What Do Woman Want Illustration

What Do Woman Want- by Kim Addonizio

I want a red dress. 
I want it flimsy and cheap, 
I want it too tight, I want to wear it 
until someone tears it off me. 
I want it sleeveless and backless, 
this dress, so no one has to guess 
what's underneath. I want to walk down
the street past Thrifty's and the hardware store 
with all those keys glittering in the window, 
past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old 
donuts in their café, past the Guerra brothers 
slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly, 
hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders. 
I want to walk like I'm the only 
woman on earth and I can have my pick. 
I want that red dress bad.
I want it to confirm 
your worst fears about me, 
to show you how little I care about you 
or anything except what 
I want. When I find it, I'll pull that garment 
from its hanger like I'm choosing a body 
to carry me into this world, through 
the birth-cries and the love-cries too, 
and I'll wear it like bones, like skin, 
it'll be the goddamned 
dress they bury me in. 

 

Illustration by Alyssa DeNovio 4/26/12

My Face Fades Project

The Emperor of Ice Cream poem response

Another strange poem I have read today, but this one had some interesting illustrations surrounding it. This could be from the look of the illustration and how the poem is written, but i can see this as a kids type poem. Of course this cant be a real children's poem because of some use of words that would be bad for a kid to learn. But this poem has that fun, creative and imaginative style of writing. I don't know why it is hard for me to find the tone/feel of some poems (that part should be easy). After reading this a couple of times I didn't feel anything, just that it was fun to read and that it had a similar style of telling tales of some hero or legendary figure or a tale that could be told on Halloween night to scare kids (or that could be just me and how i read it). This poem is making sure that the readers know of this Emperor of Ice Cream, and i like how they end both poems with this line 'The Only Emperor is the Emperor of ice-cream.'

I also thought it was interesting how both poems have a figure in the top center above the poem, giving the readers a visual of what the poem below them might be referring to. Also that in the first poem we have a sad looking skull man and behind him are living kids with ice cream. Maybe he is sad because he no longer has his sense of taste. And on the bottom with the living woman in the center of the page, behind her are skull people wearing the same clothes as the kids above. I think those little details are cool, and makes you jump from a picture of mostly living to mostly dead. Like i said, if it wasn't for some words not good for kids, from the style of writing to the illustrations looks like a poem out of a kids book. In this case a kid that is very into skulls and gothic stuff.

The Tall Figures of Giacometti poem response

This was an odd poem to read, and I don't understand what is going on. If I had to guess on the tone of the poem, I would say that it has a depressing feeling/tone to it. With words like crude, ugly, dead it just sounds so sad and depressing. I can picture someone reading this poem in a way like they don't care about anything or anyone anymore and they prefer to be alone and think that truth is ugly and other stuff like that. I'm having a hard time getting an image of what this poem is trying to say. It is like when I read this poem (over and over to myself) I see nothing in my thoughts. But maybe that is the point of this poem, that it does not have to have full detail descriptive words to paint the picture in your head.  So as you can tell not one of my favorite poems and if I was ask to illustrate this poem, it would be the hardest assignment to do. Because I can not see what is going on, what it the point of the poem.

A Red Figured Cup Poem Response

After reading this poem, I don't really know what to make of this poem. When I read it I couldn't feel the mood of this poem, other than these two people are very open for sex. Also that the man is older than her, but that does not stop him and that the girl is young, fresh and very open to sex. So from the very beginning this is an Erotic type of poem. But to me I read it as a story of what was happening in this scene. I know not all poems have to rhyme, but I am use to reading and listening to poems that have some sort of rhyming or almost have a musical tone (like song lyrics). Clearly these two have no shame, and are having fun.  I thought there was good description of these two characters. Like how Robert Kelly talked about the young girl and her skin, joyful legs etc. And the old skinny man and how weak he sound compared to his young lover. Looking at this poem again, it is almost like it is being told from this man's point of view (his thoughts). This poem is not him narrating what is happening, but  most of the poem is about him and his view on the young girl in front of him.

