The Hitchhikers

This poem is not only about hitchhikers but it also symbolizes a relationship. The writer is afraid of picking up a hitchhiker becuase of the look on their faces, the desparate look of need and affection. A bond that the writer does not want to make. Then she compares a hitchhiker to a relationship. Apparently she was once in a two year relationship that failed and she believes each realtionship she could have been in next is compared to a lonely hitchhiker who just wants to find someone to help them, and because of this failed relationship the author is now afraid of commitment. As for the berries, I believe the berries symbolize a form of pain if they are dangerous or just something to look at and admire but never to touch out of fear like a hitchhiker and like a form of commitment

THE CUTTING PROW

This poem was more like a story to me. Describing the part of a life of an old crippled man who enjoys painting, and was a former artist. Since he was wheelchair ridden he couldnt really paint the way he wanted. So he started cut shapes out of anything and seemed to create a sort of collage. As for the end, the scissors became his master tool instead of a paintbrush or pencil and the sound affects were the only sound you heard as he worked so it was emphasized as an important aspect of his work. I really enjoyed reading it and I wonder what happened before and after this point in his life.

There it is

I feel the poem "There it is" by Jayne Cortez is very simple, maybe even alittle too simple. However, even though this poem is extremely short and simple it has alot of meaning within the words and phrases. She talks about not giving up and to stand tall and united as one whole to gain and show power in the world. Its about living and trying to survive in this world full of racism and oppression. That one day there will be hope but for now everyone who wants a better life has to stick together and they will succeed in having a better life - the one every person deserves to have

MOTHER TO SON

The poem, "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes is about a mother who has had next exactly a difficult life but who has hit some rough patches and is trying to tell her son that no matter how rough something in life may get you can get through it. The mother refers to a stairway as the journey of life, and the tacks, splinters, and torn boards as hard times in life. Yet she never stopped climbing and living her life without giving up and without looking back or resting because then it'll be harder to go on. This entire poem is based on not only a mother/son relationship but any parent/child, family member to family member, friend to friend, etc, relationships and it is full of great advice.

After Making Love We Hear Footsteps

The poem "After Making Love We Hear Footsteps" by Galway Kinnell is quite interesting to me. This poem puts you into two different settings as it combines into one. Each setting involving different people, different actions, different emotions. One is of a little innocent boy in the dream state and his married parents are in the next room making sex. They can hear tiny noises coming from him as he sleeps in another room. As they are finished, the little boy wakes up and appears in their room. As he lies safely inbetween them, probably because he had a bad dream and feels safe with his mommy and daddy, they feel a hidden bond between themselves. The action of his existance is making love, and as he lies there in their arms the memories of love making is symbolized through him as a result and more love is shared. From the every beginning, til that night, til probably every night after this, there will always be a special bond between making love to someone you care about and the child concieved because of it

Barbie Doll

The poem "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy in-fact has nothing to do with an actual Barbie doll. It does however prove that the ideal look for a girl is a skinny, well fit body and a fun loving personality with an intelligent mind. The girl that is discussed in this poem is "healthy, tested intelligent,possessed strong arms and back,abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity". However because of her fat legs and big nose she is an "ugly" person because her body isn't perfect. She goes around apologizing to people about how she looks and even tries to go on a diet. You can tell all she wants to do is fit in. Over some time she loses her patience and cuts off her nose and legs. Now with this amputated parts she is considered pretty as she lays dead in her casket. This happens to many people in today's society. If one little thing about them isn't perfect to everyone else, they try to change to fit in and they can severely hurt themselves or even kill themselves, whether by accident or on purpose. I believe it's very sad and no one should have to go through this. I believe everyone is perfect in their own way.

