“It’s possible, in a poem or short story, to write about commonplace things and objects using commonplace but precise language, and to endow those things—a chair, a window curtain, a fork, a stone, a woman’s earring—with immense, even startling power.” Apply this idea expressed by Raymond Carver in the Activity 1 reading to a story or poem we have read in this course (not a work by Carver). Include a quote from the story or poem that illustrates the power of “commonplace but precise language.” To submit your Week 13 post, follow the steps below. 1. Scroll up to the black strip at the top of the screen and click the black “plus” sign inside the white circle. It is located to the right of the course title. 2. In the box that reads “Add title,” type in a title that includes your first name, last name, and the words “Discussion 13” (example: John Hart Discussion 13). 3. Type your response in the text box. Remember that your first post must be at least 150 words in order to receive full credit. 4. Navigate to the right side of the screen and choose the Post Category “Week 13 Discussion” (or whichever week is current). Never choose anything in the box that reads “Category Sticky.” Click for screenshot. 5. To add media (optional), click the “add media“ button in between the title box and the text box. Do not add the image directly to the media library. To get the image to show in the tile preview, go to “featured image > add featured image, in the lower right-hand side.” Click for screenshot. 6. Publish the post by clicking the blue button on the right. 7. Please leave a thoughtful reply to the post of one other classmate. Remember that your […]
Week 13 Discussion
I think Emily Dickinson’s poem “The Wife” really shows what Raymond Carver means by “commonplace but precise language.” Carver talks about how everyday things can have a lot of meaning when they’re used carefully, and I see that in Dickinson’s writing. One quote that stands out is, “She rose to his requirement, dropped the playthings of her life to take the honorable work of woman and of wife.” At first, it seems like the woman is just giving up childish things to become a wife, but when you think about it in the context of the poem, it could be seen as sarcastic. The “playthings” she’s leaving behind might actually be important hobbies or relationships, but now she’s expected to put them aside for her role as a wife. The language itself is simple, but there’s a lot of deeper meaning when you look at the situation more closely.
In Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, the power of commonplace objects and situations is evident throughout the narrative, echoing Raymond Carver’s notion of imbuing ordinary things with profound significance. Oates masterfully uses precise language to transform seemingly mundane elements into symbols of deeper meaning and tension. One vivid example is when she describes the main character, Connie, as she navigates the threshold of her home: “She was a pretty girl, but she had a nice, well-rounded figure and a good sense of style.” This line, while straightforward, captures not just Connie’s physical appearance but also the allure and vulnerability of her youth. The specificity of a “well-rounded figure” and “a good sense of style” elevates her character, illustrating the societal pressures she faces and the transition from innocence to awareness. As the story progresses, everyday objects and actions become laden with menace, particularly during Arnold Friend’s entrance. The door itself becomes a barrier, a threshold between safety and danger. Oates writes, “She was still too far away to see his face clearly, but she could see his clothes.” This simple observation transforms a common detail into a moment of building dread, where an ordinary interaction turns ominous. Through Oates’ use of precise language, the commonplace aspects of Connie’s life take on a weight that enhances the story’s themes of identity, transformation, and the complexity of the adolescent experience. The seemingly trivial becomes powerful, echoing Carver’s insights into the extraordinary nature of everyday life.
Mathilde, the main character of Guy de Maupassant’s short story “The Necklace,” is presented using straightforward yet accurate language, which also shows her goals and death. From the start, Mathilde was described as someone who “was unhappy all the time,” thinking that, in in spite of her poor childhood, she should have a life of luxury. This text’s basic wording communicates Mathilde’s sadness and her obsession with money. She feels stuck in her current reality of “cheap” clothes and a “humble” life and longs for a life of beauty and improvement, which she believes would bring her happiness. The necklace is given a meaning through clear and straightforward explanations when Mathilde borrows it for a party. As “a superb diamond necklace,” the necklace itself symbolizes all of Mathilde’s desires which are beauty, richness, and a reputation. The tragic irony of the narrative is brought into focus by this ordinary item. When Mathilde loses the necklace and gets a real, pricey one in its place, her entire world is flipped upside down. The 10 years that come next, during which her family struggles to pay back the loan, are shown with honest reliability, highlighting how her need for wealth and looks causes her life to shift permanently. Finally, the sad irony and foolishness of Mathilde’s affection are exposed when it is revealed that the necklace was a cheap copy.
The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W. B. Yeats is a short poem about a man who yearns for the peace and simplicity of nature. Yeats provides details as to what the speaker is going to do when he gets there. In Stanza 1, the second line, “And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:” The speaker plans to create a small home for himself. The use of the word small cabin to gives the impression that he is going to be the only one living in the house, without any family or relations of any kind. He plans to build the cabin from clay and wattles (sticks and rods). Once he’s living in his small cabin, he dreams of having “nine” rows of bean plants and a hive for, presumably, many honeybees, as in the next line, the glade (or small clearing in a forest), is filled with their sound.
