Extra Credit Precis

    Often times, my peers or acquaintances will joke that I am always complaining about womens' role in Judaism. Perhaps they think my desire for equality is far fetched and dumb or they just like to mess around with me as they know I identify as a feminist and think it's some type of joke, but whatever it is, I don't like it. I do not like when others misjudge my intentions, like I am fighting just to fight or that I am searching for something that does not exist. What I want people to know is that I am looking for how to be myself in my religion. I don't want to wear a mask or hide who I am by merely accepting whatever I hear but instead I want to find my place as a woman in Judaism.
    "Aleh does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a veil", is what Abudawud, an interpretation of the Kuran, preaches. In other words, what this quote means is that once an Islamic woman has reached a certain age where she is able to reproduce, she must shield her face or her hair (depending on the type of veil) while praying to her God (Aleh).  This quote makes me upset. To me, it sends an idea to any woman from age thirteen and up that she must cover herself when in the presence of holy things. This quote essentially tells women that they must wear a mask when connecting with their religion, hiding their natural bodies and faces, as if they are something negative. While I respect women who wear hijabs and believe in modesty as a part of their religion, it's so difficult for me as a woman that is interested in the fight for womens rights to think of someone growing up in this religion who may not agree with the wearing of a veil. Its also upseting to think about how there are most likely many women who blindly accept this idea that they must cover themselves, as if their faces are in some way a bad thing.
     However, another thought in my mind is even more prominent when I read this quote. I think about how despite the fact that I must also deal with a barrier during prayer, the mechitzah, I am lucky that my religion does not ask me to hide my face. This is not to compare the religions of Judaism and Islam, rather it is to say that the two religions' perspective on women do differ in several ways. The mechitzah exists foe reasons that I may not agree with or even fully understand but despite this, it gives me pride that the mechitzah does not disregard the women of my religion completely. Even with a mechitzah to separate us, women are still involved in the service as strong and powerful individuals with faces. Judaism as a religion recognizes the beauty of womens' bodies and faces as well as their inner souls.
     It's interesting how the concept of a mask is relavent in so many different ways. In general, masks are worn to hide something. In plays, actors wear them to be someone who they are not. In certain religions, veils or face coverings are worn to ensure the secrecy of what is beneath them. No matter the scenario, masks serve the purpose of covering something up. In the case of this quote which says the Islamic God does not accept prayers from women unless they wear a mask, the mask represents concealment. It symbolizes the idea that women must conceal themselves and their faces, as if they are something that cannot be exposed. While I truly struggle to grasp this idea and how it could be viewed as a moral law, I feel grateful for my ability to show my face in my own religion, without the fear that I am doing something wrong by being my full, unmasked self.

Poetry Precis 19- "Thanks for Remembering Us" by Dania Gioia

In Dania Gioia's "Thanks for Remembering Us", the speaker uses a suspicious tone, employing diction and symbolism to hint at the tragedy of a couple in which one of the spouses cheated on the other. While this poem seems to be a cheerful one towards the beginning, as it unravels itself, the reader understands it is actually quite sad. The speaker brings up flowers as a symbol of mystery and confusion at the beginning of the poem, as they are sent to the wrong address because "our neighbor says they're not for her, and no one has a birthday near". The reader understands the element of curiosity the speaker is implementing here by his choice of words, as he says that these flowers were "signed with a name that no one knew". At this point, the reader may be suspicious but then the poem bluntly states "Is one of us having an affair?", giving the reader a clear cut understanding of what this poem is about, as well as how these unknown flowers will affect this marriage. The arrival of these flowers causes the couple to doubt each other, as they begin to think about the possibility that perhaps one of them is cheating on the other. The speaker then diverts in the second stanza to explain how the flowers begin to die and deteriorate, as one flower is "enshrouded in its sickly-sweet and lingering perfume" and "the room smells like a funeral"; Using this diction, the speaker shows how the symbol of the flowers (the affair) is bringing much tragedy into this marriage and perhaps will force this couple's relationship to "die", as their house smells like a funeral (a sad ending) due to the affair. In this poem, these flowers symbolize the obvious yet mysterious affair that is going on between one of the spouses in this marriage and the diction that the speaker uses helps create the setting necessary to keep up the suspense of the story. 

