Blog 5- Shadows and Street Corners

Harlem Shadows by Claude Mckay is about the Harlem prostitutes. The speaker describes seeing the shapes of young dark girls bending over at the will of their customers. These girls are always working, just to stay alive. They have no moral or ethical character, and the only way they know how to survive is to sell their bodies. These girls are in poverty, but the decision they have made to sell themselves has placed them at a level of disgrace, they are lower than the dirt that they stand upon. These women could be doing something more productive in society to support themselves and keep themselves alive than defiling themselves. These young women reflect the time rather well...

Blog 4- Prufrock

Prufrock is the abbreviated name of the poem The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock by TS Elliot. While reading the poem, I didnt understand exactly what was going on; it was rather difficult to interpret because it is only showing the surface of the situation. The speaker in the poem is having these random thoughts and they arent that logical. Because of that, it is hard to determine what is literal. The man is middle aged, and has something to say, but he is unable to; he is obviously sexually frustrated. I believe these thoughts are all internal and he is speaking to nobody. He plays through scenes in his head that he wishes he could enact, but he is too afraid. the speaker has an overwhelming question he most likely wishes to ask a certain female; probably about is romantic desires, but I am not even 100 percent sure there.

Blog 3- Which road should I take?

In Robert Frost's, The Road Not Taken, the speaker stands at the fork of a road. He does not tell where he is going, making the poem somewhat of a mystery. He looks down one road. That road is obviously the path that most people take. It is bright, has a smooth green path and seems to lead to no danger. The second road is the path that is least taken. This road is dark and ominous and the speaker wonders if he would ever come back leading the reader to believe this path will most likely lead to danger. The speaker wishes he could be the traveler of both paths, but knows he must chose one. The speaker makes the choice to take the path less taken and I assume he is a man that enjoys thrills and excitement. He knows he may not make it out of the path alive, but what is a life without risks.

Trumpet Player

The "trumpet player" by Langston Hughes was an inspiring poem to me. I feel like the speaker in the poem uses his life, his talent which is playing the trumpet to create art and beauty. It seems like music is his life, it is his outlet of stress and relief to his soul. For example, he mentions how "the music from the trumpet at his lips is honey mixed with liquid fire." Here he expresses how music to him is sweet and it stirs fire within him. The speaker also seems like he is weary and tired. In the beginning he seems to be reminiscing on the past memories which seems to include his ancestors. He is sad yet the music delivers him from that state of weariness. Despite his troubles and worries he is feeling within his music picks him up.

"The Weary Blues"/ "The Trumpet Player" (Aauzsa Mack)

These poems by Langston Hughes show much similarity. Both of the individuals in the poem are playing music and it is coming from somewhere deep within. The music is used to express the way they feel but in a positive way although they might be down and feel like they can’t go in like the individual in “The Weary Blues”. The individual in “The Trumpet Player” seems to play more upbeat music even though his not feeling that way but the fire in the music is to help him cope with whatever he might be going through. You can tell that music was a great influence during this age and it had a positive light on some people’s lives. Another similar thing is how Hughes is describing them in a passionate way. In “The Weary Blues” they man is actually expresses himself through both music and words because it is the Blues. He repeats what is significant to him and goes on to create the beautiful music. In “The Trumpet Player” the individual do not have to say words but he just plays and people still feel the way he might possible be feeling without speaking words. Hughes really captured how music may influenced the time period in which this was written.

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

This poem by Langston Hughes is in some way uplifting. He speaks a great deal about the black race in an open and yet obscure way, pinpointing there existence and involvement in History and culture. Also he uses the rivers as a reference indicating his people like rivers are as old as time and significant therefore stating they were not evolved but the ultimate race of creation. I suspect that during that time much racial tension influenced writers to talk in certain codes and use their words wisely to avoid criticism and ridicule. Being the time of the Harlem Renaissance writers and musicians greatly influenced the way people thought concerning situations, I would say mostly for the African American race due to the lack of equality that was imposed upon them. In all I felt the poem was very descriptive and greatly written for its definition of the subject at hand and the relevant usage of the words used.