When I think of something that holds immense power in a poem, I think of “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W.B. Yeats. The introductory lines he writes that explain the glade’s scenery have a peace-inducing feel to them that entices almost anyone reading to want to stay in an area like it: “And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made: Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee; And live alone in the bee-loud glade.” A small cabin made from the local land, with a small garden of beans growing and a hive of bees being the loudest thing in the surrounding glade. It’s a scene many have probably seen, with some exceptions (such as not seeing a beehive but seeing a cabin), whether it be in their local woods as a child or on hikes that they may have taken later in life. However, the power of Yeat’s word and imagination can go farther than any experience one may have.
The short story “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel García Márquez in the passage described commonplace but precise language by interpreting the drowned man’s appearance in perspective of other woman’s view into a whole different person altogether. Here this story expresses the women of affection, of charismatic charm and naming of uncertainty they were holding inside their village. One of the women gazed to the corpse in curiosity, in her mind that “‘He has the face of someone called Esteban'” (Marquez, pg.2). On page 6, the author uses the word ‘knife’ in a harsh yet bold manner as to allow the readers in describing the tough stony fingers of the corpse man. Despite the local village and their customs, Marquez’s short story clearly followed Raymond Carver’s idea by emphasizing the commonality of the utensils in figurative speech along with the potential view using a common name to the readers.
In Flannery O’Connor’s story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, simple and clear language gives deep meaning to everyday things. Raymond Carver once said that simple things can have great power, and this idea fits O’Connor’s writing well. For example, the grandmother’s hat is not just a hat—it shows how she sees herself and what society expects from her: “In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.” This line shows the grandmother’s concern with looking proper and being respected, even in death. The hat, a simple object, reveals her vanity and focus on appearances. By the end of the story, when the grandmother faces her own death, the hat loses its importance. This shows the difference between her earlier pride and her final vulnerability. O’Connor’s clear, straightforward writing turns ordinary things, like the hat, into powerful symbols that add meaning to the story.
In Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” he really nails Raymond Carver’s point about how precise language can elevate everyday moments into something truly impactful. The poem captures a simple moment: a traveler pausing in the woods on a snowy night. Frost uses clear and simple language, yet it stirs deep feelings and touches on universal themes. The woods, the snow, and the serene atmosphere become something special thanks to his thoughtful word choices. For example, Frost writes, “The only other sound’s the sweep / Of easy wind and downy flake.” ( Frost). In this place, the ordinary sounds of the wind and snow gently falling transform into something magical and soothing, creating a vibe of profound quiet and reflection. The woods themselves, described as “lovely, dark and deep,” symbolize more than just a spot on the map; they evoke feelings of beauty, mystery, and maybe even the tempting idea of rest or escape. Frost chooses simple, clear words to give these objects a surprising strength, encouraging readers to think about the struggle between life’s demands and the pull of a peaceful letting go. .
In Guy de Maupassant’s short story ”The Necklace”, simple words are used to describe ordinary things, such as a necklace, an apartment, or a dress. These common items become very important because they are described in a compelling way. For example, when Mathilde Loisel receives the invitation to the ball, she dreams of having many things: “She dreams of big rooms with old silk, pretty furniture with many beautiful things, and small rooms with flowers, made for talking to famous men, the kind of men all women want.” Although these descriptions are simple, they are full of power. Through the precise language used to describe these everyday items, the story enhances the emotional resonance of her dissatisfaction with life. This story shows that even the most ordinary objects, when described with precise and expressive language, can be imbued with profound meaning.
In the poem The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks she writes about her trauma with abortions in a very precise way, her style of writing definitely can give the reader that chill along their spine as mentioned by Carver. “I have heard in the voices of the wind the voices of my dim killed children. I have contracted. I have eased” (Brooks). As a woman who has experienced this trauma as well her words hit home. I’ve always wondered about the what if”s, if when I was younger and decided to go through with my pregnancy what would my life be like now. Also knowing that I’ve made the right decision because at that young age I wouldn’t have been able to provide for my child the way I can today. Nevertheless, precise language just gives off that “right to the point” kind of feel, as the reader we don’t have to try to figure out what the writer is saying when it’s written down in its rawest form. Furthermore, it also makes me have a “wow” moment when reading the short story or poem because it feels like it cuts deep and I am able to visualize what the writer is saying.
In ” The Most Handsome Drowned Man” the moral of the story revolves around imagination, love and innocence. The author uses imagery, the story is mainly about seeing the handsomest drowned man. The story uses imagery to describe the village and the drowned man. The author used symbolism such as the ocean. The ocean symbolized beauty in life and opportunities exist outside the village. In the story, “They noticed too that he bore his death with pride, for he did not have the lonely look of other drowned men who came out of the sea or that haggard, needy look of men who drowned in rivers” (Marquez 4). The narrator used exaggeration to describe the drowned man’s uniqueness. The metaphor, “bore his death with pride” shows an image of the drowned man being put together and strong in his previous life. This language helps the reader understand the point of the story and it helps them imagine what they are reading.
