The simultaneous distance and closeness within the relationship between the father and the child are inevitable even in the most tragic and happy events in life. The poems “Not Bad, Dad, Not Bad” by Jan Heller Levi and “In the Well” by Andrew Hudgins are both about the closeness and distance in a father and child relationship. Both poems are written in first person, or in the child’s point of view to emphasize the thoughts of distance and the experience of childhood thinking to the readers. The poems both use similar literary devices such as motifs and imagery to illustrate and accentuate the ideas of each event that the narrator, a child, experiences. Similarities between both poems are the use of water as a motif of the barrier to being farther away from the father, and the use of different synonyms for the word, father, to indicate the amount of distance at each point in the poems. On the other hand, each poem takes its route of distance in completely opposite directions. “Not Bad, Dad, Not Bad” by Jan Heller Levi and “In the Well” by Andrew Hudgins accommodate the similarities for the use of the same motif, water, and the use of several synonyms for “dad” throughout the poems, but also differentiate because they proceed in opposite directions from the beginning to the end.
In both poems, water is used as a motif to convey the barrier to being farther away from the father. From the poem, “Not Bad, Dad, Not Bad” the line “That icy ocean between us” is where the narrator talks about how the distance between her and her father is so far she even doubts whether he will even save her, even though “You [father] were moving as fast as you can” (Not Bad, Dad, Not Bad 14,16). These lines are important in the poem because the poem depi...
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... motif of distance from the father. The narrators in both poems, children, focus on their fathers and consequently the distance between each of them. In “Not Bad, Dad, Not Bad”, the daughter with the fun enjoying “Dad” that swims and leads to the “Icy ocean between us” (Not Bad, Dad, Not Bad 14) to symbolize the distance between the two literally and in their relationship. In “In the Well”, the daughter goes down the deep dark well close to the water where she could “taste fear” (In the Well 4-5), which then in the end she comes back up the well and comes to the “Light” (20) and her “Daddy”(15) where she is safe and at peace. Both poems depict the clear understanding of distance and the closeness of a parent to child relationship at even the simplest of occasions.No matter how far away the child is, the parent, in this case the father, is always there for support.
The speaker’s personal emotions emphasizes the poem’s theme since although his father is no longer with him in this world, the memory of his father will always live in his heart. Throughout the poem, Lee uses the sky, underground, and the heart to symbolize imagination, reality, and memory—emphasizing the poem’s theme of the remembrance of a loved one. Lee also uses repetition to convey the meaning of Little Father. The speaker repeatedly mentions “I buried my father…Since then…” This repetition displays the similarity in concepts, however the contrast in ideas. The first stanza focuses on the spiritual location of the speaker’s father, the second stanza focuses on the physical location of the father, and the third stanza focuses on the mental location of the speaker’s father. This allows the reader to understand and identify the shift in ideas between each stanza, and to connect these different ideas together—leading to the message of despite where the loved one is (spiritually or physically), they’ll always be in your heart. The usage of word choice also enables the reader to read in first person—the voice of the speaker. Reading in the voice of the speaker allows the reader to see in the perspective of the speaker and to connect with the speaker—understand
Both these poems do indeed have unique interpretations, depending on the reader. However, the methods that the two great poets used to make send those powerful messages are sometimes similar, but in this case largely different. Once one looks past the similarities of man entering water, the two poems have entirely different stories to tell, in very contrasting ways. Each poet has used effective diction, as well as very striking symbolism and imagery. The fact that they are different just shows how many ways there are to write a great poem, the only thing needed in common is the desire, feeling and will.
“Those Winter Sundays” tells of Robert Hayden’s father and the cold mornings his father endures to keep his family warm in the winters. In “Digging” Heaney is sitting in the window watching his father do hard manual labor, which has taken a toll on his body. In “My Father as a Guitar” Espada goes to the doctors office with his father and is sitting in the office with his dad when the doctor tells him he has to take pain killers and to stop working because his body was growing old and weak. The authors of the poems all look at their fathers the same; they look at them with much respect and gratitude. All three poems tell of the hard work the dads have to do to keep their family fed and clothed. “The landlord, here a symbol of all the mainstream social institutions that hold authority over the working class” (Constantakis.) Espada’s father is growing old and his health is deteriorating quickly but his ability to stop working is not in his own hands, “I can’t the landlord won’t let me” (774.) “He is separated from the homeland, and his life in the United States is far from welcoming” (Constantakis.) Espada’s Grandmother dies in Puerto Rico and the family learns this by a lett...
Both poems are set in the past, and both fathers are manual labourers, which the poets admired as a child. Both poems indicate intense change in their fathers lives, that affected the poet in a drastic way. Role reversal between father and son is evident, and a change of emotion is present. These are some of the re-occurring themes in both poems. Both poems in effect deal with the loss of a loved one; whether it be physically or mentally.