Both from this poem and the picture next to it, reminds me of my trip to Italy in 2008. On one of our tours (I forgot where) we went to some ancient buildings and houses, and one of the buildings (in pretty good condition) had many drawings similar to this picture, of different sex potions. It looked like if they were placing an order for what they want, then they go to one of the rooms and do it. I know this isn't relevant to the poem, but after reading this poem that was my first thought and that it is almost a similar situation. Of just having sex with who ever, as longs as they are up to it. Maybe that should be my next poem, have it be similar to how this poem is written.

The Ancient Torso of Apollo poem response

I enjoyed reading this poem, it seemed very different from the other poems. What I found to be interesting is that when I read it the first time. What I got from this is that the poem is telling that the statue is not complete. My reason for coming to that thought was the many places I found where it said "would not" and "cannot". If my guess is right, or somewhat close to it, then it fits well with the image of the Apollo statue. This poem is also pointing out what is missing like his head, and that we will never know his face. I feel like this poem has a mystery feeling to it, I know that is not a feeling, but i can't think of any other way to describe it. Just from that beginning line of "We cannot know his legendary head with eyes like ripening fruit" make me feeling like there is something more to this Apollo statute and it is leaving the readers of this poem in wonder.

 My favorite line in this poem is at the bottom " For here there is no place that does not see you. You must change your life." I try with my poem to have some message or moral (i feel that helps me to start writing a poem or a story, once I know of a moral or an important message i want to address), and just reading that line really stood out to me.  Especially the "You must change your life" to me that line is making me think of my life right now, almost done with college and about to go into the real world. I must change my life for the better, not having someone to hold my hand and do the work for me. I am ready to stand on my feet and make changes. I think if any poem can have you feeling inspired, and gives you power/ self confidence in yourself that I say that is a good and strong poem.

Different

A tree unlike all the rest.

Twisted tree, blending into the shadows, and hiding from the light.

Almost invisible to the other trees, only slight rays of light shine through.

Roots descending, circling you, wrapping around all the way from the tallest to the lowest branch.
All joined and forming as one.

Find yourself and stretch your individuality!

Just like you, we are different, but hide it within the shadows.

Express who you are, be different and proud.

Allow your unique side to grow tall as a tree, reaching for the sky.

Do not hide in the shadows for long, allow the light to shine on you.

Blocked off

This afternoon the sun is out, warm and bright
PERFECT  as it should be.

People out and about, enjoying the day free from pain and stress.

A smile is seen on their faces, laughter in the air.

A PERFECT day

This afternoon, I am cut off from this PERFECT day.

Locked within my walls. Blocked from the outside.

Preventing the warmth of the sun from touching my skin.

This afternoon, I remain here, my responsibilities forbid me from leaving.

Until my job is complete, then I will be given access to this PERFECT day.

The Bronze David of Donatello poem response

First off this is a longer poem than the other poems I have read. Not really a fan of long poems, to me long poems are hard to stay focus too. because there is so much detail in the poem, that it might be hard to keep in mind of what is going on. But again, this could be just me and my preference to reading poems.

After  reading this poem, i found it to be an ok poem. It is descriptive of the bronze statue David of Donatello, but that is all it really is. I like how after describing some parts on the body, there is a little bit of a story that goes with it. But I honestly found myself bored by this poem, I have not said that to the other poems and I try to give them a chance and some credit. granted I am not the poem expert, but as a person reading the poem I found this poem to be a bit boring and slow. The parts that I did like is that it kept in the theme of Greek times, with mentioning Medusa and other characters. And there is a lot of good description and detail, but I think it could be shorter.