"America"

In Claude McKay's view of America, it shows his opinion and hope for a better country. He first speaks of "bitterness', "Stealing my breath of life", and "vigor" all puts America in a dark light as something he can't even survive in. That is personal in that he's being put down because of the time's segregation and racial separation very alive in the time. He admits though that he loves America, saying it gave him strength. He's talking about the opportunity to make things better, to visualize a time where racial segregation could be lessened or vanquished. He leaves us with a dark revelation though. He regresses his hopeful guise with a look at the future if that things remained the same as it was then, "her might and granite wonders there... sinking in the sand." He's saying it will destroy America and the view of America that anything can happen and that we are given divine rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." His second mood of hopefulness emulates that quote from the preamble of the Constitution.

Harlem Shadows

Claude McKay's poem "Harlem Shadows" is very interesting because it makes you think about why people do the things they do. You can also see what people are willing to do just for money instead of relying on thier God to provide for them. This poem is talking about prostitutes in Harlem. It says that they stay busy all the time and never get time off. They are supposedly having to sell their bodies to provide for themselves. I really did not like the poem because he makes it sound like it is a good thing that they are working hard eventhough the situation is really tough. We all know that there is definitely other things that the women could be doing and that they are actually taking the easy way out of their situation. Just because someone is in poverty does not mean that they should dishonor or disgrace themselves. I like the first line of the poem where it is talking about how Harlem's veil falls at night. Things may be looking better for his race in Harlem but during the night you see the kinds of things that are happening to them such as the prostitutes. Things arent all better and happy but at first you don't really see that.

Blog 5

"I Thank You God" is a wonderful descriptive poem by E.E. Cummings. It is divided into three stanzas and it thanks God for his creation. I really liked this poem a lot because it discusses how a person changes his views about the world. In the first stanza the speaker is thanking God for this amazing day and describes how great this day is. The imagery used by the speaker is excellent and one can really picture what is being said for example: "...for the leaping greenly spirits of trees/ and a blue true dream of sky..." (Cummings 1648). The second stanza describes a person who has died and is alive again today. Also, it says it is the "sun's birthday" which could mean that the sun is rising once again to start the day. I thank God everyday for giving me so much. He always takes good care of me and helps me get through everything. The second stanza in the poem could relate to the feelings of a person. Sometimes when we go through rough times we ask for help and most of the time it helps if we pray which is the only communication we have with God. He is always there and he is always listening. After I finish asking for help I try to start my work and it motivates me that I always have someone looking after me. Everyone has a bad day once in while and it is only human to feel unmotivated, unhappy, and lazy. But we get through those times and they are replaced by times of happiness.
This poem is definitely worth reading and it is a very well written poem.

"I Thank You God"

This poem, "I Thank You God" by E.E. Cummings is a very strong and religious poem. To me when I first read it I thought of the Psalms. It seems more like a prayer of praise that is written for the glory of God rather than man. In the first stanza, he is thanking God for the day and for the wonderful creation that he has made. Which includes the trees, sky, and everything that is natural. So what I view from this stanza is that the words that Cummings put down are more of his praises to his Lord. In the second Stanza, Cummings is saying that he has died and has been made alive again and that it is the sun's birthday and the birthday of life. I believe this could mean that he is thanking God for a new day of creation and for a new day that he has been given to enjoy the great earth. Also I believe that this setting would be in the morning because he is talking of the rebirth of the sun, which either means the beginning of the week or early morning when the sun rises. This last stanza in the poem I am a little unsure on the meaning or what the writer is trying to portray. He says "human merely being doubt unimaginable You?" From the capitilized 'Y' in You, I understand that Cummings is writing about God and he is asking humans why we question or doubt God himself. He states after this that his eyes and ears are opened. I do not believe that he was blind physically but he may have been blind spiritually and he had a revelation from God and now he understands what God is telling him to do. This was a very strong poem to me, and even if no one read Cumming's bibliography I believe they could concur that he was a Christian in some form or another from this writing. I really enjoyed this poem because it relates a whole lot to a praise to God, and it gives me the picture of King David and his writing of the Psalms that are in the Old Testament.

