Reaction 4: Likes, Theories, and Poem #4 "What Kissed the Moon"

This week falls in line with Week Four of my American Poetry class at AMU, and today I will be briefly touching on a few poems I enjoyed this week, a new theory in way of thinking of poems as 'good' or 'bad', and, of course, my own poem inspired by some readings this week!


Carl Sandburg's' "Grass", Edna St. Vincent Millays' "What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, and Where, and Why" and "Love is Not All: It is Not Meat Nor Drink", and Robert Frosts' "Fire and Ice" have all been my top three authors and top poems of required reading for Week Four of my Poetry class.


I greatly enjoyed Sandburg's' "Grass" and Robert Frosts' "Fire and Ice", for one, because of the title. It reminded me of [forgive my age] Pokemon, and more importantly elements of the earth. Now, traditionally I would not copy and paste my forum assignment, but I wanted to share both: The assignment is to show how there is delight in the beginning and wisdom in the end as Frost shares in his "The Figure a Poem Makes."


Carl Sandburg’s “Grass” versus Robert Frost’s “Fire and Ice”

If you were a Pokémon trainer or a Frozen fan, you’re sure to get a kick out of my somewhat translucent metaphors here… but then again, what is more attainable in knowledge and wisdom than soaking in the elements of Nature herself?

Sandburg’s “Grass”, at first glance, may appear to be a nod towards the post-matter of a horrible event. The poem begins with “Pile the bodies high at Austerliz and Wasterloo” (1), two battles in Europe each with a very significant role in the war, the former being Napoleon’s greatest victory over the Russians (Hickman Web), while the latter being a defeat of Napoleon by a united coalition of international armies (History.com Staff). Nonetheless, the importance of this line, and thus wisdom enhancing mentioning, helps allude to the message, theme, and overall significance of the poem.

The poem is telling a story of wars that had stained the fields with blood, and now have regrown with grass. While in of itself, this poem does not seem to have any wisdom behind, but the wisdom is within the message. Where there is the worst possibility of humankind, there will always be nature to reclaim it. (Bulbasaur use leech seed!).

The poem, “Fire and Ice”, by Robert Frost, may seem to have a more less blunt message, relating the world towards seeing the truth within real elemental madness and hate. It begins with an age long question of if “the world will end in fire” (1), with some saying it will end “in ice” (2). Then it seems as if Frost is agreeing that he does “hold with those who favor fire” (4), but find more destruction if he died more than once that ice could be more deadly (5-9). Again, this might seem wisdom-inspiring, but the truth is in the text. Sometimes the icy ones will kill you quicker. Sometimes it’s not the heat that will melt you down but the ice that will do much worse. I mean, after all, Elsa let go and you saw what happened…

My conclusion: Both poems radiate with an abundance of wisdom inspiring ideas and truths, and through these feelings comes a general gratitude and delight for each. “Grass” gives us the experience of understanding that there is always life after the troubling times, and “Fire and Ice” tell us not to mess with crazy Ice Witches… Baba Yaga, anyone?


I enjoyed Edna St. Vincent Millays' "What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, and Where, and Why" and "Love is Not All: It is Not Meat Nor Drink" because it had a real down-to-earth, gritty, yet serious tone to it. Very nice to hear from a lady's mind her philosophy on regret and what is most important in life. Sort of takes that stereotype that woman are all love-begging and attention seeking and shows that even back then women were taking some sort of stand... maybe?


As for my philosophy of how poetry is good or bad... to be honest I am seeing even more enjoyment in poems. I see good in poems that others despise or dislike. Lately, some fellow students have shown a disinterest in some of the reading through their text, so it's a bit odd that I am [again] the odd ball who sees the good in everything.


Onward to the poem!


What inspired me was the Edna's realism and Frost/Sandburg's elemental themes. I chose the moon because it looked gorgeous tonight under the stars. It's finally cool here in Arkansas, at a comfortable 59 degree's Fahrenheit.


In the military 'kissing ass' was a common term. When someone first gets to their base and immediately 'kisses ass' whether intentional or not, there are always repercussions whether through the person's ass being kissed or another party.


"What Kissed the Moon"


Oh scarlet lies of hefty loot,

Save your self from the boot.

For in time there can only tell,

A commanders broken shell.


Stripes and decorations can never swoon,

The gentleman's truth in kissing the moon.


O' What kissed the moon I dare to say,

Splendid library I stay all day.

To read and to write throughout the night,

Until the swarm of letters take Flight.


O' say that you may be a' boon'd

For that which kissed the moon.


Alas! Now you see A' One See,

That a boon and a stripe can't be.

Lest you save your self from a boot,

Think you not that this is cute.


For behind a man can be too soon,

To truly learn what kissed the moon.

Work Cited

Frost, Robert. "Fire and Ice." Bartleby.com. 25 September 2016. http://www.bartleby.com/155/2.html


Hickman, Kennedy. "Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Austerlitz". About.com. 26 September 2016. http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/napoleonicwars/p/austerlitz.htm


Sandburg, Carl. "Grass". Poets.org. 25 September 2016. https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/grass


Staff, History.com. "Battle of Waterloo." History.com. 26 September 2016. http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/battle-of-waterloo#

Reaction 3: An American Response

Once again I will be delivering a poem in the form of a reply to Walt Whitman's "America", which I found quite wonderful and simple at the same time. Over the last few weeks in my America Poetry class I have been reading tons of samples from various authors, though none so far have come to touch me positively as Walt Whitman has. In "America" he speaks of his desire for how he thinks this beautiful country should be, relating to ideas including equality, fairness, endurance, rich, and strong to a list of desires for the peoples. So, as in good gesture, I would like to reply to him as a 21st century American who has seen and experienced much of the world, by introducing him to the "new" but not necessarily envisioned America he was hoping for. Enjoy!

