Poetry Analysis Blog #1

Title - "Those Winter Sundays" This title makes me think the poet will reminisce about times in his childhood.

Paraphrase - The poet talks of his hard-working father who would do lots of nice things for him. However, the father's short temper made him indifferent in speaking to his father. He didn't realize how much his father loved him.

Connotative Language -

• The whole poem creates imagery.
• "hear the cold splintering, breaking" - personification
• "love's austere and lonely offices" - metaphor.

Attitude

1. Mood - Robert Hayden wants the audience to feel his feelings of regret about being unappreciative to his father. It's like he's warning us to not make the same mistake he did.
2. Tone - Hayden is nastalgic in his tone of voice, and he regrets not appreciating his father's love for him.

Shift - The shift occures in line ten when Hayden starts talking about his feelings instead of merely recalling the past.

Title - "Those Winter Sundays" I was correct in the fact that he is remembering former parts of his life. The poem has a deeper meaning because it shows his failure to realize the extent of his father's love.

Theme - Love can be found more so in actions than words.

Poem 2

Title - "Life Cycle of Common Man" (Howard Nemerov)

The title gives me the impression that it will describe the common way of life in an original perspective.

Paraphrase - Nemerov discusses all the possible material things that men leave behing in their lifetime. He describes the amount of words a person says in their lifespan. The poem shows shows the awe of all that men use, do, and say in their life.

Connotative Language -

• Lines 13 - 19 are a metaphor describing all of the objects men leave behind in their lengthening trail.
• Lines 38 - 40 use imagery to describe the imagined cartoon bubble of dialogue that men use daily.
• Word is personifies in line 42.
• Line 43 is a metaphor saying that the world is his apple, and forces him to eat.

Attitude

1. Mood - Nemerov wants the audience to be amazed at the amount of all the average things we do daily and how they build the structure of our lives.
2. Tone - Nemerov is fascinated as well and ponders the significance of life itself.

Shift - The shift occurs in line 19 when Nemerov questions the purpose of all the things we use in life and their outcome.

Title - "Life Cycle of Common Man" It reinforces the emphasis on the common man and what one does during their lifetime.

Theme - Life is made of countless technical things that are pointless if not used for a greater purpose.

Oops, I forgot my responses....

"Those Winter Sundays" - This caught my attention becasue I could relate to Hayden's emotions. My father and I used to have a similar relationship when I was younger. I was glad to know that someone else had been through the exact same thing. I'm just glad I came to his later realization earlier in life.

"Life Cycle of Common Man" - This poem also caught my attention because it described small things that no one ever really pays attention to. His style was really unique, and I like his perspective on life.