I also believe this poem is how we should live our lives everyday. We should wake up thinking that waking up was a gift from God and the new day is a blessing to us and our lives. We should say "I Thank You God" just like Cummings does in this poem and it should be our prayer for everything in our lives.

harlem shadows

In Harlem Shadows, Claude McKay shows how young women were force into a life of prostitution. These women were the unlucky ones who could not make enough money to support themselves. They move from street to street all through and receive no rest until day break. As McKay is observing was going on he sees lass of innocent children who have lost their purity and halting their footsteps to bend and barter at desire's call. McKay feels sorry for these children because he knows this is a bad situation to be in. McKay calls the girls feet “slippered” which means they moving from one bed to the next to make a daily wage before daybreak. In last stanza the stern, harsh, wretched world turns its back and ignoring the plight of young girls who are forced to endure poverty while also earning dishonor and disgrace in return. McKay hates that he sees his race living a life of prostitution and his heart goes out each one of the girls living to see a better day.

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

This is one of the few poems I actually remember reading before. I think it is because I have read it in almost every English class since the 10th grade, but this poem is interesting.
Langston Hughes speaks not as a single individual, but as a race of people, as African Americans. He speaks of the places where African Americans have lived. Langston speaks of the Euphrates, Nile, Congo, and Mississippi rivers, all of which have deltas. The deltas of the rivers are cradles for life. Life can flourish in these places and life can be sustained. I feel like Hughes is using that as a reference to the people of the Harlem Renaissance to flourish and stustain life in the time of expression.
Hughes appears to feel his heritage within his soul. He feels connected to people of the past and the people who played a role where he was and is today. Hughes "has grown deep like the rivers," as he repeats in the poem. this is the line that explains his connection to the people in the past.
This poem paved the streets of the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes was one of the most weel known poets of the time. His poems spoke directly to the people. He was able to capture the attention of the audience and keep their attention through his poems.

Road Less Traveled???

In this poem the speaker is walking through the woods and comes to a fork in the road. The speaker has to decide which road to take. He starts looking down one of the roads and sees that one is worn, overlaid, and has overtrodden leaves. He then thinks to himself that this will be the road to be taken however, the He noitces the other road has the same qualities. The speaker has to make two choices. Go down this road or the other. Eventually he chooses one the roads and considers taking the other sometime in the future. He then says that he doubts he will ever return knowing where the roads lead.

The Great Figure

Some people may not really like this poem. I'm not one of them. I like the image the poem puts in my head. It is amazing that William Carlos Williams can creat and image with just words. Not to mention the image is a vivid image. There is no vagueness at all when I read the poem. There is no questioning what is this about. It's easy to see it just a firetruck with five firemen riding the firetruck. It's a simple image in everyday life, but he makes it seem like it is more than just an everyday thing. He makes it seems s much more than that. For that reason, that's why this poem appeals to me so much. Critics and other poets said that his poems were no poems because they were so simple and to the point and not complicated. I personally like the up front, down and dirty version of writing. When I read something, I don't want to have to think about what I am reading. I would just like to see what is being described or told to just pop into my head and make me feel like I am there.

Tract and Red Wheelbarrow

William Carlos Williams was a physician first and was a poet second but many have wonder how is writing would have been he was poet first. The poem "Tract" Williams is teaching the townspeople how to perform a funeral. He doesn't want the use of anything materialistc or superficial. In the poem he says there no need for a hearse, curtains, and glass because what are they trying to hide? The man or woman that is dead can't notice us on their way to their grave. In "The Red Wheelbarrow" Williams wants the read to come up with its own idea about the poem. "So much depends upon a red wheel barrow," To me Williams was talking about a work and everyday he works with this wheelbarrow because everything that does depends on this red barrow.

Anderson's view of the world's inhabitants

In observing Sherwood Anderson's writings from a while back, I've developed an understanding and recognition of what he really was observing in people. He is a true modernist and looks at people to find if they have found truth and happiness. I believe that we all want happiness in life, but some people are blocked out by some of the choices we make early in our lives. In the story "Adventure", Alice made a decision early in her life that seemed to make her happy at the time, but stubbornness and the thought that without Ned, she couldn't be happy. Realizing that Ned was only a trap to lead her into a life of disappointment and despair, she knew her life didn't hold any truth. I believe truth and the search for love and happiness was the main goal within everyone in the modernism era. I believe a difference in politics prove a change in people's perception but I'll stay on task. "The Book of the Grotesque" showed a man looking at everything maybe with a little bit more wisdom because he has lived in another era where he may have known truth before. He sees these grotesques and reveals their faults and what they do makes them actually unhappy.