Musee des Beaux Arts poem responses

This poem was an interesting poem to read, but at the same time, I am confused as to what is going on. This may be just me, but I am having a hard time finding the image in the words (to see visually in my mind). From the style of this poem, it looks likes a poem that is more descriptive and not trying to be short with its words. sort of like the last poems that involved a winter landscape. It is another poem that is setting the scene of the environment, and not really having a main person to focus on. As for the tone of the poem, I do see must tone, other than it has a calm and relaxing feel to it. I am not sure who is the person telling the poem. That is something that I would like to know, other than that this poem is ok but I think there could be more added to this. If there was more details on the people and anything more about the person telling the poem, then I think the poem might be stronger, other than a nice poem detailing of a landscape.

My Brother's Lovin

You have to be drunk, to crave my brother's "lovin"
That IS all I have to say,
and it is the only way.

To feel his "lovin" is to feel the cold hardness of a rock.
Forever in silence and unable to return your love.
To feel his "lovin" is like when the light attracts a fly.
Lured by it warmth, its beautiful glow, such trusting light.
ZAP, it kills your love to ashes.

You have to be Drunk to crave my brothers "Lovin"
Sorry for sounding horrible, I should be kind.
Beneath his looks, there is blackness and emptiness.
Nothing can fill that void.

Go ahead take a drink, fall into your wonderland. Perhaps there is something more.
Maybe he is the man of your dreams. But I will say it again.
You have to be drunk to love my brother.

The Hunter in the Snow Poem Observatiom

This is another descriptive/detail poem, only this one is shorter in the words that William Carlos Williams uses. This poem is describing certain images and still paints the landscape image of the town and the idea of winter. After reading this poem over, To me I can a kids reading this poem, its short for them so that they won't loose intreats and it is still telling a descriptive telling of the story. in other words, it's short, sweet and too the point. Also like the previous poem, this one uses the same painting by Pieter Brueghel.  This poem fits well with the painting just like the last poem.

I think that this poem share the same tone and mood as the previous poem. That we are reading this poem as if we are observing the town. Not the one telling it, but listening to someone else tell it, maybe it is one of the men telling us the poem.

Winter Landscape Poem Responses

I like this poem, what I like about it is that it tells a story. To me I see this poem as a very detail and descriptive poem. Much like it's title, this poem is telling about the landscape of this winter with the town and people. It goes well with the painting. If i had to guess on a tone or mood of what this poem is going for, I would have to say it's a very quiet moment. Like these tree men are in the woods, frozen in silence as they watch the town and the people below. No real action, just quiet observation from a far. I know that is not mush of a tone or mood, but this was my reaction after reading it a couple of times.

I like that this poem is descriptive, different from the past poems I have read. And this poem has inspired me to try and do the same thing for my next poem.

My Face Fades

My face fades,
vanishing within the mask.
Fooling the reflection watching me
fooling others that pass me.
Sinking deeper in the shadows.
Quiet as a mouse, you can not hear me.
It makes no difference, trying this, trying that
makes no difference.

Half-expecting someone to see me
to see my dark brown eyes
to hear my voice
to feel my touch,
but they just walk away. As my image fades.
This mask is my new face.
My old face trapped inside, lost even to me.

In the mask
try to cover up my pain
No, I still feel lonely.
Still hiding
Still fading away.

13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird poem response

This poem is growing on me, in the beginning I did not get the poem. I was trying to hard to put everything in a visual image in my thoughts. But after reading this poem over many times in class and having use it as a guide in my past poem (The Seine),  I have come to like the style of this poem. It is a bit long, and I usually don't like poems that are too long. For me when I see a poem that long it is almost intimidating, and i worry that if i read it I would miss something important. What I do like about this poem is that in the 13 ways of describing the Blackbird, Wallace Stevens did not have to go into full detail and description of the Blackbirds. Something I need to learn more from when it comes to writing my own poems. I like adding descriptions and details to my work, from my illustrations to writing a story, so this comes as a bad habit to me when trying to write a poem with less words. I also was able to follow along to this poem, it could be for the fact thatI heard it before in class, but I like the flow of the poem and there is not a slow moment in it. Though I can not figure out the right mood for this poem. But if I had to guess, I would say that this is a happy poe,m. Stevens is writing a poem about Blackbirds and talking about them in many ways, maybe these birds are his favorite and he wants to share with everyone what he sees.

