain words that Dove uses to help the reader understand the poem better.
DeleteIn the poem “American Smooth”, Rita Dove comments on the societal roles of women and the daily oppression they face through the usage of visual imagery, pristine diction and oxymorons. All three of these literary elements work together to depict the deference towards men that is expected from women. The title, “American Smooth”, refers to the a category of dance typically found in ballroom competitions. It is a type of dance that emphasizes individual expression and improvisation, as seen in the poem when Dove writes, “I didn’t notice / how still you’d become until / we had done it / (for two measures? / four?) -- achieved flight”. Through visual imagery, the reader is able to put oneself in the narrator’s place, they too forget the dance partner’s presence as they are lost in the moment, solely focused on the dance. The quote also highlights the individualistic aspect of the American Smooth ballroom dancing; when connecting it to the underlying message of the societal roles of women, it relates to the way women are so distracted by their effort to maintain their expected roles as mothers and wives and lose sight of who they are as a person. Dove also employs visual imagery when she writes, “rise and fall, precise / execution as we moved / into the next song without / stopping, two chests heaving / above a seven-league / stride…” By using visual imagery, the reader is again placed in the narrator’s position, feeling the rhythm of the dance and the exactness of the narrator’s motions. It elicits a stressful mood as everything must be perfect and on beat, but at the same time give off an impression of ease, as shown in the oxymorons used by Dove. Oxymorons such as “perfect agony” and “ecstatic mimicry” emphasize the immense amount of stress the dancers are under. Their motions must be “perfect” and look “ecstatic”, but the dancer feels “agony” that Dove writes, “one learns to smile through”. The oxymorons add to the anxious tone, where the dancers, or women in general, must radiate perfection, but make it look easy at the same time. Dove shows the ease that the dancers -- and women -- emanate through the usage of pristine and graceful diction. Dove writes, “achieved flight, / that swift and serene / magnificence”, crafting a tranquil tone where the reader feels at ease, as it is near the end of the poem. The last three lines of the poem, where Dove writes, “before the earth / remembered who we were / and brought us down” is where the dancer, and women in general, are aware of their surroundings again. They go back into reality. The structure of the poem reflects this, as it is one long stanza. The dance is smooth, graceful, and long, but each line is also quite short, reflecting the rhythm of the dance (the “rise and fall” that Dove writes about”.) Overall, the poem is a commentary on the societal roles of women, as they strive for a perfection that society has defined for them. The emphasis on facial expression, too, such as when Dove writes, “smiling, smiling”, relates back to the underlying commentary, as it indicates that the smile is fake -- the smile hides all of the suffering that women go through in order to achieve the role of an ideal mother and wife.
ReplyDeleteI really love your interpretation of "American Smooth"! I think this poem really connects to "Fox," in the sense that both are related to societal roles of women. However, although they share a same theme, "Fox" contrasts "American Smooth" entirely. In "Fox," Dove describes herself as someone who knows exactly who she is, and embraces herself. She is so incredible that she is "more than any man could handle." I think that "Fox" follows "American Smooth" in timeline, and shows the progression of not only societal norms, but also the process of how she has changed.
DeleteI agree with your interpretation that “American Smooth” depicts the struggle in women’s common societal roles. This idea is also present in Dove’s “Fox”, which describes a woman who has come to terms with her strength and confidence. In past, present, (and most likely future) society, women are generally portrayed as the weaker, more dependent sex, while men tend to be the leader figure; whether on the dance floor, in the workplace, or in the home, men are typically having their way. In this sense, “Fox” and “American Smooth” are on the opposite ends of the spectrum, as if the same woman from “American Smooth” has evolved and advanced into the powerful vixen in “Fox”.
DeleteWhen comparing “American Smooth” and “Fox”, I noticed the difference in the emphases of the poems. “Fox” is a short poem, consisting of two sentences in each two stanzas, beginning with the same pronoun, “she”, while “American Smooth” uses “we” more often. “Fox” directly addresses who “she” is and what she honestly feels. Significance is placed on just the woman, not the man or the stereotypes. “American Smooth” dances around the idea, though when it focuses on the female subject, it’s mostly to note her lack of importance compared to her partner.
