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.