Ethics- Linda Pastan

        The first thing I noticed about this poem, obviously, was the unique style. Most of the other poems we've read in class have had some sort of structure, even if its odd or different, but this poem was just like a conversation or a paragraph. I really liked this style, but it also made it difficult to realize where the emphasis was or where the main idea was. It also made it less formal and intimidating as other poems, it felt like the author was just telling a story about her life in an everyday conversation. It was refreshing.
       As for the meaning behind it, I like that as well. She talks about in this past how she was asked a question from her teacher about which she would save out of a burning museum: an old women or a Rembrandt painting. Since she hadn't experienced or been passionate about either of these things, she just randomly picked one and went with it. Then at the end shes standing, as an old woman, in a museum seeing the painting for herself and realized that such a decision shouldn't be placed on such a naive person. She says children, which i don't agree with that part. Maybe it's because I'm young right now, but I think she devalues children and their opinions, which can just be as important as an old woman's. Besides that, I did like the message that a person has to experience or have knowledge about something before making such a big decision.