Analysis on the Magnificent Work of the Master JJ Kampf

In JJ Kampf's "The Modern Prometheus", the speaker sets a story like tone as he uses italics to switch back and forth between characters in his allusion to the ancient myth of Prometheus. The speaker opens up with imagery describing a modern day setting as he says "Soft pajamas lay idle in the closet", letting the reader know that this poem will most likely take place in a home with children. As the poem goes on, the speaker develops the plot of the classic babysitter that lets the children have fun and have what they desire saying "They laugh, they play, they cry/They litter the living room with toys", despite the fact that "their mother and father would scream sourly if they saw." The speaker thereby shows how "Johnny didn't care/because they smiled", as he cared about the childrens' wellbeing. In this scenario, reader can imply that the babysitter is like Prometheus, the children are the people of the world, and the parents are God. The babysitter  understands the children's wishes and wants to fulfill them, despite what their strict parents may want. This is just like the story of Prometheus, as Prometheus stole the fire for the good of the people, regardless of the fact that God did not allow for him to take it. The speaker's use of italics helps the reader understand the distinction between the times that the babysitter is speaking and the narrator is speaking, like in the example " Bedtime clothes right away, and no TV for either of them. Midnight looms like New Year’s Eve."

Poetry Precis 18- "A Man I Knew" by Margaret Levine

In "A Man I Knew" by Margaret Levine, the speaker uses a reflective and humbled tone and symbolism as she remembers someone she used to know, either a friend or a partner. Throughout the poem, the speaker describes this man's personality through his posessions and belongings, the first one being a "condo". Unlike houses which are commonly bought, condos are rented, symbolizing this man's lack of commitment and inability to settle down. This man has a maid that comes "every other week" and children "who won't", meaning they do not even come every other week. These two descriptions of this man show his priorities in life; perhaps he has caused himself to be astray from his children and the maid is all he has now. Throughout this poem, the speaker seems to be upset about this ex friend or lover's values in life and from what it seems, the things she lists appear to be the reasons they are not together anymore. After analyzing the speaker's tone and her choices when describing this man, it seems she and this man value different things in life.

Poetry Precis 17- "In the Well" by Andrew Hudgins

"In the Well" by Andrew Hugdins is a poem in which the speaker uses imagery and a tense and fearful tone to relay an experience of fear and a message about overcoming one's fears. From the first line of the poem, a clear and tense picture is painted for the reader as the speaker says his dad "clinched the rope" and there was a "noose around my waist". As the poem continues and the speaker is let down into a well, he "tasted first/ of dark, then earth, then rot", all examples of imagery that allow the reader to imagine what the speaker is feeling. The suspenseful tone of the speaker continues throughout the poem to keep the reader engaged as well as portray the atmosphere of the setting in which this poem takes place until finally, "Daddy hauled/the wet rope. I gagged, and pressed/my neighbor's missing dog/against me," at which point the reader is relieved. The ending of this poem reads "Then light. Then hands. Then breath," relaying a message through these six short words that one may overcome their challenges and fears and reemerge healthily.

Poetry Precis 16- "Snow" by David Berman

In the poem "Snow", David Berman uses a dramatic tone and a story like structure to show the innocence and oblivion of children. In the poem, the speaker tells his brother that the imprints of snow angels were "a troop of angels" that "had been shot and dissolved when they hit the ground". Through this image, the speaker conveys the idea that when we are younger, we will believe anything. We listen to those who are older than us no matter what they say. Throughout the poem the younger brother is intrigued by his brother's remarks, thereby revealing his innocence. "He asked who shot them" and the speaker says it was a farmer who shot these angels and their shape is all that remains. The reader understands the utter stupidity of this idea but the whole point is that the young boy follows along with this story enthusiastically. The poem continues saying "Why he asked. Why did he shoot them", continuing with the speaker's point that this boy's curiosity and oblivion are endless. The dramatic tone used by the speaker adds to this affect as he ends off this poem with "But why were they on his property, he asked", leaving the reader with a question mark as to what the speaker answered his younger brother although it is implied that the same type of storytelling will continue.