The story the most handsome drowned man by Gabriel Garcia Marquez shows various examples of commonplace but precise language because of the frequent use of descriptive language. For example, when the drowned man washed up to the shore, they explained briefly that there was no way the drowned man was from their village. “So when they found the drowned man they simply had to look at one another to see that they were all there.” (Marquez 2). Another example of the use of this type of language, was when the narrator was describing the state of the dead corpse. “Only his shape gave one to suppose that it was the corpse of a human being, because the skin was covered with a crust of mud and scales.” (Marquez 1). The use of common and easily understood language throughout the story helped me to paint a clear image in my mind of what the corpse may actually look like. Which helped me to understand the characters reaction to the corpse. The common place language in this story is extremely necessary and helpful seeing as this story contains strong aspects of magical realism which may be a hard concept to grasp.
In “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, the necklace is more than just a piece of jewelry, it becomes a powerful symbol of Mathilde’s desires and the consequences of those desires. Maupassant’s approach to describing the necklace reflects what Raymond Carver talks about: how ordinary objects, written about with care and precision, can take on deeper emotional and symbolic meaning. At first, the necklace is described as “a Venetian cross, gold and gems, of admirable workmanship.” The language is simple and clear, yet it conveys the beauty and allure of the necklace in a way that feels captivating to Mathilde. To her, it is not just jewelry, it is the key to the life she has always dreamed of, a life of wealth, beauty, and admiration. For one night, wearing it makes her feel as though she belongs in that world. When the necklace is lost, its meaning shifts entirely. It becomes a symbol of the heavy cost of Mathilde’s aspirations. The years of hard work and sacrifice to repay the debt reflect the cruel irony of her pursuit of status. What seemed to offer her everything ends up taking it all away. Maupassant, like Carver, shows how everyday objects can hold immense power through precise and careful writing. The necklace is not just an accessory, it represents Mathilde’s dreams, her choices, and the devastating consequences that follow, all brought to life through vivid and simple language.
I believe “The Wife” by Emily Dickinson is a poem that uses Carver’s idea of “commonplace but precise language.” Raymond Carver describes this idea as something that’s seemingly ordinary, but given its precise context and usage, suddenly holds a lot of weight behind it. A quote that I feel best matches this is when Emily Dickinson writes, “She rose to his requirement, dropped the playthings of her life to take the honorable work of woman and of wife.” On the surface, the quote seems rather straightforward. Without the context of the poem, it simply seems like the woman leaves behind unimportant and childish parts of her life when she gets married. However, given the context of the poem, the stanza can be interpreted as sarcastic. The parts of her life that are brushed off as “playthings” could be hobbies or people that are deeply important to her; yet, she no longer has time for them after becoming society’s ideal housewife. The words and phrases in the quote are fairly simple, but plenty of meaning left to be interpreted lies underneath.
In “The Necklace,” Mathilde’s use of descriptive language reflects Raymond Carver’s idea of giving commonplace objects immense power through precise expression. Mathilde, consumed by her longing for wealth and status, transforms ordinary items into symbols of grandeur. She describes a setting “lit by torches in lofty bronze sockets.” This imagery elevates the mundane, creating a vision of opulence and romance. The choice of “bronze” over simpler materials like pewter or silver conveys a sense of warmth and richness, while the torches’ flickering light creates an intimate, almost regal ambiance. These details reveal Mathilde’s yearning for a world beyond her reach, where beauty and luxury dominate. By romanticizing such objects, Mathilde projects her desires onto them, showing how her aspirations distort her perception of reality. This precise language not only enhances the narrative but also stresses Mathilde’s inner conflict and longing.
Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “The Mother” powerfully demonstrates Raymond Carver’s concept of using straightforward yet precise language to give ordinary objects and experiences deeper significance. The poem centers on the themes of loss and regret related to abortion, conveying the profound emotional weight of this experience through simple, impactful language. One striking example from the poem is the line: “the damp small pulps with a little or with no hair.” Brooks uses precise language in this line to create a tender yet haunting image of infants. The word “damp” suggests vulnerability and fragility, while the phrase “small pulps” simplifies the imagery, establishing a raw and visceral connection to lives that were never fully realized. Brooks uses everyday language in the poem to convey the complexity of maternal love and loss. Phrases like “sucking thumb” and “gobbling mother-eye” introduce familiar domestic elements that resonate with readers while expressing the speaker’s intense emotions. These images transform ordinary realities into symbols of longing and sorrow, illustrating how everyday objects and actions can embody profound human experiences. In reflecting on the consequences of her choices, the speaker states, “Believe that even in my deliberateness I was not deliberate.” This line emphasizes the paradox of intention versus consequence, enhancing the poem’s emotional impact while keeping it accessible and relatable. By incorporating such poignant reflections into everyday language, Brooks deepens the poem’s emotional resonance and invites readers to connect with the complexities of motherhood and the haunting possibilities of what might have been.
