Emily Dickinson Poetry Analysis

Blog post 2 due on sample poetry analysis due by midnight -- Choose any one of the sample questions but apply them to Emily Dickinson's poetry.

3. “Poets often withhold certitude, which can at the same time empower readers to think creatively.”
Consider the works of at least two poets you have studied in which ambiguity has enabled readers
to reach their own conclusions about meaning and implications.

Emily Dickinson uses ambiguity within a majority of her poetry. She often leaves things open ended and forces readers to reach a strong imagination to understand her poetry. A common theme within her pieces has been nature. In a majority of her poetry, she connects concepts of life to nature, however she never blatantly explains these metaphors. These comparisons paint beautiful pictures, however only those who can reader deeper than the words can find these hidden meanings. Dickinson's ability to withhold certitude makes for a more interesting experience as a reader. It makes audiences work harder which in turn makes her pieces more sophisticated and natural. Not everything in life is clear cut, Dickinson acknowledges this in her writing style.

A place where this ambiguity can be located is in Dickinson's poem "Hope Is The Thing With Feathers". This poem creates an analogy for peace, love, hope and nature with a bird flying around the text. This metaphor is never clearly stated, however Dickinson makes it clear. She also leaves it open to interpretation which is interesting for readers as we can create our own meaning for the bird. Also, it leaves us questioning Dickinson's intentions which allows the poem to be our own not only the writer's. In the first stanza, “Hope” is the thing with feathers - /That perches in the soul - /And sings the tune without the words - /And never stops - at all - " Dickinson never states that the feeling of hope resembles the freedom and joy of a bird, however this metaphor can be implied. Also, the balance of pessimism and hope is displayed to again allow readers to interpret the bird themselves. One person could view the bird as naive or unreachable, while others could view it as kind and reliable. These differences are valuable and add character to the poem. She also withholds the speaker's voice until the end. The last stanza, I’ve heard it in the chillest land - /And on the strangest Sea - /Yet - never - in Extremity, /It asked a crumb - of me." Dickinson introduces herself, however the whole poem could be read as internal thought, a note to another person or any other conversation. It creates a story many people can find themselves in.

Another place Dickinson withholds obvious meaning is in the poem, "I dwell in Possibility". The poem deals with the power of poetry and Dickinson's view on the concept. However, Dickinson never uses the word poetry, rather she replaces the word with possibility. This ambiguity allows the reader to explain the meaning of the poem to themselves."I dwell in Possibility – /A fairer House than Prose – /More numerous of Windows – /Superior – for Doors –" This stanza is free for readers to see 'possibility' as many things. Dickinson also withholds a concrete setting. She leaves us to find our own world the poem is in. Dickinson even mentions 'many doors' which implies that there is no setting, but only our own imaginations. Dickinson gives reader's the chance to be creative, which to me makes her a strong poet. Caring about the reader's experience as much as a writer's creates better and stronger literature.

Poetry Analysis Blog Post

Blog post on sample poetry analysis due Monday by midnight. Questions are on the class blog. Choose ONE question only to answer in a short essay. On the IB test, you will need to discuss TWO poets, but for this assignment, only talk about Naomi Shihab Nye.

1. Hope and/or pessimism are sometimes reflected in poetry. In the work of at least two poets you have studied, examine either or both of these attitudes and the way in which the poets have chosen to convert them.

A particularity strong theme within Naomi Shihab Nye’s poetry is the way she constantly balances hope with pessimism. Within all of her poems she finds a cohesive way to incorporate the negative or upsetting side of her culture with the love and pride she has for it. Navigating the process of understanding her Palestinian heritage will have beautiful moments and dark moments. These ups and downs of being a part of an immigrant family are inevitable, thus the truth Nye aims to examine and display in her writing brings an honest sense of humanity to her poetry.

The first poem where this unique and efficient balance of hope and pessimism is shown is My Father and the Fig Tree. In this poem Nye tells a short story of her father, their relationship and his obsession with figs, a fruit from his homeland. The poem goes into detail, using deep symbolism to show how the fig is a metaphor for her connection to Palestine and her father. It also follows the story of her own identity crisis. These themes can be seen clearly in the line, “At age six I ate a dried fig and shrugged./"That's not what I'm talking about! he said,/"I'm talking about a fig straight from the earth — gift of Allah! — on a branch so heavy it touches the ground./I'm talking about picking the largest, fattest, sweetest fig/in the world and putting it in my mouth."/(Here he'd stop and close his eyes.)” (Nye) In this short passage it is already clear that there is somewhat of a disconnect in culture between Nye and her father. Through the line “shrugged, That’s not what I’m talking about!” There is a conflict between the father and daughter. He loved the figs and she doesn't understand why. Since they come from the Palestine it is clear this has something to do with that part of their lives. This is obviously pessimistic because it conveys how Nye may never feel the same way about Palestine that her father does. She is confused by it and this bothers her father since he values it so much. However, this is where the balance comes in. The next line, when her father explains the love for figs, the vivid detail and kind words such as ‘sweetest’ and ‘gift from Allah’ it is clear this experience is a positive one. This line shows the other side of the story, which is the hope that one day Nye and her father can share their culture over figs.