Poem: Ta Ta Cha Cha
ReplyDeleteIn the poem “Ta Ta Cha Cha,” Rita Dove illustrates the Cha Cha dance, which is a very fast paced partner dance. Rita Dove metaphorically compares dancers to doves to show the freeing nature of dance. Dove are commonly associated with freedom and peace and this can be seen as the speaker, an American, Dove, is at no difference while dancing in Venice. In the second stanza, Dove compares the Cha Cha to a conversation between two shoes. The personification of the shoe once again shows the freeing nature of the dance. Dove views the anonymity assumed by the two dancers freeing. Overall dance is seen as an escape from the responsibilites and hardships of the world. In the third stanza, Dove refers to the dance as a gray vagabond, meaning that dance is universal, and also as a buffoon messenger for grounded lovers, meaning that dance is freeing from the earth and allows one to “fly.” At the end of the poem, Dove writes, “...snatching a sweet / from the path of a man / who, because he knows / where he’s headed, walks / without seeing, face hidden / by a dirty wingspan / of the daily news” (30-36). Dove says that dance brings joy to life which, in the modern world, is completely missing. The “dirty wingspan of the daily news” demonstrates how almost everyone in the world is too tunnel minded and focused on one goal. The hate of the world hurts one’s ability to fly. These two factors combined makes one’s wings dirty, or removes one’s ability to be happy. Dove’s main message here is that dance frees one from the world; everyone should dance: all ages, all genders, and all regions of the world. This poem has very short lines, but many line in total. This represents the very fast pace of Cha Cha dancing over a span of time.
When reading the poem "Ta Ta Cha Cha", I too noticed of the motif of the dove. An interesting point you made was that how Dove is an American and her pride for her country, as embodied by the dove, is ubiquitous, regardless of where she is. I think that this statement is applicable to today's society. The dove (I laughed because of Rita DOVE and the usage of a dove as a symbol) is similar to the canary in Siddhartha, which also represented freedom and tranquility. The usage of any kind of bird in literature is so universal and generally all emanate the idea of freedom and liberation.
DeletePoem used: Fox Trot Fridays
ReplyDeleteI decided to analyze the open “Fox Trot Fridays” from American Smooth. Rita Dove uses imagery and figurative language to allude to the style of dance called the foxtrot. The “Fridays” portion of the title is shown within the first and second stanza when it says, “ a day each week to tuck in the grief.” It shows that Friday is the day where people go out and leave the stress of the week behind to have fun dancing. It alludes to going out when Dove writes, “lift your pearls.” Dove uses imagery to show how people got all dressed up to go dancing and have a carefree night. She also refers to the dance when she says, “quick-quick with a heel-ball-toe.” The foxtrot is a very fast pace dance with a lot of complicated footwork involved. That quote refers to the technical part of the foxtrot. Later she mentions the emotional part of the dance using figurative language, specifically simile. Rita Dove writes, “smooth as Nat King Cole’s slow satin smile” and “easy as taking one day at a time.” Dove references Nat King Cole’s music as being smooth through his smile. The jazz music they danced to was so easy and smooth that they got lost in the music and forgot about the technical aspect of the dance and just let the music entrance them. Dove again mentions the carefree theme again when she says, “rib to rib, with no heartbreak in sight.” Everyone would just come together after a long week, set aside their problems and just have fun and not take it too seriously.
