In the reactionary words of John Updike upon reading, “Poem (Lana Turner Has Collapsed!)” he claimed that this was Frank O’Hara at his “silliest, and most emptiest.” However, it is easily debatable to state exactly how Frank O’Hara was able to create a well-developed world and sense of character in his brief poem about seemingly nothing. Through the sum of its parts Frank O’Hara is able to create a rich sense of being that comments on a world outside of his poem. When the individual parts are taken as a whole it propels the scene of the poem forward, saying something semi-original about the world of gossip in a unique way that draws from comparisons through the guise of poetic form. Specifically: situation, setting, theme, tone, language, image, symbols, and structure. O’Hara is able to do this with the use of vivid recollection, a careful selection of words, a fast pacing, and photographic detail, all because of a well-anchored sparkplug of a speaker whose words are chosen carefully. Through this speaker O’Hara is able to not only comment on his world, but about himself, celebrity, and the minute detail that divides and unite us as human beings in the modern world. Looking through the eyes and mouth of the speaker is the most important piece to unraveling the code of Frank O’Hara’s “Poem (Lana Turner Has Collapsed!)”. The main character of the poem (presumably a male) is an extremely distinguished individual. It is through his voice that the poem takes shape. Right away he says, “I was trotting along and suddenly it started raining and snowing and you said it was hailing but hailing hits you on the head hard so it was really snowing and raining and I was in such a hurry to meet you but the traffic was acting exactly like the sky”... ... middle of paper ... ...the mundane events of everyday life onto the scandalous nature of celebrity headlines. Through his speakers voice he is able to smuggle in the message of similarity and run of the mill nature between common folk and those that live in idealized glory. The subtext of the last few lines “but I never actually collapsed” and “Oh Lana Turner we love you get up” is almost condemning in its comparison, commenting in a way that seems to state “We know life is hard, but the rest of us still have to pick ourselves up, and you can too.” He is able to do this so powerfully by using well thought out verbal imagery, a fast-talking and well-versed speaker who is able to express his train of thought through an inventive use of structure. Next time you read a poem, take a moment to consider who is speaking to you, and what exactly they are telling (or painting) you with their words.
The informal language and intimacy of the poem are two techniques the poet uses to convey his message to his audience. He speaks openly and simply, as if he is talking to a close friend. The language is full of slang, two-word sentences, and rambling thoughts; all of which are aspects of conversations between two people who know each other well. The fact that none of the lines ryhme adds to the idea of an ordinary conversation, because most people do not speak in verse. The tone of the poem is rambling and gives the impression that the speaker is thinking and jumping from one thought to the next very quickly. His outside actions of touching the wall and looking at all the names are causing him to react internally. He is remembering the past and is attempting to suppress the emotions that are rising within him.
Poetry has a way of making us feel every range of emotion, in some cases better than other forms of entertainment. Unlike a novel, which gives a wide field of vision on any subject, poems have a more focused look mostly on the raw emotion of any one topic. Understanding poetry is an art onto itself, to be able to peel back the words and feel the emotions within them is truly its own work. Harder yet is the ability to dissect and explain these ideas to another person (in this case through an essay)and have them feel and see the poem and the topic it brings to light in the same way that you do. The poem that we will explore is powerful and thought provoking, because it brings the ugly subject of oppression to the front of your mind and forces you to engage in a conversation that you have no control over. It makes you feel hopeless and angry at the same time. In the poem Unwanted by Edward Field we are going to explore the parts of the poem but mainly we will
Michael Gray’s analysis of Dylan’s lyrics being a contrast between hackneyed expressions and “beautifully done” are exemplified in the song “Just Like a Woman.” Dylan’s lyrics “she aches just like a woman but she breaks just like a little girl” is given the harsh description of “maudlin platitude” and deemed to be a “non-statement.” If Dylan’s lyrics cannot uphold against meaningful music of the same category, how can they be expected to stand against literature written for a different field. John Lennon had his own critiques of Dylan’s works, calling out how the abstract nature of his lyrics, having loose definition, never achieved an actual point. Lennon’s definition of “poetry” referred to “stick[ing] a few images together” and “thread[ing] them” in order to create something meaningful. It once again boils down to the fact that Dylan’s music that was written and intended to be received as a live performance. The acknowledgement that “…you have to hear Dylan doing it” is a recognition of his composition’s failure to come across as a normal literary work. It’s all part of a “good game.” This in itself should disqualify Dylan as a possible candidate for the Nobel Prize.
In today’s modern view, poetry has become more than just paragraphs that rhyme at the end of each sentence. If the reader has an open mind and the ability to read in between the lines, they discover more than they have bargained for. Some poems might have stories of suffering or abuse, while others contain happy times and great joy. Regardless of what the poems contains, all poems display an expression. That very moment when the writer begins his mental journey with that pen and paper is where all feelings are let out. As poetry is continues to be written, the reader begins to see patterns within each poem. On the other hand, poems have nothing at all in common with one another. A good example of this is in two poems by a famous writer by the name of Langston Hughes. A well-known writer that still gets credit today for pomes like “ Theme for English B” and “Let American be American Again.”
... overall themes, and the use of flashbacks. Both of the boys in these two poems reminisce on a past experience that they remember with their fathers. With both poems possessing strong sentimental tones, readers are shown how much of an impact a father can have on a child’s life. Clearly the two main characters experience very different past relationships with their fathers, but in the end they both come to realize the importance of having a father figure in their lives and how their experiences have impacted their futures.
T.S. Eliot had very philosophical and religious meanings behind this poem, and that helped me relate personally very well with this work of his. He used allusions to other poems, letting me make connections with works I have read before. He also used inclusive language and had the same opinion as me portrayed in this work. Based on these, T.S. Eliot has convinced me of his messages in this poem, as well as made this by far my favorite of his.
