Hurston

"What's it got to do with you, Sykes? Mah tub of suds is filled yo' belly with vittles more times than yo' hands is filled it. Mah sweat is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep on sweatin' in it."

She seized the iron skillet from the stove and struck a defensive pose, which act surprised him greatly, coming from her. It cowed him and he did not strike her as he usually did.

A woman writer from the Harlem Renaissance, I think this one had a lot to say. "Sweat" was an interesting short story to read. Though hard to follow in certain places due to wording/spelling the point was made. Hurston did use many Biblical notions in her writing of "Sweat". References to the tree, snakes and ultimate life.

During my reading I did not see how this short story or author tied into the "Harlem Renaissance" writing other than the time period. Her writing even though a short did not read as those poems from McKay, Hughes or Johnson.

You did see the struggle of Delia's everyday life of being a washer and a wife. Skye was not a gentleman.
This poem could easily be made into a Lifetime movie, it has drama, sadness and a woman overcoming odds.

Hughes

These poems by Hughes showed emotion! "Negro" showed Hughes pride in his ancestry. The style of Hughes in the poem was very different than the poems of Johnson. This poem seemed chopping, whereas Johnson's' were smooth. This poem is also rooted in spiritual ties.
I've been a singer;
All the way from Africa to Georgia
I carried my sorrow songs.
I made ragtime.

Then reminds puts a vision in my head of gospel songs being sung, then of music from the ragtime era.

Park Bench

This poem made me think "I'll show you!" The character in my mind seems to be waving his finger at the rich and greedy, and stating "That I might, just maybe,/In a year or two,/ Move on over/ To Park Avenue/ as the people walk by. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pMg7BOoi2A

Great reading of Negro Speaks of Rivers!

McKay

Anger much? McKay voiced his anger at the world, his world. In these two poems from the 40's the a time of war in our world. Though short these poems were packed with information, voice and anger. McKay is connected with his ancestry during his writing. Lines like /Which bind me like a heavy iron chain, it is the Negro's wound I want to heal/ show representation of his link to the past, but his fight for the future.

His poem "Look Within" is as if a prayer to God, but also a message to the world. Lines 1-9 suggest the prayer, while 10-14 seem to be the message to the world. Almost a "you just wait, you haven't seen anything yet" message.

After reading these poems you could tell that McKay was also a well educated man by the words he used throughout his work.

McKay's poems were insightful, however I do not know if his work is my favorite.

James W. Johnson

After reading both "O Black and Unknown Bards" & "The White Witch" I got a sense of rhythm and song from his writing. Johnson's words were easy to follow in these two poems for me as well. The lines 9-16 from "O Black and Unknown Bards", showed Johnson's spiritual feelings and views of his ancestries path.
Heart of what slave poured out such melody
As “Steal away to Jesus”? On its strains 10
His spirit must have nightly floated free,
Though still about his hands he felt his chains.
Who heard great “Jordan roll”? Whose starward eye
Saw chariot “swing low”? And who was he
That breathed that comforting, melodic sigh, 15
“Nobody knows de trouble I see”?

I can only envision what the early twentieth century was like from books, television and movies. These poems brought out feelings and emotions Johnson shared with the world of his culture, background and spirituality. Both poems are laced with strings that are being pulled back and forth on these three topics.

I enjoyed this step back into time through Johnson's poems.

T.S. Eliot

I enjoyed both selections from Eliot. He was very easy to follow and read. I'm the more times I read the poems and the footnotes I will catch something new each time. I do not have much to say about Eliot, except for I am excited to learn more about him and these selections tonight. He seems interesting. He has a style that was easy to read, reflect and imagine.

I enjoyed the religious aspect of Journey of the Mag I like different views and accounts of what people from the past to to endure. I feel that the account of the Magi were examined very well.

I look forward to reading more from Eliot.

If I could ask T.S. a few questions about our selections they would be:

1. What was your inspiration for A Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock?

2. How do you view your style of writing from that of your colleagues?

3. Where were you doing your writing of Journey of the Magi? Did it play a role in the birth of the poem?

... for now,
CJ

...Stevens..."What are you talking about?"

Thirteen Ways of Looking at Blackbird... this poem blew my mind! I could not find a connection with it at all. The numbers confused me, and the connection to man, woman, and tree. All of the pieces looked like a jigsaw puzzle to me. If you can shed some light to me about this one I would be more than grateful. This was not a good poem to open my world of Stevens poetry!

