Blog 1:
Anne Sexton, Her Kind
Consider the words used. Are they simple, straightforward words or unfamiliar? Does the poem feel modern and contemporary or old fashioned?
The words in this poem are simple, but seem to be listed: “filled them with skillets, carvings, shelves, closets, silks, innumerable goods.” Overall the poem feels modern, but it seems to be describing an idea that’s somewhat old.
Does it give straightforward description or is there a lot of figurative language?
She compares herself to a witch at one point (metaphor), but it’s a little weird in the way in which she uses descriptions in the poem. “fixed the suppers for the worms and the elves: whining, rearranging the disaligned.”
What about the sentences? Simple? Direct? Long and complex? Twisted around unusually?
The sentences aren’t too long, and they definitely break at the right time. Example, “I have gone out, a possessed witch,
Haunting the black air, braver at night.”
The words aren’t in any weird order to the point where they sound misplaced. But, the sentences aren’t exactly direct. You can come up with many explanations as to what Anne is talking about in this poem.
Are the lines long or short? Is the poem divided into stanzas or not?
The poem is divided into stanzas, and the lines are short, but not as short as some other poems.
Example: “I have ridden in your cart, driver.” Here this shows that the lines aren’t very long.
Can you describe the tone? Dark? Cheerful?
The overall tone of the poem is dark. “dreaming evil, I have
done my hitch.”
The tone isn’t cheerful or happy at one point in the poem at all. The first line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, “I have gone out, a possessed witch.”
Do you notice any “musical” effects – rhymes, rhythms, etc?
At the end of each line there is a word that rhymes with the last word in every other line.
Example: “I have ridden in your cart, driver,
Waved my nude arms at villages going by,
Learning the last bright routs, survivor.”
Is there anything else you’d like to say about the way this poem is written?
This poem is really weird, and it doesn’t give off a good vibe. I do like her rhyming pattern though, and I think the story behind this poem would be really interesting to learn about.
Aftermath, Henry Longfellow
Consider the words used. Are they simple, straightforward words or unfamiliar? Does the poem feel modern and contemporary or old fashioned?
The words are very simple and modern, but it feels like it’s describing an older time.
Example: “when the summer fields are mown.” This line reminds me of a farm, and even though there are still many farms today, I think of many families owning farms, and having that lifestyle.
Does it give straightforward description or is there a lot of figurative language?
It’s pretty straightforward in the way of description: “And the dry leaves,
Strew the path.”
There aren’t really any metaphors.
What about the sentences? Simple? Direct? Long and complex? Twisted around unusually?
The lines in the poem are very direct and simple. When I read the poem out loud to myself, nothing sounded out of place or weird.
“With the falling of the snow,
With the cawing of the crow.”
Are the lines long or short? Is the poem divided into stanzas or not?
The lines are about the same length as the ones in Her Kind. The poem is divided into stanzas, but only two. Example: “And gather in the aftermath.”
*break for new stanza
“Not the sweet, new grass with flowers”
Can you describe the tone? Dark? Cheerful?
The tone of this poem starts out pretty cheerful, but by the last line the tone seems to have gone to the dark side. First line, “When the summer fields are mown.” Last line, “In the silence and the gloom.” It seems that by the end of the poem, the tone is supposed to show you how it feels when the summer harvesting season is over. Everything starts to look dull. Winter is coming soon and everything is silent.
Do you notice any “musical” effects – rhymes, rhythms, etc?
The last words of each line rhymes with the word below it. This is the only real musical effect that I found in the poem. “Now the sweet, new grass with flowers,
In this harvesting of ours.”
These ending rhyming words do keep the poem going.
Is there anything else you’d like to say about the way this poem is written?
I personally really like the poem because it’s not the usual happy, go-lucky poem about farmers/farming. It shows afterwards, all the work that is to be done, and how the feeling in the air is different.