American Gothic poem response

This poem is not one of my favorites. What I did not like about it is that it felt (if you can say that) boring and dull, just as the looks of the couple in the painting. After recently talking about the feeling and mood of a poem, to me this poem felt like it was slow and dragging on and nothing really happening. Maybe If I heard someone else read this poem and listen to how their tone is while reading this poem, I might say something different. But as I just said this poem didn't draw my attention. The type of poem this is, is a poem that in short details is telling the life of these characters. Just in the beginning we are given the image of the house and what should be their, the animals and such. Then we the reader are introduce to this couple that seem to just go about their day doing their work around the farm, and nothing else but that.

Tell us a story

Tell us a story
Oh Great Storyteller
Keeper of tales of old

Tell us a story
Open the world filled with fantasy
Speak the words, cast them to appear

Tell us a story
Bring us in, take us there
Let us embrace that world.

Tell us a story
Of good and Grimm
Let us journey though enchanted forests
Face wild beast
Overcome evil spells
And have our wishes granted.

Poem Response to The Red Studio

After reading this long poem, I am a bit confused as to what was going on in the story. It is not exactly a list poem, but W.D. Snodgrass does return to the objects. I think the objects that he keeps going back to are the focus and this poem is in the view from the objects. My reason for guessing this is because the poem does go back to the object, the poems talks about the person that once lived in the room and the room itself.

In the beginning of this poem, as I was reading this I was starting to think that this poem was telling a story of a murder and the only objects are the silent objects all around the room. And the red is to represent the rage and anger and blood of the murder. But continuing reading, that idea slowly vanish and I became lost as to what is happening. Maybe what would help is if this poem was spaced out in its format. Not changing the writing, but separating a section so that it can be a bit easier to read and not to see it as a long list going down.

Poem response to Cezanne's ports

Allen Ginsberg's poem was interesting. To me after reading this over a couple of times, I read it as one of those hope type poems. The way it starts out is kind of sad, the way Ginsberg talks about time and life going by. Like if this was the end of the line for your life moment. Then turning the poem around by leaving with a hopeful thought/ image. I really like this line which make it seem very hopeful, 'For the other side of the bay is Heaven and Eternity.'  Nothing much more that I can say about this poem, other than that it has a mood/ brings feeling of sadness and hope.

Possessed

Her body jerks with the music.

Commanded by a hypnotic spell forbidding to resist.

With every move, the red shoes forbid her to stop.

Twirling, round and round, her body cries.

She must perform this ritual dance, obeying its curse.

As a marionette, having no control and being controlled.

Time is dancing past her fast, rain into shine, day becomes night.

The eternal dancing whirls on.

Forever at the mercy of the beautiful red shoes.

 

Stars

The stars are forever looking down on us.

They stay above, observing, while we sleep or walk the nights. 

With twinkling designs sewed in its blanket of night. 

Creating an endless pattern, sparkling across the heavens.

 Shining bright with each wish it receives. 

Takes it, shoots it across the sky to have it granted. 

They continue to look down on us,
fascinated by Earth's constellations.

As we lay on the fields looking back at them.

Creative Thinking Poem

Her vision follows the ticking hands of time

Circling it over and again

It seems to her, the ticking is constant

Moving forward; and she remains frozen.

As she sits in closed room, again and again

The movement of her fingers loudly taps

A drumming beat on desk, around blank paper

In which the drumming continues.  

Only in time, the beat slowly silence 

Words flow in, dancing on the blank, cold paper

Left from thought and passed on.

