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.