Land of the Brave, Not of the Free:

Dear vizier of grand dreams and freedom rings,

What pity sight had laid to ease

O' this country of ours we dare call home,
For not land of free tis not but a loan.

O' grand magister of wit and wail,

Forgive me ser for there's naught avail.

The Land of the Brave, Not of the Free

Callings of desire enduring in steed.

Hark through the ages Freedom is swayed,

For politics bleeds us dry without dismay.

O' grand magister of Time beloved,

Free not my soul from this horrid bind'd

Thy supple hands of talent and woe,

Couldst last not one night in this horrible low.

Tho' beseech you I may for all is not lost,
Freedom still rings while Others are tossed.

O' grand magister of Time be

Enlight me your wisdom to set me Free. 

Reaction 2: Poetry

For the next few weeks I will be doing these "reaction" poems that are, in essence, replies for my school to various poems I am reading. In week two, [this post] I will be focusing on Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Fable" poem. 

Ah, Fable's... a delicious adventure for a cup of tea and a kitty spree. All the while marching together in the wind while... speaking? 

I enjoy Fable's and find them quite wonderful merely for the fact that I am a huge animal lover anyways and to think of an animal speaking would be awesome. Surely most of you have heard of the famous Fable "Animal Farm" and its gritty world, but Ralph Emerson's "Fable" is not nearly as gritty. 

While the squirrel and mountain had a quarrel... it was not exactly a complete war, as was seen in "Animal Farm". 

Now then, in reaction to this weeks poem I will attempt to do a 'reply' to the poem, utilizing the same style of rhythm and rhyme. In essence, this is a living reply to "Fable". Please enjoy.

A Fable Story: Mountains Reply to the Squirrel 

While the squirrel and the mountain
Were having their discussion
And the latter called the former 'Little Prig.'
Cliff laughed,

'You endure my skin little pig;
Yet spout to me about weather
When it is only us together
That emphasizes quite clear

I am linear.
And I think it quite disgrace
That you occupy my space.
Not as large as me you are
Little bug beneath the stars.
I'll deny you all you take
Your pretty squirrel track;
Wisely put; your talent differs;
If you cannot lift a mountain back,
Nor can you understand my ciphers.'

My idea came with the mountain, being sturdy and strong as it is, resisting the squirrels claims and 'fighting' back with words to hopefully shoo the squirrel away.

 

Poem: Reaction

I decided to write a poem, titled Reaction, in reaction to reading the poems this week for my Introduction to American Poetry class. Something caused me to have a subtle yet curious reaction to a common denominator between the poems, that ‘something’ being religion. In each of the readings this week there is some religious / spiritual idea supporting the writer / character and either references it by ‘god’ or ‘goddess’… So in reaction I would like to write my thoughts on this particular finding.

Reaction


If a poem were to allow,

Nothing in it but a crowd,

Of people who do dream,

Something without a team.

Cannot be strong without
A gods will throughout.


What then is the idea thought?

To cause such worry and doubt?

Because without Him or Her

I am truly undoubtedly unsure.

Cannot be strong without
A gods will throughout.


Yet when I look in the sky,

All I see is you and Eye,

But when the chaos ensues

Nothing ever right I choose.

Cannot be strong without
A gods will throughout.


This is my reaction
This is my action
Take a step back and see
All that is there before me.


Because I can be strong without
A gods will throughout.

How to Read a Poem

How to Read a Poem

“Reading poetry well is part attitude and part technique” writes Edward Hirsch, emphasizing the idea that having an emotion to back up some form of skill that is further enforced by a set of ‘ground rules’ for literacy and writing is what poetry’s about. But nothing denotes further from the truth than grounding one’s idea that a poem is exactly the way an individual wants it to be. On the contrary, poetry is not theory or philosophy, but rather the poet’s rendition of a sense of attitude and technique, not the interpretation of it. The struggle is finding that answer: What does the poem mean overall?

Some poets themselves answer the question to finding that answer, as William Carlos Williams entails that a reader must “’complete’ what the poet has begun’”. Again, the answer does not come from within, but through the text of the poem itself.

To do this, many steps may be involved but to simplify how to read a poem I will break it down into three simple steps, enforced by research of others [such as Edward Hirsch].

Besides obviously reading the poem, and for some reading aloud is appropriate as well, I would suggest going through each line and answering the ‘who, what, where, when, why’ questions. Who is the reader? Is it the author of it is the lover, friend, doctor, enemy, priest, etc.? What is the poem talking about? War, hunger, feelings, etc.? Where is the poem taking place [and more so] when is the poem taking place [year, age, etc.]… And finally, why is the poet crafting his or her art into a literary form?

As Edward Hirsch mentions, “Talking Back to [the] Poem” by asking questions such as who the speaker is, what circumstances gave rise to the poem, what kind of figurative language, if any, does the poem use, etc. will help understand the answers.

The next key step is to hone in on specific words that shine, adverbs, people, places, etc. Not to answer the metaphysical questions, but to simple observe them and let it sink in, which will lead naturally into the last phase: connecting.

Finally, try to connect to something within the poem in order to make it feel real for you. While poetry is something we cannot interpret individually and be correct without proper investigation, we can, however, make it a part of our lives.

Overall reading poetry is about figuring out what the poetry is from a metaphysical standpoint and not allowing your own opinion to interfere with the sole purpose of its [the poems] objective.