Poetry Precis 15- "She Didn't Mean to Do It" by Daisy Fried

"She Didn't Mean to Do It" is a poem in which Daisy Freed uses a sarcastic tone and repetition as tools to convey a message about excuses. Throughout the poem, a picture is painted of someone who acts in a disorderly manner or who experiences "certain thrills". But even before this person is described, the first two lines of the poem are an excuse as they read "Oh, she was sad, she was sad, she didn't mean to do it". Next, the poem goes into some detail about this person's uncontrollable actions as a result of the strength of her sadness saying "Certain thrills knock you flat on your sheets on your bed in your room", not giving the subject ownership of her thrills but instead, discussing them in a way that makes them seem like she cannot stop them. By the end of the poem, the speaker has showed the common practice of humans to simply use dumb excuses like being "sad" as a way to justify ones actions. The repetition of "Oh, she was sad, she was sad, she didn't mean to do it" puts emphasis on this idea of excuses, showing how one can blame another's actions on their feelings.

Poetry Precis 14- "School Day Afternoon" by Dave Etter

Using imagery and alliteration in his poem, "School Day Afternoon", David Etter writes with an enthusiastic tone to capture the excitement of being a child at home alone. The speaker says he will "make myself a sugar sandwich", not only using alliteration with the use of the letter s, but he also uses imagery in this allowing the reader to picture this child made sandwich which goes against the rules of most parents who would make their kids eat something healthy. Rather than finishing his homework or studying for a test, the boy says he will "go outside and look at the birds" and he will see "the gigantic blue silo." Through this description of this bird, the reader thinks of freedom, almost as if the silo is a symbol of the boy, free without any expectations. The imagery presented in this poem lives the poem, allowing the reader to understand the excitement the boy feels when he is alone at home without his mother.

Poetry Precis 13- "The Meadow" by Kate Knapp

In "The Meadow", Kate Knapp writes using an intimate and calm tone as she uses stanza form and the metaphor that longing for that one special person is looking out into a meadow to relay the message of the unknown. This message of unknown fate that is shown through the speaker's lines. As the speaker stares "at this window", he or she loses track of time as he or she is consumed by their thoughts when trying to imagine and conceptualize the unknown that lies before them. The concept of the unknown and the confusion of the speaker is brought to life in this poem as the speaker ends each line in the middle of a sentence, leaving the reader with an unfinished thought. "Half the day lost, staring" reads the first line. "At this window, I wanted to know" reads the next; the fourth reads "just one true thing" and the fifth reads "about the soul". The reader is not able to get through one line with one complete thought and that is exactly the point. This structure conveys the speaker's confusion and lack of ability to predict what will happen in the future. The speaker proves that looking through a window at a meadow is like someone looking for their beloved as both make the person lose track of time, as the speaker says "two inches of snow have fallen over the meadow" and then "Where did I go, how long was I out looking for you?", showing the similarity of how just as one loses track of time while enjoying the scenery of a meadow and then out of nowhere, it has begun to snow without the person even realizing, one can look out for their beloved for extended periods of time forgetting how much time they have spent doing so.

Poetry Precis 12- "Domestic Work, 1937" by Natasha Trethewey

In "Domestic Work, 1937", Natasha Trethewey writes in a dramatic tone and uses form to help relay the message that often times, in the world of hardship, all one has to hold onto is something small that brings them happiness. In this case, a maid who slaves away holds on to Sundays as it says "Sunday mornings are hers".  The speaker's use of stanzas, with short lines separated in between them puts emphasis on her message. After each stanza, the speaker writes a line which capture's the subject's hope and motivation despite the difficulty of her life. The first line set in between two stanzas "Let's make a change girl", giving the reader an idea of what this girl tells herself to keep moving forward. The next one "Cleanliness is next to godliness" again reemphasizes this positivity that the servant relies on and thinks about when doing her difficult job.Each of these lines set in between the stanzas are statements of positivity, which allow the reader to understand how the subject of the poem, the servant, gets through her days- by looking forward to the small things that make her happy.

