Elizabeth Bishop and Her Poem "Filling Station"
Elizabeth Bishop's skill as a poet can be clearly seen in the thought- provoking poem entitled Filling Station. She paints the different language levels of poetry with the skill of an artist-- she seems to have an eye for detail as she contrasts the dark and dim reference of a filling station to a more homey, pleasant atmosphere. Bishop aptly arranges her words and expressions through the language devices of voice and metaphor.
In Filling Station, Bishop uses tone of voice brilliantly, through the use of phonetics, to create the poem's initial atmosphere. The opening seems to be offering a straightforward description of the filling station: "Oh, but it is dirty!/ -this little filling station,/ oil-soaked, oil-permeated/ to a disturbing, over-all/ black translucency". A closer inspection of the passage reveals quite a visual oil-soaked picture. This is created in large part by the oily sounds themselves. When spoken out-loud the diphthong [oi] in oil creates a diffusion of sound around the mouth that physically spreads the oil sound around the passage. An interesting seepage can also be clearly seen when looking specifically at the words "oil-soaked", "oil-permeated" and "grease- impregnated". These words connect the [oi] in oily with the word following it and heighten the spreading of the sound. Moreover, when studying the [oi] atmosphere throughout the poem the [oi] in doily and embroidered seems to particularly stand out. The oozing of the grease in the filling station moves to each new stanza with the mention of these words: In the fourth stanza, "big dim doily", to the second last stanza, "why, oh why, the doily? /Embroidered" to the last stanza, "somebody embroidered the doily".
Whereas the [oi] sound created an oily sound of language throughout the poem, the repetitive [ow] sound achieves a very different syntactical feature.
The cans which "softly say: /ESSO--SO--SO--SO" create a wind-like blowing effect from the mouth. Each SO allows for a sort of visual metaphor to be seen-- cars or the personified "high-strung automobiles" as they pass on by.
Not only are [oi] and [ow] sounds effectively used in this poem to create a unique tone but so is th...
... middle of paper ...
...can be that small part in us that still searches for hope and normalcy. We each need a "comfy" filling station. And although judgmental onlookers, or as Bishop writes the "high-strung automobiles", may only want to see the dirtiness of an individual character, a family or situation, they need to realize that if they look deep enough, light will shine through. "Somebody loves us all" if we are only to give the thought and time.
Afterall, even an automobile needs oil every once in a while to continue down its path.
In conclusion, it can be clearly seen that Elizabeth Bishop in the poem
Filling Station has wonderfully played with different levels of language like voice and metaphor. The reader becomes actively involved in questioning their own filling station and the care they give toward it. Is he or she the station, one who drives by the station or one who gives to the station?
Bibliography
Bishop, Elizabeth. "Filling Station." An Introduction to Poetry. Eds. Dana
Gioia and X.J. Kennedy. Eighth Edition. New York: HarperCollins College
Publishers, 1994.
Kay Ryan, born 1945 in California, is an exceptional author who is renowned for her work (Poets.org). Her poems may seem simple to some, but they have the power to leave an everlasting mark in your mind. It is no surprise that distinguished writers and critics, such as Dana Gioia, have complimented her writings for its “sheer intelligence” and “indeed wisdom” (“Discovering Kay Ryan”).
From the very first word of the poem, there is a command coming from an unnamed speaker. This establishes a sense of authority and gives the speaker a dominant position where they are dictating the poem to the reader rather than a collaborative interacti...
Now, when Othello and Desdemona, get the hesitant approval of their marriage by Desdemona’s father by blessing their marriage, the Father of Desdemona says “She has deceived her father, and may thee (Act 1, 3, 294).” This may not at first give Othello concern that his wife might cheat on him, but later with the help of Iago’s lies, this line becomes more relevant to Othello, giving him the idea that Desdemona may not always stay loyal. Now here Othello has some proof, of Desdemona’s betrayal but it is not very strong proof, at lest not enough to go to the extreme the Othello went to. Now, Iago also makes h...
When you ask a group of people on the street to name a music composer, a large percentage would name Mozart. This should come as no surprise. The music of Wolfgang Mozart has become internationally known as some of the most famous and recognizable classical music. Not only that, but his music has been incorporated into famous films, television, and even a brain development program for infants! But who was Mozart, and why has his acclaim and compositions lasted the test of time?
My writing is my medium, to impart my values, my beliefs, my ideas, my messages, everything to you. The ability to convey such things is beautiful. But for you to discover and interpret the beauty, to mould the beauty into a new being, is the true beauty of poetry.