The Man with the Hoe Poem Response

This poem was not as long as the previous poem, and I sorta see what is going on. I do notice a pattern of asking questions. Almost every line starts off with a starting question of 'how', 'is' or 'what.' I see this poem as both a bit of a depressing poem and a poem of many questions. Some parts in the poem, it is asking the Lord God these questions, and hoping for the right answer in return. Unlike the other poem, each line is not cut short and it is not separated into two lines, in this poem their is five paragraphs. How I see this poem, is a man that is questioning life and the purpose of it. Maybe the man is having a mid-life crisis. Or that his is very curious about everything in the world. I don't see this poem as a list poem, like some of the other poems I have read. This to me seems like another poem that is just talking and not trying to cut its words short and trying to make it rhyme.

I have to admit that I was not expecting another depressing like poem to read after the last poem. Also from reading the title of this poem, I was expecting a different type of poem. My first thought was that this poem was going to be about a man with a woman and maybe some conflict or message that it is telling to the readers, or something that was less depressing than what I just read. It may not be a depressing type poem, but that is what I got after reading this. Also that if this was that type of poem, then I can sorta relate to being that person that has so many questions about everything and waiting for an answer to appear. I wish there was more I can write about this poem, but I think I need another person to explain to me what is the meaning of this poem and if I am close with any of my guesses.

The Man with a Blue Guitar poem response

The first thing I noticed about this poem is that it is a long poem. Personally I am not a fan of really long poems, I tend to find myself loosing interest or loosing my place and trying to recall everything in the poem and what story it is telling. I saw that throughout the poem, it like to repeat words like 'blue guitar' and there were some rhyming words. while reading this poem, I got the feeling like it was a depressing type of poem, and when I saw the word's 'blue guitar' in made it seem like that was the intention. The reason why I say that is because, the way I see it, (and I am not going by how the illustration) is that blue usually is reference as a sad emotion like red usually mean angry. I don't know if that is how this poem is meant to be read, but that is how I read it as.

I also noticed that this poem did not have long sentences and that it mostly stayed with having two lines then double spacing to the next line. And that the words were shortened, and something new I noticed is at some sections of the poem, the same words would be used but would be switched around. I would almost say that this poem was maybe trying to be a list poem, because they kept using the words 'blue guitar' and on both lines a word would be used twice.

I wish I could have the correct answer to say what this poem is telling, but I just don't know. It seemed like there was a new thing going on in each paragraph, that did not seem to relate to the other things in the beginning, besides the mentioning of the 'blue guitar'. But what I can say that I like is that in some parts of the poem, the man with the blue guitar says things like 'thats the way they are' meaning that nothing can be done to change what it already is. I think in the beginning people tell him what not to play with that blue guitar or what should be played. But the man that has the blue guitar plays what he feels and that is the way it is. Again, long poems are not my strong suit, it is hard for me to have in my mind a visual story from reading this poem. So many different things happening, and confused as to how it connects. Perhaps I am thinking too much as to how writing a story is done, but most of the stuff I read, I can put into a visual story like a movie playing in my head.

My Father's Love Letters Illustration

 

After listening to the poem 'My Father's Love Letters' by Yusef Komunyakaa, I came up with this idea for an illustration. In the poem, the husband and wife are separated, and the husband asks his son to write letters to his wife. What came to my mind was having the husband holding the sealed letter in his hand, and then an image of his wife holding the letter. I chose to not include so much detail in this piece and tried to focus on simple colors and design. 

Response to Skeleton Pirate with Ghost Ship

This poem was fun to read. The style of this poem is more like telling a story from one persons point of view, or in this case the talking is coming from a skeleton (I think). My favorite line is in the beginning, 'if not for flesh's pretty paint, we're just a bunch of skeletons'. I like how they used a different way of describing skin, by saying it is flesh's pretty paint. Then the poem goes into talking about different ghost, like the little dead ghost girl playing hide and seek. There is another imagine that I see in my head of a ghost girl playing this game, but not knowing that she is dead, and that she is just really good at this game.

To me this poem is showing us from the skeleton's view of how he likes the ghost, and they appeal to him. Almost as if the skeleton wished he was a ghost and not a body of bones.

