"Getting Through" page 322, # 265

“Getting Through” by Deborah Pope consists of numerous similies which explain the sense of loss and isolation the narrator is encountering.  The repetitive use of varying similies shows the accumulation of emotion caused by separation from someone the narrator loves beyond what they struggle to express; “…like some last speaker of a beautiful language no one else can hear” (Pope 22-23).  Providing incessant similies comparing the painful emotions resulting from loss to things like a broken car, film, a room collecting dust and a failing cardiac muscle illustrates the narrators emotions. 

            The combined syntax, line structure and format of the poem also contribute significantly to the author’s development of communicating this loss as a sudden split resulting in unresolved and unspoken matters.  Caesuras occur frequently, cutting off the speaker’s monologue, implying that the separation may have resulted from poor communication, lacking equal contribution from both involved, as well as an abrupt end to their interaction.  The unfinished thoughts divided by the line format suggests the relationship ended without any resolution or closure. 

            This poem is interesting because the author thoroughly articulates their suffering, but they do not have an accusatory or blameful attitude, rather they seem to assume partial responsibility, reflecting on themselves, not solely the person who inflicted such pain. 

"Small Town with One Road" page 332, #279

“Small Town with One Road” by Gary Soto effectively incorporates a style of diction that conveys one of the poem’s themes.  The poem’s childish diction contributes to the reflective tone of the speaker.  Terms naturally assosciated with youth are frequently present as the narrator visualizes his own childhood in a similar small town. Vocabulary such as “big-eyed”, sweetness, stain, laughter, and candies all exemplify aspects of childhood the narrator is recalling, and reveals the reflective experience the speaker is having.

            Another literary item which enhances the poem’s meaning is the use of similies and metaphors, which aid readers in visualizing the setting, and the memories described by the speaker.  “Papa’s field that wavered like a mirage” presents an example in which the comparison between the father’s field and a desert mirage, results in the depiction of this memory as a time of difficult manual labor in a sweltering environment.  Recognizing the hard work and struggle of this childhood experience contributes to the reflective, grateful concept of the poem. 

            I find this poem interesting because while the narrator rediscovers some of the pleasant details of childhood, he also examines the influence it has had on his life and how it still has the potential to be further altered.  Most reflective pieces do not carry the experiences of the past into the present and future as “Small Town with One Road” does, but I like this interpretation and think it expresses the author’s grateful emotions for having created a future brighter than his past.  I hope when I reflect on my past I can use it as motivation, and understand how it continually influences life, as does the speaker of this poem. 

           

Glass Brain

"We" My thoughts

I appreciated the overall meaning of the work, which criticized utopian aims and conformity, however, I did not enjoy the intentionally disorderly writing style, even though it was consistent with the nature of the character.  Showing such a chaotic perspective of a precisely timed, organized world was a successful way of conveying the negative consequences of extremism, however, it did not result in pleasant or interactive reading.  The detached sentence structure and inhuman equations applied to life, made me feel isolated as a reader, from the story line; only vaguely witnessing the events of the novel from the outside, as opposed to feeling connected to the characters and anticipating each of their experiences.  In conclusion, I thought the novel successfully communicated its intended meaning, but I did not like the structure or style of the piece. 

"We" Passage Analysis

Amongst the clutter and chaos that “We” is composed of, I found a passage that struck my interest, particularly because it was so ironic given the circumstance.  Amidst D-503’s literary depiction of his incomprehensible world of confusion, which we have had the challenge of deciphering by analyzing “We”, he frequently attempted to quantify life into mathematical terms.  He ironically explains the method to achieve a logical, calculated format for life, while his own life is in a head-first whirlwind.  “The highest thing in Man is his reason, and what the work of reason comes down to is the continual limitation of infinity, dividing infinity up into convenient, easily digestible portions: differentiation (Zamyatin 64).”  He discusses differentiation, which acts as an antonym to unity, something he strives for by obediently working on OneState’s Integral.  He endorses both differentiation and conformity, thus confirming that he has no grasp on the “highest thing in Man” and consequently contradicts himself. 

"We" Analysis of the use of "I"

                Yevgeny Zamyatin’s novel “We” conspicuously places prominence on unity and conformation, as its title implies.  Unexpectedly, however, throughout the novel particular interest is subtly placed on the contrasting term, “I.”  The prime example of such contradiction is found in the name of the main character’s source of turmoil and love interest, I-330.

                The spirit of the novel’s society favors and promotes unity, and more noticeably, conformation, at every opportunity, with all members of society following a strict time table that dictates their day, which consists of wearing identical uniforms and marching in organized ranks.  D-503’s obedience is opposed by I-330 who seduces him, causes him to question himself and his environment, and most importantly, inspires doubt in D-503 about the strength of mass identity versus the power of individuals. 

                D-503 becomes enthralled with more than just his inexplicable emotions towards I-330, he also struggles to identify right from wrong, the leaders he has long trusted to control his life, or his new confusing love.  Stumbling over expressing his emotions, D-503 stutters that he loves I-330, but he hates the chaos  she churns into his thoughts.  Love by many would be considered similar to the term we, representing harmony and togetherness, however this is questioned by love and hate being contrasted to “we” and “I.”  This comparison is extended to a new extreme by D-503 who attempts to organize and condense his thoughts, “Humility is a virtue, pride a vice; We comes from God, I from the Devil (Zamyatin 124).”  In this statement he is claiming that “I” is a product of the devil, but “I” is associated with the name of his love, confirming his divergent thoughts towards the significance of “I”.  D-503 struggles because he cannot understand that ideas as enormous as love and hate and I and we cannot be narrowed down to a mathematical equation to identify a single, concrete answer. 

Scrabble + Faith pillow