The next poem where this hope and pessimism are balanced is in Blood. In the lines, “Years before, a girl knocked, /wanted to see the Arab. /I said we didn’t have one./After that, my father told me who he was, “Shihab”—“shooting star”— /a good name,/borrowed from the sky. /Once I said, “When we die, we give it back?” /He said that’s what a true Arab would say.” (Nye) These lines clearly show the mix of hope and pessimism in Nye’s poems. The first lines are of a negative experience, when a young girl causes Nye to question her pride of being Palestinian. It causes an internal conflict for her as now she must confront her own insecurities and differences. This shows the negative parts of being an Arab. This is upsetting as a reader because Nye writes in a way that seems like we may never progress. Although, this is contrasted by the hopeful moment when Nye talks with her father about her name’s origin. This memory sparks a feeling of pride and understanding. Nye in this moment learns of a reason her culture is beautiful, which combats the negative experience she had in the first lines.

This balance is integral in telling Nye’s story. This is because to not discuss the negative parts of being an Arab in America, she would be invalidating those struggles and stories. Although, never speaking of the hopeful or loving moments, further stereotypes of Palestinians and perpetuate their oppression by only allowing them to have one story. This is what Nye does best, she gives her experiences many voices and themes to be fully truthful of her culture. While Nye chooses to display hope and pessimism fairly obviously, there are moments to dig deeper and find even more layers.

Poem Set 2

Quote- She obviously has passion for her art, influenced by her heritage, internal conflict between America and Palestine informs her poetry

Arabic Coffee

• too strong for 'us'- family connection
• "Papa"very casual, close relationship
• white cups- specification to contrast dark coffee
• men and women- gender comparison
• handkerchiefs symbolize the suppression of dreams, folded away
• live long enough- a violent conflict?
• themes of fear, balance

My Grandmother in the Stars

• Death, loss right off the bat
• Close connection to, I'm assuming, dead Grandma
• Sky tying the universe- soooo pretty, symbol of connection to an afterlife
• value of knowledge
• respects grandmother
• hearts=mirror a reflection of ourselves and out thoughts
• cherishes memories
• strong themes of family
• love

Poem Set 1 Notes

My Father and the Fig Tree

• Symbolic parallels, little scarves
• Imagery of fig trees
• first person narrative
• taking place in the past
• Arabic- setting/character context
• kind poem, sweet message of father and child
• narrative poem
• figs are a symbol of the author's childhood

Blood

• Arab- setting/character context
• Same author
• About the father again
• Strong connection to nature in this writer's poetry
• narrator looks up to father for guidance in Arab culture
• "What a true Arab would say" a cultural conflict
• News it too much- political conflict/war?
• When is this set, what year?
• "uncivilized" cultural conflict present n a larger scale, maybe in country
• "True Arab" narrator struggling with own identity

The Words Under the Woods

• hyperbole/metaphor- grandma's hands and grapes
• beautiful analogy- "covering my head like cool prayers"
• Grandmother is a loving figure, described as warm
• grandma and connection to faith/religion
• inkling of narrator having a conflict/internal confusion on faith

Two Countries

• loneliness
• loss of love
• comparison between nature and life is a common theme
• emotion through imagery/nature
• skin is new, change etc.
• skin is a metaphor for body and touch
• intimacy?
• missing someone, loss of someone
• skin is directly a human nit just skin

Staging Proposal MLML

Staging proposal due on blogs by 11pm -- 500 words. Describe how you would stage MLML or TPG as a play, your vision of it. What does it look and feel like? Talk about how the stage is set up, color, characters, lighting, etc. Drawings optional.

The way that I imagine MLML on stage is very simple. I feel as though the most important piece of the book is the characters, the journeys they follow and the themes, not the set or scenery. While nature is necessary, I see it being reinterpreted in a more modern way. The scenes will mainly be set by lighting and the set itself will be extremely minimal. At the village the lighting will be bright, but more of an orange light to show heat and contrast from the white light when Desiree is at the hotel living with Daniel. This will show how alive Desiree feels in both places, but how the change in her attitude is reflected in the lights.