Response to The Parable of the Blind by William Carlos Williams

I had to read this poem over a couple of times to understand it. This poem does paint an image and even the painting next to it, is pretty close to what I imagined when reading this. This poem is more of a descriptive poem, in which it is telling everything that is going on, from the blind people to the knowing about the church in the background.

I have to say when reading this poem, I can see that not all poems have to rhyming or short. And that it can simple just talk about the visuals. This poem really made sure that the reader would have an image in their heads. For the first half of this poem I got the image of the group of beggars leading each other, even without the painting. But for some reason I get confused when it goes into this line and continuing to the end. When it goes from 'where the picture and the composition ends back of which no seeing man' to the end, I feel like I lost sight of the group of beggars leading each other. Cause then that is where it goes into the talk about the area around them. Again it might just be me for seeing things visually and if I see the picture first and read the poem, then I think that what ever is in the painting is going to be the main focus. Like when you look at a book and you see a person on the cover, you think that is are main focus and that would lead the story.

I guess for me, if I wanted to change this poem a bit, I would say maybe some more detail on the group of beggars. Because from looking at the image and reading that line that they lead each other downward across the canvas. I would like to know more about them, maybe a few lines about each of them and describe what they look like (like what are they wearing, how are they different from one another). And also from looking at the painting, the man that is leading them has a mean look on his face, like he is going to lead them somewhere until they trip and hurt themselves or just play jokes on them, because they are blind. So maybe more information on him to add on the image in our imagination.

To Be Complete

Your heart is empty

like a glass with no wine

Like a missing puzzle piece

You are not complete

Love Songs by Robert Kelly Poem Response

The first 'Love Song' poem I was not sure as to what is direction Kelly is going. Maybe It's me and maybe I am not seeing something. But at the beginning of this poem, I am not sure what he is talking about. If I have to make a guess, I would say Kelly is talking about the feelings you get when you fall in love. Where he says ' this subtle sort of thing that doesn't happen every night' makes me think of when you meet someone and you discover new feelings that you never felt before. And something as special as this, does not happen every night, making the fact of falling in love even more special. I do like that line in the poem for those reasons, if they are true. Another line in the poem that I am drawn to is 'Everything I care for happens all the time.' What I think of after reading this line is not only strong words, but also are saying another message. What this line says to me is Everything I care for, meaning being with the one you love is all that matters. And just being around the person you love makes it everything you do more meaningful.

I will say that this is a different type of love poem. I have read other love poetry that plays deep into the romantic and passionate type of love. This seems like this is coming for the guys perspective, like say a boyfriend reading to his girlfriend a poem and it does not have to be all cuties. True love is all about honesty, and any words that are truly honest can be just as moving as any romantic love poem.

 The second Love poem, again reads to me as speaking the truth about why they love this person. And it could just be the simple things like the walk or the way you talk. It is like people, 'just be yourself' and this is what I think of after reading this. It is similar to the first love poem in being honest and that the words are powerful and true. And that there is no need to go all out and make the idea of falling/ being in love the way it is portrayed in books, TV shows and movies. Love is not fabricated, it meant to be honest, truth and real.

Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock by Wallace Stevens Poem Response

This was a short poem to listen to. After listening to this poem a couple of times, I think I see a pattern. It is not a list patter where you see a word or a sentence be repeated over and over. But what I see is the word None being used only twice and the beginning part and middle part of the poem is telling the listener/reader  what the gowns color is, and what it is not. It is also telling the reader right away that something is not this or that. This was a very confusing poem, and I don't see how it all connects, especially with the title of the poem. To me this poem is jumping around from one place to another, starting with a haunted house, night-gowns (in whatever color, I lost track), to animals and then ending with a drunk man.

I know that I am a visual learner and I like to find things that connect and have either a symbol or meaning in poems, and stories. This just made me feel lost in my own thoughts. This poem could have more things to say, I feel like it was cut short when it stops at the 'in red weather.' I would not even know what image I could place to go with this poem.