In the poem “The House Slave,” Rita Dove incorporates an assortment of repetition, symbolism, and the motif of family to illustrate the particular situation of one slave and the emotions she experiences. The repetition of the “first horn” and the “second horn” in stanzas one and three, respectively, demonstrates the constant repeat of the slaves’ days, and the strict timelines that they have to follow. Everyday, they wake up at a certain time, work until a certain time, come back, and restart this cycle the next morning. These slaves’ lives are on a never-ending repeat, producing a desperate tone. Along with that, the repetition of “Oh! pray” and “Oh! pray!” further strengthens the desperate tone. As her sister cries these words, she screams of the pain they suffer, but also demonstrates the miniscule amount of hope that she holds in her heart as she prays. The addition of the second exclamation mark in the second repetition signifies that as the situation worsens, she grasps on to the hope even tighter. The repetition of both the horn and “Oh! pray” displays the slaves’ suffering and the importance of hope.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the poem, Dove includes many instances of visual and kinesthetic imagery describing the time of day. In the first line, Dove sets the scene with “dew-lit grass.” Dew drops on grass most often occur at the very beginning of the day. As darkness usually creates a negative mood, while light forms a positive mood, the very beginning of the day symbolizes the little fragment of hope that the slaves hold within themselves. Dove clarifies this moment by describing a “vague before-dawn” in the second stanza; these are the few moments before the sky lights up, where the slaves aren’t fully hopeful, but still slightly believe in the future. In the fourth stanza, Dove paints the character as “shivering in the early heat.” Although heat is often supposed to be warm, the character shivers in it, creating the notion that she is struggling under her current circumstances. Lastly, the poem ends with “It is not yet daylight.” This symbolizes the lack of freedom and hope. Throughout the entire poem, the process from night to day is painfully slow, barely progressing from stanza to stanza, representing the lack of progress in the topic of slavery. Because of this lack of progress, the slaves also lack hope and their right to freedom.
The motif of family plays a big role in describing the character’s situation and contributing to the desperate tone. As “children are bundled into aprons,” it shows that everyone is getting ready to go out to the field and work. However, the character is held back, as she is a “House Slave,” most likely because of an injury that she had previously suffered. This instance creates a depressed tone, because it shows that she is separated from the others. In the fourth stanza, she depicts the times when “the whip curls across the backs of the laggards— /sometimes my sister’s voice, unmistaken, among them. This moment in particular, illustrates the character’s weakness, for she is unable to save her sister from this torturing. Although the character is exempt from suffering the labor that all other slaves have to endure, she is filled with emotional pain. Through repetition, symbolism, and the motif of family, Dove emphasizes the amount of pain and torture that all slaves endure.
I loved your analysis of "The House Slave"! I agreed with all of your points, but I also would like to further your analysis of the repetition as it creates a rhythm within the poem. This rhythm is somewhat dull and monotonous, representative of the lives of slaves. It's repetitive and the words used have quite harsh sounds, such as "first", with the "f-" sound, and "second", with the "-cond" sound. This relates back to your idea of the daily routine of the slaves, as it rarely diverges from the norm. Their lives go in a continuous cycle, and when relating it back to the rhythm aspect of the poem, is like a simple drum beat; it's dull, repetitive, and menial even. The rhythm created by the repetition of the poem really conveys the tedious lives of the slaves.
DeleteI also enjoyed reading your analysis of "The House Slave" because I had many similar points. I thought the poem was repetitive and thought that the poem was told from the slave's point of view describing the other slaves' work. I think the idea of how the poem is repetitive just like the slaves' lives, it is very true. Their lives were the same everyday, very busy and very tiring.
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ReplyDeleteIn the poem, “The House Slave” by Rita Dove, she writes about slavery in the fields from a house slave’s point of view using repetition, enjambment, and similes. In the first line, “The first horn lifts its arm over the dew-lit grass and in the slave quarters there is a rustling-” (1-2) Dove uses personification to describe the early mornings of slaves being summoned by their masters to go to the work field. This horn is used again later in the poem creating a sense of repetition, just like how the slaves’ lives were the same day by day. In the young slave’s perspective he witnesses the other slaves and their work, “children are bundled into aprons, cornbread and water gourds grabbed, a salt pork breakfast taken. I watch them driven into the vague before-dawn while their mistress sleeps like an ivory toothpick…” Dove intertwines a simile comparing the mistress sleeping similar to an ivory toothpick because an ivory toothpick is strong and a symbol for wealth since they were a fashion statement back in the 1700s, and I think Dove used this comparison to explain how the mistress of the Master sleeps well because she doesn’t have to worry about dealing with the slaves or even imagine being one herself. She’s rich and has a strong husband to always protect her. In the third stanza, the slave is talking about his fear of his master and getting whipped, “At the second horn, the whip curls across the backs of the laggards-” (8-9). The horn being brought up again, creating repetition as I said earlier. This line is explaining how the slow slaves in the back get punished by being whipped, and this makes the slave very nervous. In the last two stanzas, the mood changes from nervousness to sadness. Dove describes the slave’s sister praying frantically after seeing her fellow slaves get whipped, “sometimes my sister’s voice, unmistaken, among them. ‘Oh! Pray,’ she cries. ‘Oh! Pray!’ Those days I lie on my cot, shivering in the early heat,” (11-12) made me feel even more frantic and scared just like how they were feeling in the poem, but this line really strengthened those feelings. The part where Dove writes, “shivering in the early heat,” describes how the slave is so scared for his life and dreads waking up every morning to endure the endless cycle, therefore he shivers in the heat of the new day. Slavery was such an awful thing to ever happen and Dove really made me feel this way while reading her poem. I experienced moods ranging from, desperation to sympathy to anger that someone could treat another human so negatively that they are scared to wake up each morning.
