Steven Birkerts analysis of James Wright’s poem “Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy’s Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota” is very nicely written. Birkerts starts out analyzing the title, he asks a very good question, “Why didn’t Wright just call his poem “Hammock,” or “Lying in a Hammock”? Does it matter to us that the hammock was hung at William Duffy’s farm, or that the farm was in Pine Island, Minnesota? No.” (par 1). This is a very good question, what is the significance of William Duffy? Pine Island, Minnesota? I agree that this place must have been important to the author, otherwise why even put these things in the title. The poem does in fact paint a vivid picture as Birkerts states, “Indeed it is as though we are watching a painter
In order for Wright to get away from the situation he was living in, which was a very industrial area, he created poetry about nature. Wright used imagery to describe these scenes of nature and then occasionally used personification to enhance the image in the reader’s mind. The James Wright’s poem “Lying in a Hammock…” depicts the calm scenery that surrounds him as he is lying in a hammock at his friend 's farm. He notices little details like “I see the bronze butterfly, / Asleep on the black trunk,” (1-2). The poet also sees “as the evening darkens and comes on. / A chicken hawk floats over, looking for a home.” (11-12). For Wright to be able to notice and describes these details show how relaxed he is. Wright found himself in a place where he had no thoughts on his mind and nothing to worry about other than to focus on the world around him. This poem allows readers to daydream along with Wright and to be momentarily taken away from the situation they are currently in. Authors, Jeffrey Gray, Mary Balkun, and
Imagery is made up of the five senses, which are sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. The first sense of sight is seen throughout the whole poem, specifically in the first two lines, “I had the idea of sitting still/while others rushed by.” This sight she envisions is so calm and still and the perfect example of appreciating the little things that life has to offer. Through the use of these terse statements, she allows it to have more meaning than some novels do as a whole.
Richard Wright has been referred to me for therapy regarding his theft from the local theater, and I believe that he committed this crime because he believes that because of his station in society he would never be able to support himself and his family through honest means. Despite the fact that he does hold some remorse for his actions, it would appear that whatever remorse he holds is tempered by his justifications for stealing. A thorough analysis of his reasoning has been conducted and with testimony from the patient to serve as my proof, I will begin treatment to show him the error of his ways.
Images: Did the poet create strong images? What could you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel?
He uses powerful imagery and onomatopoeia to achieve the desired effects that make the poem more realistic. All this combined together produces effective thought provoking ideas and with each read, I gradually get an improved understanding and appreciation of the poem.
Home, the one place where one can always head back to, is nonexistent in the poem, and it is an essential part of living. One can analyze the meaning when he or she understands what he is conveying while he watches the chicken hawk “looking for home.” Wright also takes the time to mention the "empty house," leading to the question why is the house empty? It is unusual for houses to not contain anything internally such as furniture; the adjective "empty" can be seen as describing his life. He relates himself to the chicken hawk, but not only does he not possess a home, he is alone. At times in the poem, moments are present where he describes several of the images in the singular tense while the rest is plural. “The bronze butterfly” and “blowing like a leaf” both hint of his loneliness compared to the other moments such as “the cowbells” and the “two pines.” Being alone is a fear humans have, and in this case, he is by
“Whenever my environment had failed to support or nourish me, I had clutched at books...” ― Richard Wright, Black Boy this is a quote from the famous Richard Wright an African American author. This quote means that no matter what was placed in his way or what he lacked that others had he hung on to what he had and did what he could. And the more he read about the world, the more he longed to see it and make a permanent break from the Jim Crow South. "I want my life to count for something," he told a friend. Richard Wright wanted to make a difference in the world and a difference he did make. Richard Wright was an important figure in American History because he stood astride the midsection of his time period as a battering ram, paving the way for many black writers who followed him, these writers were Ralph Ellison, Chester Himes, James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lorraine Hansberry, John Williams. In some ways he helped change the American society.
