An Interpretation of What Work Is
Richard Hugo once wrote "Philip Levine knows a few things so well that he cannot forget them when he writes poetry." I believe that one of these things is the subject of work. Levine's theme of work comes from his past experiences of growing up and working during the time of World War II. Philip Levine grew up in Detroit, Michigan during this very difficult time for the United States. His thoughts were occupied with the war and the fear of being sent overseas; therefore his attention was not focused on such things as poetry. Levine was eighteen years old before he realized that poetry had meaning and that he could relate it to his life. A woman gave him a copy of "Arms and A Boy" by Wilfred Owen. After reading it he saw that the people involved had real feelings and issues just as he did. This was when his love for poetry began.
Unlike many other poets, Levine writes about common, everyday, subjects that all people have to deal with. Among these is the subject of work. When you hear the word "work" you may think of a nine to five job that you have to do to pay the bills, but is this the only kind of work there is? According to my interpretation of Levine's poem "What Work Is", my answer would be no.
Work is the continual topic throughout the poem "What Work Is", but the word "work" has several meanings within this poem. In the beginning of the poem the speaker describes how hard it is to find a job. This is where the first meaning of work comes in. The second meaning of work shows up when the speaker is talking about his brother's job. The final meaning of work comes in toward the end of the poem when the speaker discusses the relationship between him and his brother. I would like ...
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...other. He or she must be able to open up and let loved ones see his or her heart, without worrying about things such as age, intelligence, and emotions. It is not too late to do "something so simple, so obvious," as sharing your feelings with someone you care about. I believe this is one of the main points the author is trying to get across to his readers.
This poem deals with such a simple, everyday subject, but it can be interpreted in many different ways. Philip Levine has a special way of taking the topic of work and turning it into something meaningful. This enables his readers to be changed, for the better, according to how they interpret his work. As Levine would say, "The poet has the ability to use language in a nice way." and he also gets a very important point across.
Works Cited:
Levine, Philip. What Work Is. New York: Alfred A. Knopff, 1991.
Rule: 1. Justice White, speaking for the majority believes that the decision in this case is similar to Bell v. Burson, in which held that the state could not deprive a person of there drivers license pertaining to a speeding violation without a hearing. He stated: "The states interest in caring for Stanley’s children is de minimis if Stanley is shown to be a fit father. It insists on presuming rather than proving Stanley’s unfitness solely because it is more convenient to presume than to prove. 2. They concluded that all Illinois parents are constitutionally entitled to a hearing on their fitness before their children are removed from their custody. Denying such a hearing to Stanley and those like him while granting it to other Illinois parents is inescapably contrary to the Equal Protection Clause. 3. The rule of law that justifies the holding of the case is: "It is cardinal with us that the custody, care, and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for obligations the state may neither supply nor hinder" (Prince v. Mass.). 4. "The integrity of the family unit has found protection in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Ninth Amendment.
The poem describes workers to be “Killing the overtime ‘cause the dream is your life, / Refusing to take holidays or go home to your spouse, / But for many the overtime comes, ‘cause the work is not done. / Deadlines to be met. So you continue to dream like a war vet, / Having flashbacks to make you shiver and scream” (Jones, stanza 7, lines 2-6). Jones reinforces that overworking for an incentive of money does not give one a sense of gratification, and it also distracts them from the values that should matter more to them than anything else. Both Kohn and Jones have a similar approach to showing the reader the effect that overworking can have on a person, and how it will change their values in life, causing unhappiness. Many students go through school dispirited and do not join various clubs and activities for their own enjoyment. A friend of Kohn’s who was also a high school guidance counsellor had a student with ‘…amazing grade and board scores. It remained only to knock out a dazzling essay on his college applications that would clinch the sale. “Why don’t we start with some books that
It is safe to say that work comes in many different forms. Whether it be a fast food or a corporate, the people that surround an individual make a great impact on the way he or she may work. Singapore, by Mary Oliver, is about a young woman working as a custodian in an airport who although works alone, enjoys her work and the people she meets. Dorianne Laux’s What I Wouldn’t Do, introduces another young woman reviewing the jobs she has had throughout time and reflects on those that she liked and disliked. Hard Work, by Stephen Dunn, exemplifies a young boy working in a soda factory during his summer break. Searching for happiness in life and work is just what these individuals are doing.
