Personal Response to Marge Piercy's A Work of Artifice
My initial response to "A Work of Artifice" by Marge Piercy, was one of profound sadness. In defining myself as the actual reader of this poem, my background becomes significant in my emotional response. "It is this reader who comes to the text shaped by cultural and personal norms and prejudices." (Bressler, p. 72) I come from a family of poets and published writers and have been reading and composing poetry since the age of 4. My first poem was published in the local newspaper, in which I won first prize, at age 5. I have experienced all kinds of texts, as well as many different forms of art.
Being exposed to art and literature at such a young age has given me a wide variety of experiences and a huge cultural repertoire. I have even been to Pablo Picasso's home studio in France a number of years ago.
What strikes the familiar chord in me through this poem, however, lies not in my cultural repertoire nor my literary background, but my own recent personal background. Having spent many years in an abusive relationship, I can identify with this poem on a very sensitive level. "It is your nature/ to be small and cozy,/ domestic and weak" (12-14). Throughout history, women have been subjected to prejudice and discrimination as the "weaker" sex, oft times becoming subservient to their husbands, bosses, etc. Men have been dominant for years, and in such, have squeezed the role of woman into the domestic realm, that which they believed to be "woman's work." Experiencing this first hand, although I did work two jobs to support a non-working husband and three children, I have felt a sense of weakness and being oppressed or kept down, kept small, which is the essence of this poem. The idea here represents the cultural norm (although this has changed in our culture today) of keeping women from speaking their mind by relegating them to purely domestic chores of little importance.
I found no key gaps within this poem on a personal level, although I can define some that would occur should a reader not be familiar with the concept of bonsai trees. My father has grown bonsai trees for many many years, thus the concept of pruning back and stunting the growth of such trees has been in my cultural and personal repertoire since childhood.
The readers are apt to feel confused in the contrasting ways the woman in this poem has been depicted. The lady described in the poem leads to contrasting lives during the day and night. She is a normal girl in her Cadillac in the day while in her pink Mustang she is a prostitute driving on highways in the night. In the poem the imagery of body recurs frequently as “moving in the dust” and “every time she is touched”. The reference to woman’s body could possibly be the metaphor for the derogatory ways women’s labor, especially the physical labor is represented. The contrast between day and night possibly highlights the two contrasting ways the women are represented in society.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is a story of national magnitude that contains complex characters. Harper Lee deals with the emotions and spirits of the characters insightfully. A few of these characters display courage at one point or another in the story. These flashes of courage come during turbulent times of the story, and often led to success.
Poetry has a way of making us feel every range of emotion, in some cases better than other forms of entertainment. Unlike a novel, which gives a wide field of vision on any subject, poems have a more focused look mostly on the raw emotion of any one topic. Understanding poetry is an art onto itself, to be able to peel back the words and feel the emotions within them is truly its own work. Harder yet is the ability to dissect and explain these ideas to another person (in this case through an essay)and have them feel and see the poem and the topic it brings to light in the same way that you do. The poem that we will explore is powerful and thought provoking, because it brings the ugly subject of oppression to the front of your mind and forces you to engage in a conversation that you have no control over. It makes you feel hopeless and angry at the same time. In the poem Unwanted by Edward Field we are going to explore the parts of the poem but mainly we will
The dictionary’s definition of courage is, “The ability to do something that frightens one; bravery.” The book To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is set in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. To Kill A Mockingbird is narrated by Scout, a young girl, daughter of Atticus Finch and the sister of Jem Finch. She has multiple important role models that teach her lessons as she grows; one of the lessons that she learns about is courage. Courage is a major theme throughout the book. Throughout TKAM, courage is shown when people know they will fail, but they still try; or when they risk their social and normal life to help others. The characters Miss Dubose, Atticus Finch, and Arthur (Boo) Radley show courage through the book.
In 1940, the import of hemp during World War II was a big factor in creating supplies such as parachutes or cordage. In the 1960’s, President Kennedy found from research that marijuana does not induce violence or lead to heavier drug use. George Washington, the first president of our beloved country, grew cannabis on his plantations. Thomas Jefferson also grew hemp as a reliable
Throughout the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, many traits are displayed in many forms. Different characters change dynamically and over the course of the novel the reader will soon realize that the trait most augmented is courage. The definition of courage is to perform an act that frightens one self. In other words, a person who steps out of his comfort zone is considered courageous. The four main characters who truly show bravery and courage are Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, Heck Tate and most of all Scout.