“Parenting by the book” was an incredible read because was written to inspire and empower the parents to raise well-mannered and courteous children; of competence and character, children whose decisions are consistent with the fundamental teachings of Christian morality. The book talks about biblical wisdom for parents raising their children. The author and family psychologist, John Rosemond, describes raising children using biblical principles to raise children. The Bible tells us how to raise a child and, people were using this model - even if they weren 't Christian- to raise children, and they have turned out to be hard working, respectful people, not like people today who were raised with a different model and can 't seem to survive on their own. Rosemond was very clear with his principles, he goes on to say that children today are so much worse than 30 or 40 years ago- because parents are made to feel guilty for "hurting a child 's feeling" or "not bonding effectively" or worse yet, "disciplining" our
The poem is written in the father’s point of view; this gives insight of the father’s character and
In the poem ¨My Father¨ by Scott Hightower, the author describes a rather unstable relationship with his now deceased father. Scott describes his father as a mix of both amazing and atrocious traits. The father is described as someone who constantly contradicts himself through his actions. He is never in between but either loving and heroic or cold and passive. The relationship between Scott and his father is shown to be always changing depending on the father’s mood towards him. He sees his father as the reason he now does certain things he finds bad. But at the end of it all, he owes a great deal to his father. Scott expresses that despite his flaws, his father helped shape the man he is today. Hightower uses certain diction, style, and imagery to
For many of us growing up, our mothers have been a part of who we are. They have been there when our world was falling apart, when we fell ill to the flu, and most importantly, the one to love us when we needed it the most. In “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, it begins with a brief introduction to one mother’s interpretation of the American Dream. Losing her family in China, she now hopes to recapture part of her loss through her daughter. However, the young girl, Ni Kan, mimics her mother’s dreams and ultimately rebels against them.
Family bonds are very important which can determine the ability for a family to get along. They can be between a mother and son, a father and son, or even a whole entire family itself. To some people anything can happen between them and their family relationship and they will get over it, but to others they may hold resentment. Throughout the poems Those Winter Sundays, My Papa’s Waltz, and The Ballad of Birmingham family bonds are tested greatly. In Those Winter Sundays the relationship being shown is between the father and son, with the way the son treats his father. My Papa’s Waltz shows the relationship between a father and son as well, but the son is being beaten by his father. In The Ballad of Birmingham the relationship shown is between
Parents are the first contact and relationship and play an essential role on the child’s development. Their actions and demeanor have a heavy impact on the way their offspring will relate to others, and develop future relationships. In the poem “Elegy of My Father, Who Is Not Dead” Hudgins analyzes and interprets the relationship he has with his father throughout an elegy. He uses this as a way to revisit his faith and the connection it has to his father.
the poem is pretty much saying that no matter what happens everything will be okay in the end because he knows he has his dad by his side and he is realizing that he can make his father Proud by doing so many good things in the world. so both poems have a nice determined and kind tone and mood both poems share that bravery and that they're not scared of anything no matter what life throws at them they look at everything the way
There is no greater bond then a boy and his father, the significant importance of having a father through your young life can help mold you to who you want to become without having emotional distraught or the fear of being neglected. This poem shows the importance in between the lines of how much love is deeply rooted between these two. In a boys life he must look up to his father as a mentor and his best friend, the father teaches the son as much as he can throughout his experience in life and build a strong relationship along the way. As the boy grows up after learning everything his father has taught him, he can provide help for his father at his old-age if problems were to come up in each others
Li-Young Lee’s poem, A Story, explores a complex relationship between a father and his five year old son. Although the poem’s purpose is to elaborate on the complexity of the relationship and the father’s fear of disappointing his son, the main conflict that the father is faced with is not uncommon among parents. Lee is able to successfully portray the father’s paranoia and son’s innocence through the use of alternating point of view, stanza structure, and Biblical symbolism.
From the every begin of the first lines of the poem, the imagery shows that the parents and son are at odds with each other. In the poem, the son is argues that there are 102 gallons of water in his body even though the parents tell him that he has mistaken the words “divide” and “multiply” to come out with a false answer. But, the son insists that he is right about this improbable figure because his teacher said that he was right. The parents argue back by saying do you remember that jug of milk and no way you’re carrying one hundred of those. Even after this the son still doesn’t listen to them. Because of the divide between son and his parents, the son won’t even consider that his parents might be right. The son thinks they are “idiots” without ev...
The relationship between a father and his son can be articulated as without a doubt the most significant relationship that a man can have throughout the duration of his life. To a further extent the relationship between a father and a son can be more than just a simple companionship. Just like a clown fish and a sea anemone, both father and son will rely on each other in order to survive the struggles of their everyday lives. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Gabriele Muccino’s The Pursuit of Happyness both depict a story between a father and son using each other as a means of survival when faced with adversity. When placed in a tough situation father and son must create a symbiotic relationship in order to survive. Upon the duo of father and son can creating a symbiotic relationship, it will result in a mutual dependency on each other. This theme of paternal love is omnipresent given the bond between the two characters.