During the poem the speaker does not address his readers. The readers are simply overhearing a man assessing the society in which he lives as he daydreams about what is could be and yet what it is not. It is evident that his goal is to get the readers to look down upon this society which is so caught up in daily routine; prohibiting anyone from having freedom of imagination. This detachment that is created between the speaker and his readers incorporated with the boring monotone at the very beginning of the poem gives the readers a negative impression of the society before they begin to analyze the actual words of the poem.
This change in tone echoes the emotions and mental state of the narrator. At the beginning of the poem, the narrator starts somewhat nervous. However, at the end, he is left insane and delusional. When he hears a knocking at the door, he logically pieces that it is most likely a visitor at the door.
I believe that the structure of this poem allows for the speaker to tell a narrative which further allows him to convey his point. The use of enjambment emphasizes this idea as well as provides a sense of flow throughout the entirety of a poem, giving it the look and feel of reading a story. Overall, I believe this piece is very simplistic when it comes to poetic devices, due to the fact that it is written as a prose poem, this piece lacks many of the common poetic devices such as rhyme, repetition, alliteration, and metaphors. However, the tone, symbolism, allusion and imagery presented in the poem, give way to an extremely deep and complicated
The poem expresses the tension between individuals and society. Authorities dominate our lives. We form our beliefs by listening to the opinions of not only priests, but politicians and other leaders in society as well. We absorb their ideals like a sponge. This has been a common trait of humanity ever since the agricultural revolution brought the division of labor and management positions into culture. Someone had to be on top and in charge. Those who listen to authorities are almost living their life as if they are asleep. They spend their days helpless and arrogant, unwilling to waken to an enlightening truth about society. A truth that says individuals have a say in what their live is about. The people who spend their days asleep accept the values and ideas that their society has set for them as they dream of the better days in the future that will never
In Pound’s early life, he was known to jump frequently from one project to the next, always having to excel at everything he set his mind to. He always thought of himself as “the only student who was making any attempt to understand” (Levenson) in school. He “was an enthusiastic popularizer as well as a savant” (Alexander), qualities that are both revealed in his work. Just as lightning strikes, Ezra Pound’s words are gone in an instant. The length of this poem is extremely significant in the message Pound is trying to convey. It is short and fast, just as the subway moves, with the rapid opening and closing of the sliding doors, only giving fleeting images of the beautiful faces inside. His seemingly simplistic two-line poem holds a complex meaning underneath the surface. In a Station of the Metro in Paris, Ezra Pound spots “one beautiful face, then another, and another”, (Pavlovski) leaving him momentarily at a loss for words. The faces blend together before him, like the colors of a painting. Each face represents a different thing Pound has wished to pursue, there are so many that they begin to blur together. He describes these beautiful faces as mesmerizing “petals on a wet, black bough” (408-2). Just like a child that goes flower picking, he desires to pick the most alluring one. Caught in his line of sight is the art of poetry. He is centered in the midst of this tornado of faces, and as if time has slowed, he comes to the realization that he must write about this experience. This poem is the beginning of his era, with him writing of “a language in color” (Pavlovski). With this, he crafts a whole new way to communicate with his
Within every story or poem, there is always an interpretation made by the reader, whether right or wrong. In doing so, one must thoughtfully analyze all aspects of the story in order to make the most accurate assessment based on the literary elements the author has used. Compared and contrasted within the two short stories, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, and John Updike’s “A&P,” the literary elements character and theme are made evident. These two elements are prominent in each of the differing stories yet similarities are found through each by studying the elements. The girls’ innocence and naivety as characters act as passages to show something superior, oppression in society shown towards women that is not equally shown towards men.
Traditionally, dirges are composed in the form of a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person. The very definition suggests that the particular qualities of the dead individual deserve recognition. The dirge is not just written for anyone, but for those deserving of glorification, who survive in the memories of the living as testaments to the greater capacities of humankind. It is against this traditional definition that Kenneth Fearing’s poem, “Dirge”, is working, not only as an overt commentary on the social, cultural, and political factors surrounding the destabilization of 1930’s America but also as an abstraction of the prevalent views of reality: the dehumanization of the human. Fearing superimposes these thematic projects onto the context of the Great Depression, a period of American history often seen as representing overarching society decline, the dull malaise of futility, and the alienation of the individual. Through an exploration of the structural elements of “Dirge”, one can find just how Fearing constructs a particular vision of modernism.
I found that throughout this poem there was much symbolism within it. Identifying that it was written in first person form showed that this poem relates to the author on a personal basis, and that it was probably written to symbolize his life. But when talking about people’s lives, you can conclude that people’s lives are generally and individually very diffe...
The poem in brief summary allows us to experience an outsider’s view of the death of Lucy Gray and her parents’ grief. The character narrating the poem tells the story of Lucy, a girl who was sent by her father with a lantern to light the way home, for her mother in town. On her way to town a snow storm hits and Lucy is never found neither dead nor alive. The fact that a stranger is narrating the story as opposed to one of the parents telling the story, allows the reader to witness the tragedy of Lucy Gray without feeling too tangled up in the parents’ grief. By having an outsider who is in no way involved in the tragedy tell the story, the writer of the poem William Wordsworth, gives the reader an objective point of view on the tragedy as well as room to relate the reader’s own experience to the poem without feeling uncomfortable. Had the poem lacked objectivity the reader would have surely felt uncomfortable and stifled by emotions of the parents’ or a parent telling the story of their daughter’s death. As well as that, the objectiveness of the stranger narrating gives the reader almost a communal experience. It is as if the reader was in a small town one day, and a local just happened to...