After Making Love We Hear Footsteps poem illustration

The poem I chose to illustrate was 'After Making Love We Hear Footsteps' by Galway Kinnell. I listened to this poem on www.poets.org and I thought that this was a funny poem. It reminds of those times when I was little and I would come to my parents room just watching TV, and sit in the middle till I fell asleep. I like the little details that Kinnell put into this poem to show that the boy was little, with the description of his baseball PJ's. This to me is an innocent poem that any parent will get a laugh at and can connect to. The poem is not long and it does not rhyme, but it does give the image of what is going on. Something that I need more work in with my poems. This is a good example that will help me with future poems. 

In my illustration I wanted to draw the moment when the couple stops making love, and they look for the direction of the footsteps. In my mind I imagined that through the open door, you see the hall light on and on the floor you see a small shadow figure. This would be the moments where the boy is about to ask his parents a question. I drew this illustration in a different style than what I usually do. I went with illustration this by using flat colors, and a simple look on the people. I think I can see this poem and illustration be in those parent magazines as something fun to read. 

 

After Making Love We Hear Footsteps

by Galway Kinnell

For I can snore like a bullhorn 
or play loud music
or sit up talking with any reasonably sober Irishman 
and Fergus will only sink deeper
into his dreamless sleep, which goes by all in one flash, 
but let there be that heavy breathing
or a stifled come-cry anywhere in the house 
and he will wrench himself awake 
and make for it on the run—as now, we lie together, 
after making love, quiet, touching along the length of our bodies, 
familiar touch of the long-married, 
and he appears—in his baseball pajamas, it happens, 
the neck opening so small he has to screw them on—
and flops down between us and hugs us and snuggles himself to sleep, 
his face gleaming with satisfaction at being this very child.

In the half darkness we look at each other 
and smile
and touch arms across this little, startlingly muscled body—
this one whom habit of memory propels to the ground of his making, 
sleeper only the mortal sounds can sing awake, 
this blessing love gives again into our arms.

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15927 

Nude Descending a Staircase poem response

I read this poem over a couple of times and I don't really understand what is going on. When the poem mentions a snowing flesh, I image that the woman's (that is is identified towards the end of the poem) skin is pale, like Snow White. Then when she is out in the sunlight she gets a golden tan. I know that may not be what X.J. Kennedy had in mind, but that is the image that came to me. Then when it goes 'We spy beneath the banister' then I imagine that there must be a group of boys spying this woman and watching her beauty, and noticing her lips to her thighs. If I had to guess what type of poem this was, I would say that it is a poem that is lust desire, coming from the boys that are spying beneath the banister.

I guess not all poems has to have a conclusion, but (to me) I feel that some more description about the nude woman on the staircase wouldn't hurt. The imagine next to the poem made me more confused as I was when reading the poem. I can see the use of the gold color in this painting and the show of a staircase, but I don't see any form of a woman. All I see is shapes and angels, which relates back to the stairs. Overall not one of my favorite poems.

Edward Hopper and the House by the Railroad Poem Response

What I did this time when reading this poem. I made sure to not keep looking at the image next to the poem, just to make sure that I don't focus to much on finding the similar things from the picture to the poem.

This poem was interesting. It was not a list poem, and it did not rhyme, it told this story of this empty house that seems to bring fear to both people and nature. It is like Edward Hirsh (the writer of this poem) was talking about some characteristic of this house, and making it sound like a real haunted house. In making this house seem haunted, Hirsh did not have to add any ghost or make it sound like a Halloween story of a haunted house. What I like about this poem was when it went into detail about the house, how no one has lived in it, and no trees or shrubs grow around it. Everything is in distance of this house, and to me that makes it the house seem haunted or that there is more to this house than meets the eye. And anyone that enters in the house will never be seen again.

