Still Memory - Mary Karr

        In the poem, "Still Memory", the author talks about the past and what was a typical day during her childhood. She talks about her father coming home from work early in the morning, her mother making coffee, and sister walking on the bathroom tiles. In reality Mary Karr's father did work in the oil industry and her mother was a stay-at-home artist. Her family struggled for money, as it says in the poem as well. It says that the only heat they had was generated from their body and mentions the water boiling water in a "battered old drip pot." So I thought that was interesting that this poem was most likely a non-fiction piece.
       There are a lot of parts that contradict the title of "Still Memory." Movement is found throughout like when she says her sister "steps fast" and how the town where she lives is beginning to "grow animate, its pulleys and levers set in motion." I believe this contradiction is here because she looks back and feels like she was frozen in time when her life was a struggle and it was the same uneventful routine everyday. The only way she got through it and coped was from her writing as she says in the last stanza, "My ten-year-old hand reaches/ for a pen to record it all/ as would become long habit." This was her recording that frozen time period of her childhood.

Blackberries for Amelia- Richard Wilbur

Although this poem was pretty straight forward and didn't have a lot of deeper meaning than the obvious, I love the writing style and how everything flows so well and creates an imagine in your head. There's a contrast between the beginning of the poem where the author describes the beauty of nature and how the world appears today and then later about how the stars will one day turn to blackness. This poem is saying that we need to appreciate what we have today, and make the best out of the bad. I believe that the reason he talks about blackberries is because when they are first picked they are bitter, but once they are made into jam or pie they become sweet and delicious. Its like the saying, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." It's saying to live in the moment because you never know what will happen in the future. This isn't a dark and sad poem like the others too! Yay! :)

In Blackwater Woods -Mary Oliver

    Although this poem isn't specific about what the author is talking about (death, the forest, etc.) I believe is about a loss. That was my first thought and after the discussion in class, I questioned it, but in the end I still have to go with my initial thought. As I looked deeper into the poem when the trees are turning into pillars and talking about light, that could easily symbolize heaven or somewhere greater than earth. Then as someone, I don't remember who (I think Tony?), said that fulfillment is usually achieved as a person is dying because they have fulfilled their life's purpose and move on. Then the cattails bursting and floating away symbolize the end of their lives along with the end of the person's life who died in this poem.

      The last three things in the poem that are the "three things you must be able to do" are important, but I definitely think there are more than these three things and more significant things as well. These all relate back to a person and what I thought was that a person can only be happy if there's another person there to rely on, which seems a little desperate and sad to me. I believe that happiness is based on the individual and not someone else.

      I actually did like this poem though, it made me think and it was interesting to hear how many different ways it could be taken by the rest of the class.

(250 words)

To Myself- W.S. Merwin

      After reading this poem for the first time I thought Merwin was talking about a death or someone close to him that had changed, after going back and reading it the second time I noticed the title and put it all together that he was talking about himself. He talks about how he has significantly changed over time, and forgotten who he used to be, except for the little glimpses. It's easy to get caught up in the every day life and not be true to yourself and morals, which is what is happening in this poem.
       The structure of this poem seems completely random at first, how the lines just cut off in the middle of sentences. Which I believe symbolizes that it can be confusing to try and get back to the "real" you and just focus on that. Also the beginning starts out pretty simple with the word "you" repeating a lot. Then I had to re-read the end a couple times because it seems like an oxymoron when he says, "who speak in the words but you are not what they say you who are not lost when I do not find you." When you can't find something then it is considered lost. It saying that your true self is really there and not lost, but a lot of times it's hard to find. These last 5 lines are even more randomly cut off then the rest of the poem because it shows that life starts out very simple and pure and gets more and more complicated as you continue.
       I really like this poem and believe it's very true. Even though I'm young I can still relate.




(282 words)- posted at 11:40. Yay! ;) My time zone thing is off and it says its a hour later... idk how to fix that.