How do the poets represent the importance of 'roots' in their poetry?

“’ But this is merely a negative definition of the value of education’” (23-24). Mark Halliday wrote “The Value of Education” from a first person standpoint. The introduction and the use of “I” demonstrates the poem is about the speaker. Likewise, the speaker uses imagery, self-recognition, and his own personal thoughts throughout the poem. He goes on throughout the poem stating external confrontations he is not doing because he is in the library receiving an education and reading books. With this in mind, the speaker goes on to convey images in your head to show a realization of things he could be doing if he were not in the library getting an education.

Have you ever felt like you were born to do something? Since I was born I felt like I was born to play baseball, but after that I would love to be a broadcaster. That is why I have chosen to analyze “The Broadcaster’s Poem” by Alden Nowlan. Analyzing a poem is not an easy thing to accomplish for me. As I very rarely analyze anything I read, but you should try everything once.

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.

Poetry is not just words formed into a line and a stanza; each poem is an opportunity to “dance” with the poet to his or her significant song. “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins is a reflection on how readers should read poetry. This poem is about how readers should take the time to understand and explore poetry. In addition, Billy Collins, also, states that readers should not torture poems and ignore the significance each stanza represents, but dissect, enjoy, and appreciate the journey they will take while reading poetry. “Introduction to Poetry” is a guide to readers in how to take more time enjoying poetry and learning to understand the experiences poems portray.

Both poems draw attention to the horrible situations of African-American people, in which they cry out for civil rights and equality in a time where African-Americans were treated unfairly and with injustice. In Hughes` poem “I, Too” it states, “I am the darker brother. / They send me to eat in the kitchen / When company comes.” (Hughes 1) This shows that he was not acknowledged or respected to be in the presence of others because of the color of his skin. This can be compared to “Theme for English B”. For instance, “I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like / the same things other folks like who are other races. /

The Vacuum by Howard Nemerov talks about a widower and his late wife, and how he uses the vacuum as a symbol for her death. The poem expresses deep sorrow and sadness that derive from the loneliness of the speaker, after his other half’s passing away. Nemerov attempts to take his readers on a grief-stricken journey, by strategically employing figurative language (mainly personification, metaphor, simile, and alliteration), fractured rhyme schemes and turns in stanza breaks in the poem.

Through poetry, these authors question the racial boundaries of American society and become significantly important figures in the fight for equal rights. Emphasis on racial equality seemed to be used often within their literature, and many of their poems that focused on equality, or lack thereof, to include self-identity, came from personal experiences and reflected on the thought or belief in overcoming the looming race issue. For each of these poets, finding equality, seeking one’s own self-identity, became their personal freedom, not only as an equal within their works but in society as well. It was essential to each in understanding the terms of self-awareness and obtaining respect.

Genocide. Rape. Murder. Domestic violence. Massacre. Kidnapping. These are all acts of horrendous violence that we hope to never encounter. Yet, it happens everyday around world. And the victims are forced to say forgive and forget, but is it really that simple? I believe that in some situations forgiveness is not an option. According to an online poll, only 38 out of 68 people believe victims who suffered from childhood abuse should not forgive their abuser. Although, what does forgiveness really mean?

Collectors of poetry are bias. By this I mean that more often than not when poems are selected for collections, the works of classical writers will be prioritized over the works of newer or more untraditional authors. That is not to say that this is a bad thing, there is much that can be and needs to be learned from classical poets. However, it is often overlooked how much other, more unknown writers can contribute to the canon of poetry, especially those influenced by different racial and ethnic backgrounds. To demonstrate my point, in this essay I shall be discussing in detail Langston Hughes and his piece Poem and why it should be included in the Norton Anthology of Poetry. I will contrast and compare it with Christina Rossetti’s Remember, and back up my arguments with selected quotes from Langston Hughes’ essay ‘The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain’.

For the first two sentences, the speaker relies on memory to express remembrance and perhaps fondness in his tone. He attempts to recall Perry as he was, how he was perceived by those around him, not how he appears now as a ruthless killer. This was likely used in an attempt to bond with Perry again as he once did.

Numerous artists make exceptionally uncertain implications when composing poetry. To some the understandings might be extremely energizing, while others consider them to be dull stories of a creator's life. As uninteresting as it may be to a few, individuals can especially identify with specific focuses being made in many types of poetry. In "The Root Cellar", Roethke examines in distinctive detail about the dim, moist, and rotten basement. The statements made are extremely discouraging and the thought of needing to surrender appears to be real. He depicts how everything stinks of rotting matter and how anything would not have the power to rest in such a place. Despite the fact that all appears to be lost, there

Slavery first started during the 17th century and did not end until the 19th century. During this time, America was just being built into a country and used slaves to do the labor. Slavery was mainly done by rich Southern white men. All day slaves worked on plantations, farms, etc. for no pay and very little food. Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglas were only some of the people helped many slaves during this hard time.

The excerpt from Kim Addonizio’s and Dorianne Laux’s book, The Poet's Companion was informative and lucid. As I previously noted in reading response eight, this excerpt felt less didactic and more like a hand-holding guide as compared to previous readings on creative nonfiction. I liked the authors’ emphasis on writing and reading being the only ways of finding one’s voice. The explanation of the elements of craft in the context of poetry was very helpful in recognizing the amateur mistakes in my poems. Moreover, the sample poems aided in clarifying any questions I had after reading the authors’ opinion on voice and style. I enjoyed reading the sample poems which

Gwendolyn Brooks' poetry as brilliant as it is and as widely heralded as it has become over the past eighty years or so cannot be generalized or stereotyped as simply the work of an "African American" poet per se, with all the implications that particular ethnic description brings to mind. Indeed, Brooks' work offers a diversity of interests, genres, themes, and social situations. In this paper Brooks' poems "The Lovers of the Poor" (a satirical poem that has elements of parody) and "The Explorer" (an irregularly created poem about isolation and the need for safety from social confusion and alienation) will be critiqued in depth.

Some of the poems and essays I have read during this class were relatable to me. Being away from college, I have struggled with not being at home. I have become a different person when I am at school, but when I am home, I feel like I am my normal self again. Some of these authors of the poems and essays that I have read throughout this class has struggled with being somewhere where they don’t belong and that they are someone else when they are not home. Unlike the other poems and essays we have read throughout the course. I enjoyed reading the ones about “home” because I actually understood what they are going through and that I can relate. Some of these poems and essays include “Going Home” by Maurice Kenny, Postcard from Kashmir”, by Agha Shahid Ali, “Returning” by Elias Miguel Munoz and “Hometown” by Luis Cabalquinto. All of these poems deal with duality.