Thursday, October 7, 2010

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night: Dylan Thomas

Oh, the memories of sophomore year World Lit III......


Vale, I think the repetition of "Do not go gentle into that good night" is used to solidify the true longing of the son's for his father to fight death. Throughout this poem, a play between light and dark (life and death) is also used. The darkness being to the son, death, but to the father, it is light, because he wants to move on. The son uses good night, as if it has an ending, it is not impending doom. Additionally, the son's use of "dying light" fits with the reference to night, because the light goes out, but returns. The son, throughout the poem, refers to different types of men, perhaps trying to appeal to one side or other of his father's personality. He tells how these men lived, but were foolish and let go too easily, which he does not want for his father. Basically, this poem is a plea, asking for one more chance of his father to survive. It truth, it seems the son is the one who is fighting in order to avoid letting go.

I remember I had to write 3 of these villanelles for Creative Writing last year...hey look, here they are (if you would like to read them!):

Tears (this is my personal favorite...the other two are....less relevant?)
The life which I will never know
Shall be forever in my heart
As tears like rain begin to flow.


New pains and sorrows they did sow
And dreams they do begin to start -
The life which I will never know.

The fallen leaves lay low -
The ground littered, a new art -
As tears like rain begin to flow.


And in the darkest hour, snow,
Upon the grass fall smart -
The life which I will never know.


White on the ground begins to grow,
And does start,
 As tears like rain begin to flow.


Can I ever know
The lessons of one so smart?
The life which I will never know?
As tears like rain begin to flow.





Waves
Like the waves upon the sea,
And an angel's cry
The world seems strange to me


A cry of all to be free
A silent, hopeful sigh-
Like waves upon the sea


Across the desert do we flee;
Through hope we fly/
The world seems strange to me.


Their acts unruly
As the crows in the sky,
Like the waves upon the sea.


Though love creates a tie
And may seem to be,
The world seems strange to me.

So from all that I can see
No matter how I try,
Like waves upon the sea,
the world seems strange to me.



The Snail
Time moves slowly as a snail,
With hardly any notions.
Never knowing where to sail.


Though the world may seem so frail,
It continues in motion;
Time moves slowly as a snail.

A deer may sit inside a dale
And recieve no mention,
Never knowing where to sail.

Life continues on a rail,
Creating a tension;
Time moves slowly as a snail.

And as one may flail
And be swallowed by emotion,
Never knowing where to sail.

Nothing in life will always fail;
We most always have devotion.
Time moves slowly as a snail,
Never knowing where to sail.




Tears (this is my personal favorite...the other two are....less relevant?)
The life which I will never know
Shall be forever in my heart
As tears like rain begin to flow.


New pains and sorrows they did sow
And dreams they do begin to start -
The life which I will never know.

The fallen leaves lay low -
The ground littered, a new art -
As tears like rain begin to flow.


And in the darkest hour, snow,
Upon the grass fall smart -
The life which I will never know.


White on the ground begins to grow,
And does start,
 As tears like rain begin to flow.


Can I ever know
The lessons of one so smart?
The life which I will never know?
As tears like rain begin to flow.

Delight in Disorder: Robert Herrick

This poem didn't seem to have and extremely deep meaning in it. I think that the overall theme was that things that are absolutely perfect aren't as easy to find pleasure in as those that are flawed in someway. Perfection is in imperfection in this case. Additionally, the broken rhyme scheme and lack of stanzas also show imperfection, yet work with the poem. The entire poem seems to be talking about someone's garb, or about a painting or other art. (I thought of art lastly because there is the use of the word "art" in the second to last line) The narrator expresses all of the chaos in the garb, while giving it a sense of rightness. This exemplifies the point of the poem, how the narrator can find "delight in disorder" :). Aside from this, I couldn't find much more meaning in the poem.

While I was writing this, the song "Beautiful Disaster" by Jon McLaughlin came on...and then he said "Perfect only in her imperfection." It was rather coincidental, seeing as I had written "Perfection is imperfection" only a minute before.

Edward: Anonymous

This poem, when I first read it, was rather confusing. I wondered, did he kill a hawk and a steed and his father. But thanks to our group discussions today, I think I now understand what the poem was saying to some degree. Edward first admits to killing a hawk which he loves, then a good steed. In these ways, he is trying to avoid stating the truth himself, how he has killed his father. Additionally, but covering it up by stating things he loved, he is still trying to express his love for his father, though at the same time trying to deny what he has done. The mother does not react throughout this poem, and at the end, the author reveals why, by writing how the mother has given counsel to her son. In other words, she may well have told him to kill his father, against the son's own good will. This would also explain why the son was damning his mother to hell. Finally, the son speaks of leaving after admitting to killing his father. When he says he will leave his buildings and towers and family, he may either plan to run away, or to kill himself from grief. Either way, this poem effectively expresses a story, though it is vague in places. Its description of the boy's emotions also helps comprehension of the poem. I only wish I could know what might happen next in the story.

Lonely Hearts: Wendy Cope

I believe this poem is a satire over the all too frequently placed "Personal" Ads that are placed in the newspaper. Right next to people trying to sell their animals or furniture, there are people looking for love, to me, in all the wrong places. This poem exemplifies this by showing how in each article, the person wants something so specific. Yet, it is written, "Can someone make my simple wish come true?" However, this is not a simple wish, finding someone who so perfectly matches a vague and demanding article. There is also so much missing from the article, it seems hopeless that anyone could be found. What is worse, by saying, "Do you live in North London?" the narrator is limiting themselves even more. For, even if a person was "perfect" if they did not live in the right places, they wouldn't be right. I think the entire point to this poem is to show how love is something that must be actively searched for, not just asked for in an article that many will never read.