As a co-writer and producer, Brown has worked to develop many of the artists we have come to know today. Performers such as, Rick Barry, Status Green, Corey Wagar, Jerzy Jung, Natalie Stovall, Alex Brumel, and Andrew Holtz have all come to know his commitment to songwriting quite well, with some gaining major momentum because of it. His long career has seen him go thru several major label recording deals and at least three distinct publishing deals. He has achieved song placements in TV and film, and working with great producers and mentors like Danny Kortchmar (Don Henley, James Taylor, Rod Stewart), Peter Collins (Jewel, Rush, Indigo Girls), Monty Powell (Keith Urban, Lady A, Diamond Rio) and others that he’s no doubt picked up a few tricks from over the years.
The history of marijuana in the United States dates to early colonial times. ``In 1619, America's first marijuana law was enacted at Jamestown Colony, Va., `ordering' all farmers to `make tryal of' (grow) Indian hemp seed.” (Tribune) A by-product of the cannabis plant is hemp. Today, hemp can be used to make fabrics, construction, paper, medicines, oils, body care products, and molded plastics. In colonial times hemp was used to make various textile products and in the 1800s hemp was found to have medicinal benefits. Herer says in his book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, “various marijuana and hashish extracts were the first, second or third most-prescribed medicines in the United States from 1842 until the 1890s. (Herer) For centuries people have recognized the medicinal properties of cannabis; “depending on the c...
Within all the examples of courage there is not a situation there is not where character weren’t courageous during that time. Jem, Scout, Mrs. Dubose and Atticus understood the risks they faced but continued with their actions. Scout still faced scolding from Mrs. Caroline. Jem eventually told his father what he had done to the Radley’s. Mrs. Dubose died from been free from Morphine. Atticus finally wins in his mind. They might lost or won but they do not regret their courage they showed, so good could happen.
Several people regard women as inferior figures in this global world. Women have challenged the traditional female roles and have gradually climbed up the ladder of equality. They portray a distinct perspective that proves that womanhood can accomplish anything they set their mind to and search for equal gender status. The poems celebrate femininity and highlights the traits necessary for a women to be successful. The ladies in the poems are female-figures that carry themselves with high self-esteem and fearlessness. This essay identifies various literary techniques that describe feminine strength in Angelou and Clifton.
One of Emily Dickinson’s greatest skills is taking the familiar and making it unfamiliar. In this sense, she reshapes how her readers view her subjects and the meaning that they have in the world. She also has the ability to assign a word to abstractness, making her poems seemingly vague and unclear on the surface. Her poems are so carefully crafted that each word can be dissected and the reader is able to uncover intense meanings and images. Often focusing on more gothic themes, Dickinson shows an appreciation for the natural world in a handful of poems. Although Dickinson’s poem #1489 seems disoriented, it produces a parallelism of experience between the speaker and the audience that encompasses the abstractness and unexpectedness of an event.
The influential roles of women in the story also have important effects on the whole poem. It is them that press the senses of love, family care, devotion, and other ethical attitudes on the progression of the story. In this poem the Poet has created a sort of “catalogue of women” in which he accurately creates and disting...
This, in fact, is an example of “dynamic decomposition” of which the speaker claims she understands nothing. The ironic contradiction of form and content underlines the contradiction between the women’s presentation of her outer self and that of her inner self. The poem concludes with the line “’Let us go home she is tired and wants to go to bed.’” which is a statement made by the man. Hence, it “appears to give the last word to the men” but, in reality, it mirrors the poem’s opening lines and emphasises the role the woman assumes on the outside as well as her inner awareness and criticism. This echoes Loy’s proclamation in her “Feminist Manifesto” in which she states that women should “[l]eave off looking to men to find out what [they] are not [but] seek within [themselves] to find out what [they] are”. Therefore, the poem presents a “new woman” confined in the traditional social order but resisting it as she is aware and critical of
Many people can name a specific experience that changed their world view, whether it be a significant event, a piece of art, an influential coach, or a religious experience. My view of the world changed significantly when I began to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. This wonderful work of literature opened my eyes to the power of imagination and allowed me to develop my passion for reading. However, it also brought me to a realization, one that every young child must face: that every word an adult says is not necessarily true. After becoming aware of the ability for adults to be mistaken—or even to lie—I began to understand and realize that to be trusted by others, one must have respected reputation, and that trust in adults begins with a knowledge of their integrity.
When it comes to business, especially when it comes to starting one, I tend to think I know it all. Yet in reality, I don't really even know how to get started, enough to make a business efficient, or even get the doors open enough to make the first dollar. When I first think of working/operating a business, I think of no boss but myself, the rules are made by me and no one else, and that seems like a great plan in my eyes. As well as having all company profit coming directly to me, and I get to decide what happens with it. Although I know there is more to it than that, there is forming a budget, working with customers, knowing when to expand, and when to coast through. I also know that in the world of business, that if you aren't moving ahead, you are moving backwards.