I then read Study of Two Pears, this was a poem that my imagination took flight with. I saw a vision of myself sitting in "Intro to Drawing" during my undergrad. schooling and thought of my teacher and the objects we would draw. The phrases and symbols all came rushing back into my head! This poem teleported me back to 2005, to one of the most eye opening and out of the box classes I have ever taken. This was a class out of my element. I was out of my social circle of friends, and into a classroom that looked nothing like any one I had been in. It was FANTASTIC! I loved it, I could be or do anything I pleased. My drawings set me free to explore a new realm of art I had not before. This poem seems very free and open to interruptions, just like the class. The pears are objects to be drawn, however they may not appear on your paper the way they look on the pedestal in front of you.

This poem restored my faith in Stevens as a poet! I must read more like this one!
CJ

Enlightened by poems

I have to admitt that a book of poems is not what I grab first off the shelves. I can honestly say that I have really only read poems in high school and if any were assigned during undergrad I do not remember them. I hope this book of Modern American Poetry will open my eyes to new poems and poets. I need to retain some aspect of poetry to be more diversed in my readings and teachings. Who knows I may find my favorite poet or poem!
So here we go...


Robert Frost

In the poems assigned I saw a string of similarities that they were all entangled with some aspect of nature. The poems that stuck out the most with me was Gathering Leaves & Neither Out Far Nor In Deep.

In Gathering Leaves, the poem really spoke to me as a collection of thoughts or memories that a person may carry with them over time. These thought/memories do not have to be heavy or light. Some people may know that they are there, some may feel there retibrutions during the day. These feelings bottled up may rise and fall over, but we must never let them completly take over. We may keep these feelings bottled up, because "whose to say where the harves shall stop." I liked this poem for its refrences and enlightenment.

Neither Out Far Nor In Deep, I think I liked for its refrences to the ocean. People rather set sail to forget about problems that may lie on land. I see this true with people who take to the ocean for pleasure. They are excaping their lives to see what the ocean has in store for them. The ocean however does not hold all of the answer they are looking for. The tide always rolls in and so will the people. Back to reality. They may have looked to the far distances and the depths of the ocean, but responses were not made availible.

After reading selections from Frost I am intrigued to venture farther into his work and read some more from him.
CJ

*(This is Updated)Hills Like White Elephants

By: Ernest Hemingway

Wow... I was way off by this short story after reading it once. After the discussion in class I had to go back and reread it. I then noticed the relation to the abortion. Even though it was not flat out stated that it was the main concept or the story, there are suggestions to it. I'm glad that I know what I now know.

I would think that people who may be going through this similar situation may have similar conversations. This couple I thought was at a breaking point in their life. The female was over the heartless comments of her companion. The male was trying to make the situation a minor one in their life.

This subject is one that many people know happen in the world, however it is not widely accepted or talked about.

I have not read much from Hemingway, however this short story makes me want to read more.
CJ

A Rose for Emily

http://www.fotosearch.com/bthumb/ARP/ARP124/rr_so_plantation.jpg
By: William Faulkner

With every word that zoomed across my eyes, an image projected in the back of my mind like a tiny film being played just for me. I think that is what William Faulkner ultimately wanted his reader to be able to imagine with his story of Miss Emily. I could see Emily's home, belongings, the people of the town and even even Emily herself. I love the line "... Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of coal pressed into lumps of dough as they moved from one face to another..."

As I continued to read, I got a sense that Emily was alone in her town and home. She did have family in Alabama, a hand servant and Mr. Homer. However, these could not fill the empty space within her. After Homer went away and then returned I do feel that he was the recipient of the arsenic. I do not know the underlining circumstance of him receiving it, since the happenings of the inside of the home were not mentioned. I do have a strong feeling that the arsenic was not for rats, unless he himself were a "rat".

If it were not for the snood people in the town wanting to see a dead women's house we may have not known that it were Mr. Barron in the upstairs. Finding the grey hair in the pillow next to him either lets me know that Miss Emily would visit him, or she was there when he passed.

All in all, I feel that "A Rose for Emily" was truly an intriguing short story!
CJ

Lit. Class Welcome

Well here we go another semester for us here at Piedmont. I hope the words expressed in blog enlighten you in some way. May this class be good to you!
Until next time,
CJ