Poetry Analysis 'Thanks' By Yusef Kounyakaa

Structures the essay exceptionally well, has a compelling introduction and conclusion, and uses transitions to enhance the organization of ideas

Just as poetry is a permanent mark of feelings that last forever on paper, tattoos are permanent symbols that last forever on the skin. Tattoos and poetry can easily be combined such as in Kim Addonizio’s sonnet, “First Poem for You,” the speaker admires her partner’s nature themed tattoos in a darkened room. This may seem to be a simple poem, but by utilizing tattoos as symbols, including tactile and visual imagery in her poem, and using the sonnet as her structure, Addonizio laments about the true meaning of relationships and their longevity.

In the middle of the poem, the speaker arrives at the number of casualties from the war. When he reads this number he can’t believe that he is still alive. As he reads down the names he uses the visual imagery and simile to describe how he expected to find his own name in “letters like smoke” (line 16). This helps the reader understand how lucky the speaker felt about somehow escaping the war still alive. As he goes

Yusef Komunyakaa, famous African American poet of today, grew up at the very edge of the Civil Rights movements. Born in 1947 in Bouglasa, Louisiana, he witnessed firsthand the racial segregation and discrimination of the time. As a child, he loved to read, yet he was barred from the public library due to his race (Blumberg). In addition to this personal experience of discrimination, he likely observed and was aware of the purpose of the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) and the resurgence of black rage from political writers of the time, such as Amiri Baraka. He may not have been aware at the time that this black rage and polemical writing was the source of the Black Arts Movement (1960-1975).

¨You who crept into our lives with tongues like knives stabbing your words into our skin.¨ The creepy words about evil from the poem ¨Troll¨ by Shane Koyczan. The poem ¨Troll¨ shows that there is evil in the world, different forms of evil, and that we can do something about it.

In the poem “To This Day” by Shane Koyczan the girl has a birthmark that covers most of her face, because of that she is called ugly and a wrong answer by the other kids at school. The author uses the erased letter B to symbolize how she is seen as a mistake in the eyes of others. Mistakes and wrong answers are seen as imperfect so she is being seen by the other kids as imperfect. The author also uses the talking bubbles to symbolize hateful, mean, cruel words that have created a lasting effect on her. Because of those words she won’t ever believe that she is beautiful, the words covered it up. Both of these pieces of evidence show how hate and cruelty can create a lasting effect on someone through words. Kids thought she looked like a “wrong

It’s great beauty garners millions of people. These millions of people, armed in the motivated cause of beauty , in such a charm as that it possess, are invincible by any force which any obstacle sent against them.

I think your storyline for the poem worked well. I liked the contrast between beauty and anger-violence. I feel the contrast gave the poem consistency and really held my attention. You mention that you felt that you were focused too much on the storytelling and not on imagery but I feel you did both really well. I felt that you were very descriptive. The ways you write about blood are particularly effective.

Do to being born into a strong Roman Catholic family, this symbol automatically reminds me of the some of the priests and on occasion some of the nuns wearing this cross around their neck. I always liked this cross much better than the crucifix. That one always scared me as a small child. I remember thinking that this one looked kind of like a stick figure of a woman. She had to be in a dress because you couldn 't see her legs. I still like the look of this symbol today. Even more so now that I know the history behind it.

he speaker relays the events in the poem as an observer, and in the latter half of the poem tells of the events as a reporter might. Because the woman may be unable to speak for herself, perhaps because she did not survive the attack, or because her white, male attackers possess so much power, this point of view provides a voice for her. Kevin Stein argues that “Komunyakaa, who served as a journalist in Vietnam, uses those skills to narrate the incident with ostensibly detached, journalistic precision” (545). While the speaker does take on this perspective, his imagining of the victim’s thoughts and experience are too intensely personal and compassionate to be “detached.” For example, when the woman “counts the names of dead / ancestors” (12-13)

Kohana starts by giving me a short summary of her life before she became a mother. She attended a two year woman’s college right after graduating from high school. Shortly after graduating she became engaged to Mr. Hoshino. Sheepishly, she confesses that she was not as focused on her studies as her children are. When she sees her two children coming back from school she feels envious. They have accomplished more than she did at their age. Like any mother she wants her children to have the best. She was ecstatic when Yuriko made into such a selective junior high. Her heart leapt for joy when she say her daughter was at the top of her class.

1. The speaker at the beginning tells the reader his love for America after God and lastly himself in the phrase "next to of course god america i". Most of the poem is in quotation marks, probably because it was from a public speech. This unknown speaker could well have been a politician or a soldier showing his patriotism and religious belief. It is a poem about patriotism and the war. The poem starts off with the speaker being someone that is a patriot and feels strongly about America. As the poem progresses it takes a different approach becoming very sarcastic. In this sarcasm the writer shows that we are ignoring the negative aspects of the war. Therefore bringing to our attention that patriotism can manipulate people into doing things they usually wouldn't.

Beauty and aesthetics can be defined as “Nothing more nor less, than sensitivity to the sublime and the beautiful and an aversion to the ordinary and ugly”, this means that beauty can be absolutely anything which is beautiful as long as it is not ugly or ordinary, this may seem harsh, much like the poems by William Shakespeare and Jonathan Swift. In both poems; ‘Sonnet 130’ by William Shakespeare and ‘A beautiful young nymph going to bed’ by Jonathan Swift, aesthetic beauty is explored in a brutal and honest light. Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 130’ tells the story of a man describing his mistress

The notion of maritime is one of themes frequently brought up by a poet. Energetic enthusiasm in facing life in maritime society has inspired poets to write a conception about maritime. This research aims at analyzing maritime concept included within four poetry by Rida K Liamsi, namely Laut, Tempuling, Pancang Nibung I, and Kemejan. Descriptive method is used in order to explain maritime concept contained in those four poetry. The research result shows that those four poetry raise about the rigorous of life obstacles inside maritime territory. These poetry are yielded on the basis of Malay eagerness to live in a maritime zone. These Malays are depicted to struggle with never-give up spirit in confronting life cycle. Though in every fight results win and failure, the Malay people never surrender to fate. Destiny does not impair their exertion in handling life. What even more interesting is that Malay people recognize the importance of sense or essence of life, for struggle is the truly heart of life.

forms of vocal or silent prayers. This is captured in this phrasing of the poem, as a soldier fearing for his life calls for aid. The next part of the poem shows the meticulous attention to detail and preparation that a commanding officer has. This officer is responsible for the lives of everybody under his command, and he is responsible for ensuring that they accomplish their goals with minimal loss of life. He is verifying that everything is ready for an attack that could occur at any time, and there is no problem with the equipment that will aid them in a fight for their lives. Finally, near the end of the poem, the waiting is over. The fighting that is being dreaded is here, and the fight for their survival has begun. People are dying, and there is a sound that will haunt dreams years later, “The cough of a mortar tube.” This dread associated with a sound or memory is a reference to PTSD developed by many soldiers due to distressing experiences during the fighting. This led to many problems for the soldiers as they retuned home, and attempted to reacclimate to civilian life. This is a topic that Komunyakaa explores here, and in other poems, as it was something he experienced directly. Poems like this betrayed a vital writing style of Komunyakaa’s; writing literally. He does not try to hide meaning in the words, he does not keep the reader guessing. He writes to put his ideas out, and allows the reader to absorb everything they can.