Poetry Precis 11- "Before She Died " by Karen Chase

In "Before She Died", Karen Chase relays the message that loss and distance is are true hardships by using contrast and a mournful tone. This whole poem is about the difference in the speaker's life before "she" died versus after "she" died. Just by looking at the title, contrast can be recognized as a literary technique used by the speaker to get his or her point across. The title of the poem is "Before She Died", but really, the whole poem is about what is occurring after she died. One example of this contrast which the speaker uses to convey this difference is in the first line, when the speaker says "When I look at the sky now, I look at it for you." The contrast can be seen because the speaker is specifically talking about the present in comparison to the past. It is implied that before this loved one had died, the speaker did not look at the sky with such emotion or deep thought but now he or she looks at it perhaps as a way of connecting to the one who passed. Throughout the whole poem, the idea that the speaker's life is just not the same anymore and that in general, that when one loses another, their life is changed completely, is clearly given with this use of contrast.

Modern Day Premetheus

A father of three, trying to do the right thing

Providing for his kids, despite the difficulty

He wants to bring joy and light into their lives

But what he receives in return is rage and rebuke

The surounding parents do not understand him

They cannot comprehend how he handles his kids

When all he does is put them first, above all else

Prays for their dreams and wishes to come true

But no reward will come for him

Liver cancer takes over all he ever was

He is punished for simply doing the right thing

His life with his children is quickly vanishing

He must suffer each and every day

Was all he did worth this price he must pay?

Once a father of three, trying to do the right thing

Is now just a felon, serving time for innocence

Poetry Precis 10- "Remora, Remora" by Thomas Lux

"Remora, Remora" by Thomas Lux is a poem crafted by a metaphor which shows how unjust social hierarchy and  is and what it leads to. Through a dismayed tone, the speaker uses the analogy of the big shark representing those at the top of the social hierarchy while the smaller ones represent those who have lesser importance in society. Through this analogy, the speaker explains how there are many different sizes of sharks, with each small shark feeding off of the one above it in size. This relates to the human condition as it is common for people in society to feed off of those who are considered to be of "higher status" than them; they follow their actions, mimic their doings, and attempt to emulate them in every way. The speaker continues by explaining how one shark may only be an "inch or two" bigger than the next. Yet, the smaller one still feeds off of the bigger one. This concept translates into the real world as often times, those who are in charge are barely any more qualified than those who must listen to them. The smaller ones, or in the real world, the ones without as much authority must suffer because of their innate characteristics. Using sharks as a device, Lux is able to communicate the difficulties of social hierarchy and its unfair effects. 

Poetry Precis 9- "Tour" by Carol Snow

   In the poem "Tour", Carol Snow uses imagery and a peaceful tone to convey the message that often times, one cannot read situations simply based off of how they appear. Although the whole poem may seem to be simple at first glance to the reader, beneath the short and concise lines lies this deeper meaning. "Near a shrine in Japan he'd swept the path and then placed camellia blossoms there. Or- we had no way of knowing- he'd swept the path between fallen camellias" is how the speaker relays his or her message that one may not be able to tell how something occurs simply by looking at it on the surface level. The idea is that in this situation, the uncertainty of whether the man had "placed  camellia blossoms there" or had "swept the path between fallen camellias" remains an uncertainty. In other words, the speaker presents a question to the reader but the question cannot be answered; and that is the whole point. No one will ever know what truly happened and it is not worth it for anyone to make assumptions because of the fact that the only one who will ever know is the man who was there. Through her description of the setting using imagery, Snow reveals that often times, we are presented with situations that we are simply not able to uncover when looking at them from an outside perspective.

Poetry Precis 8- "Bad Day" by Kay Ryan

 In the poem "Bad Day", Kay Ryan uses a metaphor and a realistic tone to reveal how one's days may not always be easy or successful. "Not every day is a good day" is the first line of this poem which acts as a topic sentence, giving the reader an idea of the subject of this poem. In the next several lines, the speaker will develop a metaphor about a tailor that relates to something that all humans encounter.  While "Some days the stolen cloth reveals what it was made for" and the tailor has a clear cut idea about what he will craft, "some days neither the idea nor the material presents itself" and these are the times in which the tailor faces difficulty and a lack of creativity. In this metaphor, where the tailor is like any person, the "idea" represents an image or spark of creativity, while the "material" represents what is needed to carry out that vision in real life. In other words, often times not only do we not have a plan but we also do not have the resources to execute that plan. These kind of experiences are "the hard days for the tailor elf" as well as the hard days for us. This idea that sometimes we are unable come up with an idea as well as unable to accomplish that idea, is a message that Kay Ryan teaches the reader through the story of the tailor.