It is a way to crucially engage oneself in setting the stage for new interventions and connections. She also emphasized that she personally viewed poetry as the embodiment of one’s personal experiences, and she challenged what the white, European males have imbued in society, as she declared, “I speak here of poetry as the revelation or distillation of experience, not the sterile word play that, too often, the white fathers distorted the word poetry to mean — in order to cover their desperate wish for imagination without insight.”
Her attention to the most miniscule detail and her grand explanations of spaces impacts her writing style and her reader’s reactions. This particularity is seen in this example: “I woke to a room of sunshine. A wispy-thin curtain veiled a multi paned sliding door of glass...The windows needed washing but slid easily apart and I stepped out onto a tilted balcony, a string mop on a hook to the left of me, and a half-missing board where I had planned to put my right foot. The breath went out of me...About 200 feet below was the sea… (151).” The authors account of this event could have been dull and simple as “There was a hole in the floor of the balcony”, but instead she chose to use detail and descriptors to engage the reader to imagine seeing the strange hotel room that almost turned her relaxing morning into a 200 foot
Poetry by William King, Martyn Lowery, Andrew Marvell, Liz Lochhead, John Cooper Clarke and Elizabeth Jennings
When asked what beauty is, most women will point to a magazine cover at a size two model — a small waist, long legs, and flawless skin. Dove has attempted to change this perspective with their “Campaign for Real Beauty”. Launched in 2004, this campaign is comprised by a series of advertisements such as commercials, short-films, billboards, and many more. Dove appeals to women’s pathos in order to market to women of all ages. The company’s strong ethos allows women to feel comfortable and believe that they are truly beautiful. A majority of the campaign is aimed at young adults but also includes women fifty years and older. The creative directors Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk strive to remind women that they are responsible for setting their own
born in Salzburg, Austria, January 27, 1756. His father, Leopold, perhaps the greatest influence on Mozart's life, was the vice Kapellmeister (assistant choir director) to the Archbishop of Salzburg at the time of Mozart's birth. Mozart was actually christened as "Joannes Chrysotomus Wolfgangus Theophilus," but adopted the Latin term "Amadeus" as his name of choice. Mozart was one of seven children born to Leopold and Anna, however, only one other sibling survived.
Through the use of alliterations, assonances, and onomatopoeias, “The Bells” expresses a cheerful tone. As the poem progresses, the sounds change to suggest a progression of life. In stanza one, or the beginning of life, Poe’s alliterate words help the poem flow. Sequentially, the flow of the poem helps illustrate the delightfulness of the silver bells and their tinkling. Poe also includes the long i assonance to show the bells joyful ringing. The short e sound also contributes to the merry and delightful tone because it justifies the merry melody that the bells create. In conclusion, the onomatopoeia supports the musicality of the poem. Poe uses words such as tinkle jingling, and tintinnabulation to mimic the chiming of the bells. Ultimately, Edgar Allen Poe conveys a happy tone in “The Bells” through the use of alliterations, assonances, and onomatopoeias.
Many parents ask, are vaccines safe for my child? I am one of those parents but the more research that I have done, has put wondering thoughts to rest. Many parents believe that vaccinations are linked to the causes of autism, multiple sclerosis, asthma and many other health problems. Although many parents have legitimate reasoning to not have their children receive vaccines, there are more pros than cons to receiving the vaccines. In rare cases children have became sick after immunizations, some life threatening. Because of vaccine safety and studies, the change in affordability of the vaccines, and recent decreasing results of major disease outbreaks, vaccines are helping keep children and our society safe.
and so this could be the reason for the content of her poems. I think
The Poetry of Judith Wright Abstract This report discusses the influences of Australia, as well as the universal impact on the poetry of Judith Wright. It contains an evaluation of both the techniques and the "plot" behind the poems "Remittance Man", "South of My Days" and "Eve to her Daughters" as well as a comparison between the three poems. Australia, as Wrights homeland, has had a significant effect on the content of her poems but references to English scenes are also consistent as well as general references to the universal world. Eve to her daughter. ?
Vaccinations, or vaccines for short, are injections that deliver a living attenuated organism into a person’s body. Children are very important to the continued welfare of humankind, and thusly, their well-being is of heightened importance. Vaccinations have a significant impact on an individual’s health, and children are not excluded from the benefits of vacations. It is of utmost importance that children are provided with the chance to a healthy future. Due to underdeveloped immunosuppressant systems, children are vulnerable to diseases that adults are typically resistant to, as their immune systems have had many years to evolve and grow in strength. Vaccines help children gain considerable resistances to diseases that would otherwise cause serious health problems. When used throughout the entirely of a population, vaccines have the potential to eliminate the possibility of contracting specific diseases.