ReplyDeletePoem: The Abduction
ReplyDeleteRita Dove’s poem “The Abduction” is told from the perspective of Solomon Northup, a free African American from the north during the 19th century. Northrup was tricked into being taken South and forced into slavery. The first stanza has an incredibly happy tone brought on by the unknowing of Northrup. In the second line, Dove writes, “all for the great Harrison!” President William Henry Harrison only served in office for 31 days. Harrison’s predecessor Tyler facilitated the expansion of slavery. The end of Harrison’s presidency represents the end of Northup's life as a free man. The use of the word “clotted” in the third line shows also foreshadows Northrup’s demise. The stanza ends with “my new friends Brown and Hamilton by my side.” Brown and Hamilton were clearly not Northrup’s friends because they kidnapped him! All of this foreshadowing produces dramatic irony within the reader and creates a stressful tone. The second stanza continues this tone and even exacerbates it. Dove writes, “Brown’s tall hat collected pennies at the tent flap, Hamilton’s feet did a jig on a tightrope,” to represent both the historical circumstances of Northrup’s abduction (Brown and Hamilton said they wanted Northrup to join their circus) and how Northrup was completely lost in the deception of Brown and Hamilton like a child thrilled by a circus. Dove says that “pigs squealed invisibly from the bleachers” to produce a tense feeling. Pigs squeal when they fear something, but Northrup is unaware of this warning. The next two stanzas are Northrup after he had been drugged. “I floated on water I could not drink” the complete inability for Northrup to fight back and with this the hope of the reader disappears. The use of “I” connects the reader with Northrup and makes this poem super sad! :(. The message of this poem is to never be overconfident. Danger is lurking everywhere; Dove warns the reader to stay observant.
I really liked your analysis on this poem! I did not understand the allusion to William Henry Harrison, but now that I do the poem makes a little bit more sense. I liked how you went further with the allusion and related the end of Harrison’s presidency to the end of Northup’s life as a free man. I also really like your interpretation of the line “pigs squealed invisibly from the bleachers and I fiddled.” I did not notice how significant the pigs were until I read your analysis on them. I agree that the use of “I” gives a clearer emotional connection between the reader and Northrup. Something interesting I noticed about the poem was its structure. It starts off with a quintent, then a quatrain, then a triplet, then a couplet, and finally ends with one line. I thought this was significant because it could represent Northrup’s hopes for freedom because this quickly decreases as he is kidnapped and sold off into slavery. I like your use of the semicolon as well. That is all.
DeleteI think your analysis of the poem was really good. I would like to point out that all of the events of Northrup's life were included in the movie: 12 Years a Slave. Your interpretation of how Northrup had been drugged was really interesting. Originally, I had thought it was more of a surrealistic scene in his head, similar to a dream. In the last stanza, it indicates that "I woke," suggesting that he woke up from the fantasy of freedom. I can definitely also see your interpretation of the last few stanzas. Either way, both of our interpretations would suggest that Northrup was weak, had to suffer through torture, and struggled to hold on to some hope.