The speaker from the first stanza is the observer, someone who pays closer attention to the entire piece of work, noticing all the details and able to understand the painting as a fluid story and not a snapshot. He is a man with fishing experience. He knows violent the seas and the power nature holds, strong and unforgiving to any individual. The second speaker in the poem is the observer, his voice is heard in the second stanza. He describes the individual looking at the painting as an innocent bystander embracing the art in a museum. The man views the painting, not fully immersing oneself in the complete story of the painting. Instead, he just looks on as a spectator, not fully appreciating the intensity of what he is looking at. Breaking the poem into two stanzas not only allows Finkel to voice two speakers, but also allows him to alternate the tone. The tone of the first stanza with the observer is dark, the speaker describes the events in the painting with a terror, making the painting more realistic with hints of personal experiences. The second stanza is divided into two parts: the first is calm, the onlooker is innocent, gazing at the still image on the canvas, describing the painting at face-value. The latter half of the stanza brings the painting to life. Similar to the first stanza, it transitions back into darkness, a contrast of what the observer views on the
This also applies with the painting. There are small details that one would not notice at first glance and after looking more closely, everything “starts to stand out”. The first stanza of my poem is referring to feeling overwhelmed. Everything starts to pile up onto one another and soon it all becomes “one gigantic mess”. When I look at the entire painting, I stare at it in awe because of how much time and precision it took the artist Bruce Gray. The circles are perfect and the colors do not even blend into one another. Although when looking at it, it seems like it is all too much and the colors actually do start to blend together. The second stanza talks about how everything “is not actually very frightening” and rather we make it seem that way. Because of how the painting seems overwhelming, it can cause dismay to many people, but honestly it is just “little pieces put together” as said in the fourth stanza. The last stanza in my poem says that we need to look closely at everything in not only the artwork we are replicating, but also life in general. Sometimes there are things that we do not notice and later on it starts to greatly impact us. That’s why it is best to closely the first time, or at least the second, in order to make the best out of everything.
I deliberately did not look for an inspiration of this poem or a critique on it, simply because I wanted it to read in my eyes and imagination what. Good analysis of the mythological landscape he wrote in.
Along with the imagery we get from the title, there is a lot of imagery within this poem. Let us start with the first three lines:
To begin, the reader may gather that the poem has a very dark and saddened tone. Due to Lowell's vivid imagery, a mental image of a dark urban setting is created. It also seems very cold, with the mentioning of wind and nighttime. Readers may be able to relate to urban places they know, adding to the reality of the poem. Connections can be made. The imagery is left in such a way that the reader can fill in the gaps with their own memories or settings. Also, since the poem uses free verse, the structure is left open to interpretation. This makes the poem more inviting and easier to interpret, rather than reading it as a riddle. However, though simple in imagery, the poem still captures the reader's interest due to the creation it sparks, yet it never strays away from the theme of bei...
Robert Browning's poem "Meeting at Night" is essentially a narrative of a man who is journeying to meet his lover. The man recounts his journey as he undertakes it, mentioning or observing different portions of the trip, each in turn. One by one, he briefly describes his surroundings as he passes by them, merely noting them as if they bear only fleeting significance to him. However, although his descriptions are unpretentious and abruptly forgotten as he continues onward toward his goal, each line of the poem contains striking imagery. In fact, it should be noted that this poem consists entirely of imagery. Every line depicts a scene of the landscape that Browning's narrator encounters; that is, at least, until he finally reaches his destination, when his focus is diverted to his lover. Throughout the entire poem he offers no personal insight or reflection on his situation, and he instead is content to merely report his perceptions and observations as they come and go. Although each of these little vignettes is of seemingly small consequence in itself, these individual images are each portrayed with remarkable style and feeling, and Browning skillfully strings these images together to elicit specific feelings and reactions from his readers. His masterful application of imagery, mood, and dynamic movement serve to shape the poem's emotion in such a way that the reader can tap into a plentiful well of information pertaining to the state of the speaker and his emotions -- information that initially goes unnoticed from a strictly literal observation.
In the first stanza, the poet seems to be offering a conventional romanticized view of Nature:
The poem ultimately becomes a “vision in a dream,” where the reader recognizes the images that Coleridge recreates through imagination.