Poetry Precis 7- "The Farewell" by Edward Field

   In "The Farewell" by Edward Field, Field uses a metaphor to convey the fundamental message to the reader that often times, what others say cannot be trusted. This metaphor begins when a captain goes into the water because "they say the ice will hold" and he is "forced to believe them" by his "act of trusting people." "Naturally it gaps open" and subsequently the captain falls in, creating a metaphor for the reader that trusting others from the outside may result in an unexpected ending. This metaphor relates to the human condition; just as the sailor fell under ice as a result of him trusting others, so too are we vulnerable to failure and tragedy if we rely on others' words and thoughts. In the situation of the poem, the people had no way of knowing definitively that the ice would not break but even so, the speaker of the poem listened to them and was subsequently faced with death. Edward Field, through the metaphor that is "The Farewell", relays the consequences of trusting others through this story of the captain.

Poetry Precis 6- "Neglect" by R.T. Smith

In the poem "Neglect" by R.T.  Smith, Smith writes in an emotional tone as he uses imagery and a metaphor to tell a story and convey the hardships of loss. The speaker connects his experience of losing an apple tree and the aftermath of his experience to the regret and guilt humans go through when they consider their mistakes and regrets after losing a loved one. Upset because the apple tree that he neglected is now gone, the speaker uses imagery by asking if what he will remember will be "the scent of apple boughs smoking in the wood stove" and then continues with his regrets saying " I should have lopped the dead limbs early." Through the speaker's thoughts, he describes the process of coping; we have positive memories but we also think of what we did wrong to whatever we lost.  Instead of facing what has happened, the speaker is depressed as he or she continues to blame him or herself saying "I should have" this and that, something that we tend to do when tragedies of loss occur. The speaker says " but I was too enchanted by pear saplings, flowers and the pasture, too callow to believe that death's inevitable for any living being unloved, untended" showing how we become distracted by things in life and then, when someone or something that we once invested in is taken away from us, it is as if we cannot believe that it is really possible that they are gone. Through imagery and the overall metaphor of the tree being a lost loved one, the speaker is able to communicate the struggles that loss bring about and the difficulty of finding a way to cope with the harshness of it. 

Poetry Precis 5-"The Bat" by Theodore Roethke

     Written by Theodore Roethke, "The Bat" is a poem which conveys a message about the real fear of humans through its metaphors and a storytelling tone. Throughout this poem, "the bat" acts as a metaphor which represents "the unknown". To accomplish this, the speaker portrays the bat as a confusing and creepy creature as it is a "cousin to the mouse" and one that likes the "attic of an aging house". The creature is unpredictable and acts in a way that humans find scary during the night. When people see unfamiliar scenes, like a bat who "brushes up against a screen", "we are afraid of what our eyes have seen". This is not saying in the literal sense that humans are scared of bats in general but instead, this idea suggests that when something unexpected or unfamiliar happens, humans become the most fearful. The last line of the poem which says that something is "amiss or out of place when mice with wings can wear a human face", adds on to the message of this poem, explaining that perhaps what humans are most scared of is the ability for other humans to be so unpredictable.By comparing the bat to the unknown and then in the last stanza, to the unpredictability of humans, Theodore Reothke relays a message of truth to the readers which is that the things that are unfamiliar to us are the things that scare us most. 

Poetry Precis 4- "At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border"

 In the poem, "At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border" William E. Strafford uses a bitter tone through which the message that places of war are not the only ones to recognize. From the first line of the first stanza, "this is the field where the battle did not occur", the speaker states that the piece of land which he will describe is not a battlefiled but instead just a place where peace thrives.  "This is the field where grass joined hands, where no monument stands" yet since no one died here, this place is not considered monumental or valuable. In the second and final stanza of this poem, the speaker shows how this  "ground hallowed by neglect" has become a place where the air is "so tame that people celebrate it by forgetting its name." Through this statement and the rest of the poem, the speaker conveys how this simple place that has experienced no violence but instead, compromise and agreement, is not celebrated or spoken about because all the focus lies on battlefields and places with monuments of wars. The speaker's point is that the places that should be remembered are often the places where no monument lies because it is typical for monuments to stand where wars occurred but not where peace prospered. 