The picture of the house, does look spooky, with its heavy dark shadow on the front side of the house and when you look at the windows, the ones that are open show nothing but black darkness inside. There is no clouds, trees, or grass, just the railroad. I wonder why Hirsh would have in the title and in the picture a railroad, I don't remember anything in the poem that talks enough about the railroad. Like why is this house placed near there? I would like to have more info about the railroad in this poem, but other than that, I enjoyed this poem.

Where is she?

   

Reflecting wall before my eyes

Reveal to me no lie

Did the child in me die

Woman before me

Return the me, I use to be.

(list poem)

Mirror, Mirror who is she, staring back at me

Mirror, Mirror why she looks like me

Mirror, Mirror through the glass you mimic me

Mirror, Mirror you show what I am suppose to be

Mirror, Mirror you show what others expect to see

Mirror, Mirror there is something you do not see

Mirror, Mirror is the girl inside wanting to be free

Mirror, Mirror bring back the girl I use to be

A Hand poem response

This poem was interesting, and different than the last couple poems I have read so far. This is a short poem and I don't see it needing anything more to add on to it. After reading the poem, what came to my mind was the surrealist painting of a pipe that says in french "I'm not a pipe." How that is similar to this poem is that in this poem, it talks about in a descriptive way of writing of what the hand is not. But all the information that is shown in the poem is what hands do.

When looking at the Michaelangelo's close up on the hands of his Sistine Chapel, I thought that the poem might something relating to that or something with that kind of deep meaning. I know that when I look at these painting next to the poem, I always think that it is going to be related to that in every detail. I guess I am so use  to seeing that in books, mostly children's book (especially since I am working on my own children's book and making sure the image goes with the words). I have to remember that images don't have to be the exactly as it is written out.

The Naked Girl and the Mirror Response

When I first looked at this poem and notice the painting next to it. The image did match up to the title of the poem, the poem on the other hand; I didn't really get what was going on. It was only till when I got to the end of the poem that made me guess on who was talking in this poem. 

At first I thought it was going to be the naked woman talking about her youth fading away in the mirror (don't know why she would need to be naked for that). Or this poem could relate to one of the seven deadly sins, like Lust or Pride. I think that would be an interesting poem. Instead from what I gather from this poem was that all this is coming from the mirrors perspective. That is how I see it, and read it, because it did not sound like all this was coming from her. But I still don't really get what the poem is saying. 

The painting next to it is interesting. And if this was a poem about aging and time passing by before you, then this would be a good painting to show that. From the lines on the naked body, they can represent the aging body.  

The Road Not Taken- Robert Frost

 

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,


And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

This is what came to my mind when listening to the audio of Robert Frost's poem, 'The Road Not Taken.' The things that I thought to be symbolic was the two different path's and I really like how he described the tree's to be golden color. So, I wanted to include those golden trees and the two paths to choose from. On the left side the path is darker and might be the road that is not taken my most traveler's. While the other path seems to be brighter and to be the most common path to go through. 

The Cuban Doctor response

The Cuban Doctor by Wallace Stevens isn't a long poem, personally i like it when poems don't drag on. But in some cases, i do wish that more could be added to this poem. I kinda gets this poem, but then the other half is confused. Again the image that goes with the poem is there to help. This is another thing that I have mention in (I think) my journal last week, that if some kind of image was not there, then the poem might not have work (for those that are visual learners anyway).

From looking at the illustration and reading the poems along with it. My guess is that the indian is (as they have mentioned) a Phantom that is haunting this man. I knew that this Indian had to be some kind of spirit. One because they believe in spirits and two for the fact that he is flying like Peter Pan over the ship.
And like what phantoms are known for, their presence still follows the person they are seeking. As a haunting reminder of some horrible thing that this man must have done.
But then I get really confused at the last panel where the sleeping man from the middle panel. That was resting on a sofa, has been turned into a giant sand version of himself.

So over all I do like the concept of a phantom and his observing of this happy and care free man on his sofa. but I just don't understand that last panel and the ending part of this poem. I would have like this poem to continue with the indian haunting this man in his phantom ways. That would be an interesting poem.