Hazel Tells LaVerne- Machan-5

This poem no doubt struck a humurous cord within the class.  I feel that in Hazel Tells LaVerne, Machan is trying to prove a point about how someone feels about themself while using humor as her tool.  She also uses satire in a way at the end.  "me...a princess"(Machan). We can easily see that the woman being talked about is a maid with reference to the Howard Johnson's.  We also see that she may not be very confident in herself.  Twice, she downplays the compliment of being a princess showing her lack in confidence.  This shows that she may not be content in where she is in her life and is looking for more.  I also noticed that this poem may have been the mock of the old fairytale about the frog and princess.  However, with a realistic spin on it, we get a taste of the modern version of how that story would unfold.  Overall, I feel that Machan is trying to show the discontent that a low-educated, poorly employed woman has with herself.  This is emphasized with the seperation and positioning of the last two words of the poem. They both have their own line and they are both seperate. 

Mr. Z-Holman-4

Mr. Z by Carl Holman was a difficult poem to analyze based on some key characteristics of it.  The obscurity that he had in his voice made the text clear, but the meaning of that text somewhat obscurred it.  One part of the poem that really confused me was the mention of his flaw.  "Not one false note was struck-until he died."(Holman) I was confused as to why the fact that he died may have struck a note.  I have the thought that it could be that he struck the note that he may have let others down around him for his example of how to assimilate into a new society. Other individuals may have been looking for guidance on how to mix into the other half of society and had no other guide but Mr. Z. Also, I feel that the Title of the poem itself may have given a precurser to what the poem was about.  "Z" is an obscure letter, not always used in normal speaking and writing.  It is hardly ever the main letter and is not focused on.  I feel that this fact may be pointing to how this Mr. Z wanted to be in society.  He did not want to stand out based on his skin. Rather, he wanted to blend in to the other half of society. 

Dream Deferred-Hughes-SimilesandMetaphors-3

Without question, Similes and metaphors are an essential factor in Langston Hughes Dream Deferred.  In reality, most of the poem itself is a simile or is connected to one.  Every description of what happens to a deferred dream is followed up by something that a normal person can relate to. "...like a raison in the sun?"(Langston Hughes)  However, as the questions at the end state, there is a single metaphor in the peom.  The last part of the poem, "Or does it explode?"(Hughes), is the metaphor.  Explosions are things that occure which result in destruction.  Hughes is implying that the dreams that are deferred are dreams that are forever destroyed. The fact that he italicizes it indicates that we want that phrase to be crucial.  Also, the section is seperated from the rest and has its own line.  This shows that Hughes wants that to be an essential part in the poem.  He allows us to have our own interpretation of the material through the other similes, but he mainly wants us to think of a deferred dream as something destroyed.

Everyday Use-Characterization-Walker-2

This short story focus' heavily on the technique of characterization. We are required to know who the characters are, what they are like, what they look like, what their personalities are like, etc. Without the use of this characterization with names and descriptions we could never fully understand the deep meaning of the story. In Everyday Use, Walker uses the description of Maggie to portray a sense of sympathy in the end when Wangero tries to take the quilts. We also see the dramatic change the Dee has gone through by her description as she steps out the car. "A dress so loud it hurts my eyes"(Walker). Dee has gone a dramatic transformation in the sense of who she is and what she looks like. Our first impression of who she has become is signalled with the description of the character with the long beard and stocky stature. We then realize her new style and eloquence with her dress and earrings. However, as earlier started, I believe the description of Maggie and her injuries sustained in the fire really bring to the surface the most emotion. We see a physically hurting, emotionally and mentally pure, kind young child that is looked down upon by her older sister. This aspect the Walker brings to light really allows us to rally on Maggies side when she tries to take the quilts destined for Maggie.

Interpreter of Maladies-Lahiri-Conflict, hubris, Antihero- 1

Throughout the entirety of the short story Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, we see multiple conflicts arise. Some small, some rather large, but the most intriguing one that plays the most important part is the external conflict between Mrs. Das and her husband. The conflict the Lahiri plays between the wife and husband plays out as an issue in Mrs. Das' mind, but not so much in Mr. Das' mind. Mrs. Das, as we realize, has a child Bobby with another man; however, Mr. Das is not aware of this. ""Raj's. He's not Raj's son""(Lahiri). We initially assume that this example may be the hubris for Mrs. Das. As far as we know, that fact could have been the downfall of Mrs. Das. However, the very interesting Mr. Kasasi has some important information that I believe Lahiri wanted to be delivered to quite possibly stop that destruction. Lahiri played Mr. Kasasi for one purpose: to be the antihero. He is not glorified, he is not proud of what he does, he does not specifically think that he is anything special. However, the talk at the end between Mrs. Das and Kasasi drings Mrs. Das to her senses. As we see her promptly leave the car, she goes to the top to rejoin the family she has been trying to avoid. This short story really makes use of literary techniques and successfully employs them in a way the requires the reader to dive deeper to see it's true meaning.

POETRY!

I came to the conclusion prior to reading this piece that poetry is something personal and something to be decided personally. I kept that mindset for a very short amount of time while reading this piece. He gives us some fairly general guidelines that allows for a personal interpretation but only under certain factors. After looking through Emily Dickinson's poem, I realized that he is indeed correct.  There were more than a few "ohhhhh, now it makes sense!" moments while reading his explanation of the poetry.  I suppose that is the point of poetry though.  It almost seems silly now to think of how easy we thought it was to decipher what the poetry supposedly meant while in reality, it meant so much more.  Poetry is meant for us to dive deep into pieces and unleash our imaginations so we can really decipher the extravagant meaning.  The exact same occurred while reading Melville's The Night-March. Initially, we want to jump to the conclusion that this poem is, without doubt, about a marching army.  I mean it says "army passes..." "legions stream..." and Perrine even says "wrote a book of poems about the civil war." However, we find out that it was irrelevant and that the poem was actually about stars.

 After reading this entire piece, I've come to the conclusion that it takes a complex and adventurous mind to really figure the meaning of a poem.  As odd as it is, Inception creeps into my mind after reading this.  One must truly examine and question the "reality" of a  poem to figure out if this is infact "reality" or in this case, the correct poem interpretation.  "...the best interpretations will rely on the fewest assumptions not grounded in the poem itself."  After reading that, I could not agree more.  After spending five minutes trying to figure out what exactly that quote means, I eventually realized it summed up everything one needs to know when interpreting a poem. Never assume something about a poem that already is not in it.  Look at the poem and take what is inside of it already to figure out its true meaning.  If done correctly, there may be multiple outcomes and interpretations, but in the end, they are all correct if they all followed the guidelines.  After all, is that not what poetry is about, personal interpretation?

Gatsby: 175-180

My last and final blog is going to be about the last section of the book that I read and the book as a whole.  I will not lie when I say that the end of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby was very sad; however, it was also very moving.  We never know exactly what happened with Daisy and Tom.  We don't know if Gatsby ever did do something extremely illegal.  We don't know what happened to Nick, but honestly, I think that it is okay that we don't.  The end of the last chapter somewhat summarizes how this lifestyle can corrupt and fool people who lose their guard.  Daisy and Tom lost theirs and now all that they have is their wealth.  "...then retreated back into their money...(Fitzgerald, 179)"
In all, I really, really enjoyed this novel. It was amazingly written and the plot was awesome.  Thanks for picking this book to read! Now I just cannot wait for the upcoming movie to come out!