This will be the common theme of the lighting and set, it will all be centered around Desiree. She is the center of the show and all conflict comes back to her, thus focusing on highlighting her emotions is vital in my production. This will allow the audience to feel her emotions, as well as create a subconscious approach towards different mind sets as the lighting changes.

Again, the set will be minimal. In the village, there will be a backdrop of mountains and fields, and Desiree's home will have simply a chair and table with cooking supplies on it. The other villagers, including Tonton Julian and Mama Euralie, will wear dark colors (brown, black and grays). Desiree will wear white to contrast this darkness and show how she is different. The hotel will be a background of large windows and no set pieces. The rich looking actors dressed in jewelry and colorful gowns of the whole rainbow will act as the setting. Again, these costumes will contrast Desiree. During Desiree's journey the scenery will become all tress, bushes and flowers. The set pieces of nature will be bright, yet the lighting will be very dark. A simple white spotlight to show Desiree's sense of determination and independence will be shown but that's it.

An important piece of the show is the Gods. I see them as separated in some sort of 'heaven' above the people. I want them constantly on stage, standing above the other actors. Papa Ge and Erzulie will always be looking down, watching over the people. This displays their close connection to humans and human emotion. Asaka and Agwe will always look up and Agwe will only look down when flooding the village or creating a storm. Having the Gods above affirms their power over the humans and separates them. However, having them always on stage ensures a constant relationship between the people and Gods. They will not have much light on them the whole show, thus their faces will not be seen. This will simulate the way the humans see the Gods. They hear their voices and face their actions, but never see their faces. The one time Desiree connects directly with Papa Ge will be the only time a God leaves that platform.

The last vital detail is the butterflies that visit Desiree and symbolize her in general. I see these butterflies as being video projected on the stage. The butterflies show Desiree's youth and luck, thus I think having them look real, as in a video projection, keeps the theme interesting and unique from other things in the show. In general, I want a mixed media, simple production. The most important part of show is the characters, and drawing away from that with huge sets is an unnecessary distraction. My staging feels like a more authentic version of storytelling that comes naturally, rather than a fabrication or exaggeration. It looks visibly pleasing, but not over done. All characters from the book will be included and I want to emphasize staying true to the intentions and writing in the book.

In Class Writing 2

There is an obvious sense of conflict in tension during this conversation on page 60. A majority of the conflict stems from TiMoune being very different from her community. She is innocent and thirsty for exploration and adeventure, while her fellow peasants prefer a simple life of work. Whether this makes TiMoune naive or courageous is a different debate. M. Bienconnu obvuously is seen as a wise man who supports tradition. This can be seen in the line "one must hang one's hat where one can reach it" He clearly believes in staying in a place never pushing boundaries, however this contrasted by TiMoune's language which states "But I know belong in the big city" here TiMoune shows a strong feeling of curiosity. In reference to TiMoune vs. the community, it is clear that her peers worry about her. In the book she is seen as the treasure, thus when she wants to leave they fear for her. M. Bienconnu is a wise man and sees trouble in TiMoune leaving for a rich man he knows will never love. Although, TiMoune also thinks she is wise and knows best, therefore their conflict is built in their fundamental disagreements on taking risks. Even though M. Bienconnu treats TiMoune with respect and love by calling her "Ma Belle" however, TiMoune doesn't seem to care, she is determined to see Daniel. She takes offense to him saying Daniel doesn't love her, she "cried" when he told it was impossible. They contests eachother as M. Bienconnu seems calm even when frustrated, where as TiMoune tends to act out dramatically. These differences again highlight how TiMoune stands out in a more passive community.

In Class Writing

To costume TiMoune the most important part is balancing the fact that she is a peasant but also that she is unique. She must be very feminine and young looking, but also dressed sensually. I see TiMoune in a dress, something down to just above her knees, tight at the waist and chest and flowing out by her hips. The straps will be thin because of the heat. The top would be a bit low cut, provocative but not overly exposing. She is thin because she is poor, but she has natural curves which will be shown off in the dress. The dress is white. All other peseants in my mind wear dark colors, easy to work in, not form fitting and dirty. TiMoune will wear a dress that stands out. It will be dirty because of her work, however the color will still be a bright white. This symbolizes a lot things. Her innocence, youth, bright personality, and hope. Also, it to me is also shows a sense of a clean slate, someone who has not experienced much and is open for change. TiMoune also would not wear shoes, her hair would up to show her face and of course no jewelry.