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

For my fourth blog, I am choosing to comment on "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by TS Eliot. This poem itself seems to be like an examination of the tortured psyche of the original man. He seems to be addressing his lover in the poem but he does not ever find the one he loves. He is thinking daily of those around him and is wondering what they are saying of him. This shows how insecure he is, by not knowing what might happen and where. This description of Prufrock explains many people in our world today. Because so many people are insecure with themselves and cannot live one day without wondering what others are thinking or doing around them. Also just like in this poem, when Prufrock does not find what he is looking for in his life or in women he chooses to go out in the world and find them in cheap hotels or restraurants. This shows the decline in morality in the poem itself and also people going out to find thrills in the cheapness that only lasts for a night. Unfortunately, I do believe this is what our world has come to. We choose to go out and find pleasure in the small things even though they do not last but a moment. Everyone chooses what they want to try and fill their lives with, and I believe that everything is a personal choice. It is just a matter of what we choose to do in our free time or who we choose to be around who influence us in the good or bad.

Blog 4

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" also known as just "Prufrock" is an American poem by T.S. Eliot. This poem was very nice to read but it is very hard to interpret what it is saying. It seems like the poem is speaking of a middle-aged man who is sexually frustrated and this man wants to say something to a girl but he is afraid to do so. The poem gives us many examples on how and why he is afraid to say something. He judges himself and thinks he is not good looking for example he says " Do I dare?" and "With a bald spot in the middle of my hair-....". This man is not very confident and does not believe in his actions. In the poem he questions himself about what he should do or whether he should do something for example "Do I dare disturb the universe?" or "So how should I presume?" Moreover, the poem creates a very comfortable mood right at the beginning. The poem says: "Let us go then, you and I, / When the evening is spread out against the sky.....". I find it very easily to read poems that have rhyme because it makes it more interesting to read and it gives the poem more meaning.

THE FEELING IS DESIRE

(Aauza Mack)
In the poem "Peter Quince at the Clavier" first part, the speaker seems to be talking of music and then goes on to describe how music is not a sound but is a feeling. The speaker seems to have a desire for music which in turn leads into the transition of a group of men having a desire for a married woman. They watch the woman, Susanna, from afar and yearn her, but know that she can not be touched because she belongs to someone else, unlike today's society where a man or a woman do not care about the boundaries of a relationship. As presented in the first part of the poem it is obvious that looks and touch can cause desire but to what extent. What is the price of you desiring something that does not belong to you? Part one also described the men or “elders” that desired Susanna as being “red-eyed” which could possible mean evil or maybe tired from looking at something that they so desired so much but still they watched her. The speaker is comparing his desire for music to the desiring of a group of men for one single lady, the men seem to have much more desire than the speaker but still he is comparing them as though they were equal

Road Not Taken

One of the pomes that we had to read, and I like the most was The Road Not Taken. It about a man on a journey through life and he comes to a fork in a road and he eventually makes a chose of choosing the road that was least taken and him being not happy about his decision. Another reason why I like this poem is because the speaker is anonymous and he could be any one of us. What gives clues that the speaker isn’t happy about his decision is that in the poem stanza four, line one the speaker says “I shall be telling this with a sigh”, now any story that is a happy story is not going to be told sadly. In the poem the speaker is very detailed. When the speaker speaks about the scenery he uses words and phrases such as grassy, wanted wear, worn, and in leaves no step had trodden black. Another reason why this poem is so interesting is because it is a allegory poem. This poem coveys a message of how when we come to a fork in a road in this journey called life and we have to make a decision once we make it that is it, we now must live with the consequences, what ever that might be.

Adventure

In the short story "Adventure" by Sherwood Anderson, Alice Hindman is the main character. She falls in love with a guy when she was just sixteen. The guy's name was Ned Currie. He was a bit older and more mature than Alice and when he said things that he did not mean she believed him. She really thought he loved her. She was too immature and young to realize that he did not. He chose to leave her without even knowing for sure that he would have a job in Cleveland and then he also would not let her come with him. Alice should have realized then that he did not really care about her, but instead she gives up her whole life waiting on Ned when she should have known he was never going to come back to her. Alice becomes very depressed and lonely, but it is hard to feel sorry for her because she did it to herself. She would not pay any other guys any mind because all she cared about was a guy who had moved on and forgotten about her. Alice should have been more realistic with herself. It ends with with Alice accepting the fact that some people live and die alone. The mood of the story was very lonely and depressing.