What does the work consist of? Who authored it, and how? What is it based on, and how does it relate? What is it, and what will become of it? The answers to these questions, collectively, form an important response to a bigger question: What is art? What does it mean to describe a piece as “a work of art”?
Evans, Donia. "The Case Against Standardized Tests." The Meridian Star. 24 Nov. 2013. The Meridian Star. 01 Dec. 2013 .
Standardized testing scores proficiencies in most generally accepted curricular areas. The margin of error is too great to call this method effective. “High test scores are generally related to things other than the actual quality of education students are receiving” (Kohn 7). “Only recently have test scores been published in the news-paper and used as the primary criteria for judging children, teachers, and schools.”(2) Standardized testing is a great travesty imposed upon the American Public School system.
Work. How many different ways can there be to write about work? Well, the author of "Serving in Florida", Barbara Ehrenreich, lives a privileged lifestyle which gives her the option to leave her low income job allowing her to be more critical and judgmental of low income jobs in comparison to Lars Eighner, the author of "On Dumpster Diving", who is trapped, being homeless, so he is more accepting of people who have low income jobs, or no jobs at all. Although, there are many similarities between these two pieces, the author's background plays a large role in their writing style and opinions of similar topics.
Watson, T. (2008) The Meaning of Work. The Sociology of Work and Industry. London: Routledge.
Phelps, Richard P. Kill the Messenger: The war on Standardized Testing. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2003. Print.
Standardized tests have been a controversial issue regarding whether they are helping or hurting students and their academics. People that are for standardized testing argue that the tests are fair because all students nationwide are learning and being tested on the same thing. Bruno, Kemmerling, and others agree that these tests are beneficial to schools, students, and teachers. Others who are against standardized testing disagree because teachers are only teaching to the test. Littky, Caines, and Hanford see the negative aspects of standardized testing and want to change how people perceive it. Both sides of the issue have a credible argument.
tests were primarily employed as measures of student achievement that could be reported to parents, and as a means of noting state and district trends (Moon 2) . Teachers paid little attention to these tests, which in turn had little impact on curriculum. However, in the continuing quest for better schools and high achieving students, testing has become a central focus of policy and practice. Standardized tests are tests that attempt to present unbiased material under the same, predetermined conditions and with consistent scoring and interpretation so that students have equal opportunities to give correct answers and receive an accurate assessment. The idea is that these similarities allow the highest degree of certainty in comparing result...
"Occasionally, perhaps twice a week, he went to a dusty, forgotten-looking office in the Ministry of Truth and did little work, or what was called work.” (307) --> This shows the kind of work that these workers complete. It is ironic that this is the ministry of "truth" however, the work involved is changing history books for the Party. This emphasizes how the Party manipulated the society 's actions through propaganda
Standardized testing has been around since the industrial age where we began to see children returning from the factory to classrooms. After not being in the classroom for months or years, these kids were behind their grade levels’ skill set (Lee). The standardized test was introduced as a way to determine these missing skills. Unfortunately, the use of standardized testing has grown into the key assessment for students, teachers, schools, states, and countries. Such high stakes testing creates a learning environment where creativity is limited and stress is high for both students and teachers. Many schools have become less focused on learning and more on the memorization of test materials. Although many administrators and lawmakers believe standardized testing is a good way to evaluate student progress and teacher performance, standardized tests can create additional stress, loss of creativity, enjoyable educational circumstances and can be biased against certain students.
Wykoff, Simon. "Unemployed And Working Hard." The Composition of Everyday Life. Ed. John Mauk and John Metz. Brief ed. Vol. 4. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2013. 395-97. Print.
He did not consider studying and readins as being “work”. He states: “Men like to work`.” (Lodge 126)