DeleteIn the poem “David Walker (1785-1830)”, Rita Dove demonstrates the hardships that blacks, both free and enslaved, encountered through visual imagery and shifts in narration. The poem obviously refers to David Walker who was a free, African-American abolitionist. He wrote a pamphlet entitled, “Walker's Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Coloured Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America”, calling for blacks to fight for their right to freedom and equality. The pamphlet is frequently referenced in the poem, where Dove uses visual imagery to depict the furtive, somewhat dangerous nature surrounding its existence. Dove writes, “Pamphlets transported / in the coat linings of itinerant seament, jackets / ringwormed with salt traded drunkenly to pursers”, illustrating how the pamphlets were kept hidden and a secret. By describing the spread of the pamphlets to be so undisclosed, Dove conveys to the reader that David Walker was no ordinary citizen who abided by rules. Walker’s pamphlet was condemned as slaveholders and state legislatures believed that he was inciting violence. Despite the uproar against the pamphlet, it remained influential. Another significant aspect of the poem is the shift in narration, indicated by Dove’s usage of italics. Dove writes, “We are the most wretched, degraded and abject set / of beings that ever lived since the world began”, depicting the way that whites degraded blacks. This shift in narration, going from third person to first person, elicits a sorrowful tone, as blacks had continually been demeaned and treated as if they were dirt. Through the usage of of visual imagery and the varying narration, Dove crafts a downcast mood and depicts the obstacles that blacks had faced on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem “The House Slave”, Rita Dove uses imagery, symbolism, and similes to portray the life of slaves in the fields. The first line of the poem says, “The first horn its arm over the dew-lit grass.” The horn alerts the slaves that it’s time for work like a first warning or a wake up call. The lines following use imagery to show the slaves hurrying to get ready by using verbs like “grabbed” and “taken” to depict a tone of alertness. They are rushing to get ready in fear of punishment for being late which is later shown in stanza three. The horn is mentioned again stating, “At the second horn the whip curls across the backs of the laggards.” Laggards are defined as someone who is slow. If the slaves were slow to attend their field work they would be punished by getting whipped across the back. Even the smallest mistakes have big punishments for the slaves. Also it shows that the slaves live in pure fear for their lives. Going back to stanza two, Rita Dove writes, “their mistress sleeps like an ivory toothpick and Massa dreams of asses, rum and slave-funk.” On a side note from this quote we can tell his poem is in the point of view of a slave because of the language he uses like “Massa”. This simile compares the mistress to an ivory toothpick. Ivory is very expensive and is often used to symbolize wealth and we know a toothpick is very weak and frail. Men of wealth took advantage of their power so they would have mistresses at their disposal. Plantation owners often had the mentality of “I can do whatever I want because I’m in charge.” That theme also occurs later in the quote when it says he “dreams of asses, rum and slave-funk.” I analyzed this as the boss can just relax, take in all the power, and live carefree while the slaves are the complete opposite. They live life in fear, and are seen as inferior/powerless. Going back to symbolism, I noticed that at the very beginning and the very end of the poem Dove mentions the time of day. In the beginning it says, “dew-lit grass” and at the end it says, “not yet daylight.” Both times are in the morning before the sun has appeared. I think Dove used the morning as a symbol showing how much pain and fear the slaves had to go through before the sun was even up and before they even start working. The slaves lived in constant fear throughout their days working.
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out Dove’s description of the time of day. I would like to further your point by saying that this shows the absolute horrible conditions of a slave’s life. Before the sun even went up, they would have to experience all the stress we feel in a week. I disagree with your idea that this poem is about the easy life of plantation owners. I think this poem is completely (100%) about the horrible lives slaves had to live and the mention of “Massa’s” dreams is just to contrast the roles of slaves and owners to further express how bad slavery was.
DeleteI also wrote about the poem, "The House Slave" and I agree with your analysis and think it's good. I agree with how the slaves dreaded getting up everyday and going out to work. It was very miserable. I agree with Josh, though, that the poem is from the slaves point of view and describes their horrible life, not the plantation owner and their easy life.
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