Poetry Precis 3- "Do you Have Any Advice For Those of Us Just Starting Out?"

   In the poem "Do you Have Any Advice for Those of Us Just Starting Out?", Ron Koertge uses imagery to help maintain a counseling tone as he teaches the importance of maintaining a balance between studying and going out into the world. In the first stanza, the speaker tells the reader his idea stating directly, "Give up sitting dutifully at your desk" and then "Go out into the world". In the next stanza, when the speaker says that one should carry a "cheap" notebook "with pages the color of weak tea and on the front a kitten or a space ship", the speaker uses imagery as he includes colors and descriptions to explain his point that one should not invest too much in their notebook both in the metaphorical and literal sense. In the third stanza, the speaker says "Avoid any enclosed space where more than three people are wearing turtlenecks" and then in the fourth he says "the perfect place in a library is near an aisle where a child a year or two old is playing", emphasizing his belief that it is crucial to understand the value of splitting your time between enjoying life and working by showing that one can sit in a library but at the same time, allow himself to be distracted at times. Towards the end of the poem, the speaker uses strong imagery as he express show life should be, advising the reader tp "Laugh so loud everybody in the world frowns and says, "Shhhh". From start to finish, Ron Koertge's imagery allows him to clearly convey his ideas throughout his poem. 

Poetry Precis 2- "The Blue Bowl"

    In the poem "The Blue Bowl", Jane Kenyon uses symbolism to aid in crafting a harsh yet realistic tone through which she is able to convey the irony and hardship of losing someone in life. The first stanza begins with the symbol of the cat being buried "with his bowl", portraying death in an ironic light. The idea of the speaker burying her cat with his own bowl shows the irony of death as what is now being used to conclude his life was once a necessity which kept him alive. Further exploring the irony of death in the third stanza, the speaker writes "we stood and brushed each other off",  explaining how although it is the one who died that ultimately suffers the worst consequence, it seems that the ones left living suffer more as they are left to mourn and cope with the pain. Finally, as the last line of the poem, the speaker writes 'It stormed all night; now it clears, and a robin burbles from a dripping bush like a neighbor who means well but always says the wrong thing", in which she uses a simile to create a parable to explain how it is nearly impossible to console someone after they have lost a loved one and that many attempts to comfort mourners result in awkward and uncomfortable situations. From start to finish, the message of death and the irony and hardships that come along with it are reemphasized by the speaker of "The Blue Bowl" as she uses symbols as tools to make her point.

Poetry Precis 1- "Introduction to Poetry"

      In Billy Collin's "Introduction to Poetry", Collins uses exaggerated metaphors and fictional ideas to convey the message that poetry is not something that is meant to be torturous as he presents his points in a slightly sarcastic yet passionate tone. The speaker begins in the first stanza by introducing his topic in the first line saying "I ask them to take a poem and hold it up to the light like a color slide", metaphorically telling the reader that he or she believes that poetry should be viewed in a way that its underpinnings can be exposed so that its readers can see it for its true beauty. The following stanza continues with this theme as the speaker adds more metaphors that explain how poetry should be explored, for example "drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out" and "walk inside the poem's room and feel the walls for a light switch." All of these metaphors share a common meaning which the speaker hopes to relay and that is that poems are meant to be explored in a free and nonrestrictive manner. The fourth stanza then takes a turn and says "But all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it" and the final ends with how "they begin beating it with a hose to find out what it really means". These last stanzas make the speaker's last point as they  explain that rather than interpreting poems in a natural and intellectually challenging way, readers of poetry seem to do the opposite when they try to force meaning out of poetry. By explaining the difference between digging for meaning and uncovering meaning in poetry, the speaker makes his message clear that poetry interpretation is not meant to be a torturous or harsh experience rather it should be an adventurous and enlightening journey.