Another Eternity Poem Analysis

Richard Blanco is a Cuban- American poet who was given the oppurunity to write an inaugaration poem for Barack Obama's second swearing-in. He wrote a poem titled "One Today" that praised the good and unique things about the United States and also the everyday people who's daily routines help to make America the proud country that it is.

Lorna Dee Cervantes' poem, “Poema para los Californios Muertos” (“Poem for the Dead Californios”), is a commentary on what happened to the original inhabitants of California when California was still Mexico, and an address to the speaker's dead ancestors. Utilizing a unique dynamic, consistently alternating between Spanish and English, Cervantes accurately represents the fear, hatred, and humility experienced by the “Californios” through rhythm, arrangement, tone, and most importantly, through use of language.

Individuals have been brought to believe that the only way to end their griefs and sorrows is to end their lives. Though suicide has become a detriment and devastating issue, it has not been presumed to be an effortless or painless act. In society, people become their own threats as they tend to isolate themselves from others which often increases this devastating issue of unsubstantial pain and long-suffering. In the poem, Tuesday 9:00 am, by Denver Butson, individuals are unable to speak and move because of their own specific problems which are burdening them and their ability to help others. The poet is enforcing the idea that individuals need to open up their eyes and be aware of others relentless despair and their struggle to reach out.

The speaker then moves to a restaurant where he picks up a chicken noodle soup and gets his want across to the staff by simply pointing at it. The stanza ends with the line “I am adjusting well to the new way”(10), showing that according to the speaker the new law is working fine for him and he is able to live a normal life. However, with the entrance into the third stanza we begin to question whether the speaker naturally only acted this way towards the phone call and the staff in the restaurant, without using any words or he was actually saving them for his lover. The second reason is more likely to be true, due to his statement in the next verse “I call my long distance lover, proudly say I only used fifty-nine today. I saved the rest for you”(11/13). Here, the second character is introduced in the poem – the long distance lover. It becomes obvious that the speaker, who is most probably a man, is in a long distance relationship with a woman and the way communicate is via phone call. The speaker tells his lover proudly he has only used fifty-nine words today and has saved the rest for her. This shows the speaker’s devotion towards his lover because he has chosen to use most of his words on her.

Death is a topic that unites all of humanity. While it can be uncomfortable to think about, confronting death in unavoidable. “Dying” addresses that discomfort and universal unwillingness to consider the inevitability of death. Pinsky’s use of imagery, symbolism, and tone create a poetic experience that is like death, something every reader can relate to. In “Dying,” Pinsky describes how people are oblivious and almost uncaring when it comes to the thought of death. Pinsky is trying to convince the reader that they shouldn’t ignore the concept of death because life is shorter than it seems.

While reading both stories, they both seemed to share the same theme. The theme that both stories shared is the dedication to do work even if it isn’t necessary. In, “Clearing Paths to the Past” The person states they have an obligation to clear their sidewalk so others can use the sidewalk to get somewhere. In, “To be of use” the person telling the poem explains how they love to be dedicated to doing work even when they do not need to do the work with any effort.

The song “Believer”, by Imagine Dragons, they sing about how the pain and depression, they were going through, has made him stronger than before. This song tells us that your greatest strengths come from your weaknesses. Imagine Dragons are trying too say that “Pain” and depression and sadness are only stepping stones to your strength, in this song. “Believer” is about that you don’t have to dwell on your troubles and can look on the bright side of things. This song also explains that you can become a “Believer” by embracing all of the problems going on in your life today. The theme of relationships in this song is highlighted through many various examples of similes, metaphors, and other literary devices throughout the song.

Album covers are an important aspect in the music culture and industry. Many album covers vary, depending on the artist itself and music genres. However, all album covers are meticulously designed to represent an artist’s vision and work from their music. Musicians will choose an album artwork that represents them and their music. BADLANDS by Halsey and True Colors by Zedd are respectable examples of artists who choose their covers based on their inspirations. These two album covers are well thought of and beautifully created with depth and substance. Music is art, and so are album covers.

At 1st glance this piece does look like a photograph, even a painting, but this series is a work of mixed-media layered one on top of the other in a box. Yet this assemblage of random found objects, with the artists

Artist, Kesha, co-wrote and sang the song titled “Praying.” In the video that she created for the song she shows us, the audience, what she went through during her healing process from the sexual and mental violence she received. Through many methods, such as religious references, Kesha took us through her journey through ethos, logos, and pathos.

Rather than a musical composition or visual installation, the work 4’33’’ is a concept in art history. Therefore, I think there is no need to separate music and visual art. To be honest, 4’33’’ is the silence within 4’33’’ that presents ideas to the audience. Cage

“On my first son” was a poem we read in class, and after reading it one time through, my table partners and I did not have a single clue about what the poem meant. After brainstorming ideas and recording our thoughts, we were able to understand the poem 20 minutes later. This process was repeated when Anna, Udonne, and I tried to make meaning out of the poem “Outbound” by Greg Williamson. Our discussion process consisted on going line by line and asking questions about what we did or did not understand. Anna asked if anybody had trouble with the first two lines, which were “We passengers ride backward on the train And train our eyes on what has passed us by.”

"The Sharpest Lives,” a lyricized poem with a pleasing rhythm to accompany. Coming from the band My Chemical Romance's forth album Welcome to the Black Parade written by the lead vocals Gerald Way, fan speculated to be about a man who had caught his partner cheating on him with his best friend, that sends him on a downward spiral during this period in his life. With the tones of Pessimism, morose, and ribald to help listeners connect to this lyrical sob story. The theme, although life has low points do your best to overcome the doldrums that are dragging you down, is best communicated through the use of figurative language and imagery, which conveys an inspirational message to compel the audience to do what they can to make their lives better.

Ted Kooser, the thirteenth Poet Laureate of the United States and Pulitzer Prize winner, is known for his honest and accessible writing. Kooser’s poem “A Spiral Notebook” was published in 2004, in the book Good Poems for Hard Times, depicting a spiral notebook as something that represents more than its appearance. Through the use of imagery, diction, and structure, Ted Kooser reveals the reality of a spiral notebook to be a canvas of possibilities and goes deeper to portray the increasing complexities in life as we age.

I chose to analyze the poem Count-time because it speaks volumes even though it is a short poem. It is describing an important aspect of prison life for these inmates. Each day the prison guards must take a count, sort of like inventory to ensure each inmate is in their cell and presumably asleep. Baca refers to the cells as tombs where the prisoner’s lifeless body remains still in the darkest of the hour. In this moment the prisoners think about the time they have lost from the outside world and the memories that linger within them. He states “when he goes, the bodies slowly move, in solitary ritual” (Baca 5). It is interesting how Baca uses certain phrases to compare the prisoners to as if they are already dead. For example, he says “to their