People Getting Divorced

The poem "People Getting Divorced" by Lawrence Ferlingehtti seems a bit odd to me. The words and the layout are unusual. Obvisiously this poem is about someone who just divorced. It shows that they really have no place to go, except their car which they should be lucky to have. The car might come as a sort of new home for some time, driving aimlessly, being used as a bed, even as a closet. As time passes they don't exactly know what has happened, what will happen to either them or the person they were married to. There's so many questions on where the next step of their journey of life will take them or the other, will it be nothing or happiness in another soul. Yet in the end there is so hope and some healing of the body, mind, heart, and soul and life is not yet over for the author, one chapter ended, the page is turned, and another chapter begins.

HOWL

Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" is very different compared to all the poems I've read before. Most poems are short and somewhat simple, however this one is about as long as a typical essay and filled with enough information to keep the reader busy for days trying to analyze every aspect. Another thing that makes this poem so random is that it is cut into three different parts, three different views basically, yet all based along the idea of drugs and how it can affect any person. How a person can go crazy, see things that aren't really there, the details of what kind of high is experienced and how its so "out of this world". I find that even though this poem may be extremely long and might not make much sense at times, it can still get a person's mind going about seeing this situations and also living them.

Wedding Ring

The poem "Wedding-Ring" by Denise Levertov is basically Denise's view on her wedding ring. This simple small keepsake is filled with happiness, sadness, and many many memories. Just from the beginning you can tell whoever she married was not the greatest idea. She is unhappy with how the marriage turned out because she doesn't want to wear her ring and compares it to, "lies among keys to abandoned houses, nails waiting to be needed and hammered into some wall, telephone numbers with no names attached, idle paperclips". Yet even though she can't stand the ring she won't part with it because it's bad luck to sell or give away a wedding ring. All she believes is this ring is filled with memories and promises from her husband and apparently she is not completely thrilled by this marriage and the promises were broken and it could've possibly ended in divorce. She closes saying all she wants is a friendship, and someone she can always rely on and to be able to trust what they say and promise.

SEX WITHOUT LOVE

This poem was very interesting and can really get a person thinking. Day after day millions of people have sex without love or any type of affection and don't care. The poem starts off describing what both intimate people look like as they have having sex; "Beautiful as dancers, gliding over each other like ice-skaters over the ice" could refer to the body movement, "fingers hooked
inside each other's bodies" could be interpreted as the tenseness and enjoyment of these actions, "faces red as steak, wine, wet as the children at birth whose mothers are going to give them away' could be explaining the ending as both people are out of breath and sweaty. Then I thought it was interesting when the author compared sex without love to a person who goes to church yet doesn't worship god, its just wrong and sinful. She then closes describing a runner that runs just because they can and they enjoy it because people have random sex without love because of the same reasons, there's nothing stopping them from enjoying themselves with the company of others.

The Red Wheelbarrow

Even though "The Red Wheelbarrow" looks like a short and simple poem it really is the complete opposite. With the 4 lines of almost nothingness William Carlos Williams has a bunch of secret hidden meanings behind each word. Behind these few words a setting is created with a red wheelbarrow that is wet from the rain and is placed next to chickens. As you read deeper the wheelbarrow isn't just a helpful tool to the owner but it might also be a shelter for the chickens and whatever else the first line can mean, what exactly depends so much on this one wheelbarrow inparticular? How much did it rain and how long ago since its still wet from the storm? Why are the chickens next to it, does it survive a special purpose to them? These and more questions can be created just by reading four lines, as the last word of each line is emphasized with importance of some sort. I really enjoy the type of writing this poet does, always having the reader wanting more and questioning everything.

THE FISH

After reading "The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop a person can learn to respect the life of a simple creature. The author compares this poor innocent fish that has been caught by a fisher to an old aging wise man; "Like medals with their ribbons frayed and wavering, a five-haired beard of wisdom trailing from his aching jaw." As the fisher is just standing there staring at the poor animal dangling from the line they realize by the look in the fishes eyes and the detail in the skin that the fish is still a part of the earth and has a right to live; as explained in "While his gills were breathing in the terrible oxygen — the frightening gills, fresh and crisp with blood"; so the fisher lets the fish go free and finish his journey in the sea.