Week 7 Discussion

I think I’ve gotten better at reading poetry over the past two weeks, but I still find myself rereading certain lines to really understand them. The older poems, especially ones like Shakespeare’s, are tricky because they don’t use modern language or sentence structures, which makes them harder to follow. At the same time, I think this has been good practice for reading Oedipus the King. For example, in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun, the line “I have seen roses damasked, red and white, but no such roses see I in her cheeks” doesn’t flow like modern writing. You have to slow down and really think about what it’s saying. Oedipus the King has a similar style, with complex sentence structures and formal language, so reading poetry like this has helped me get used to paying closer attention to every word.

I have to admit that I love poetry now a lil more than I did before these past two weeks. When I read and visualize and just put all my focus into each and every word while adding imagery to it in my head it comes to life more. I never understood it like I have in the past two weeks. Learning to take my time to read how powerful just one line can be. I’ve always loved music for this reason so reading poetry now kinda gives me that same feeling.  I feel I can read into Oedipus with more confidence and comprehension because of my experience with poetry in the past two weeks. I know that while reading Oedipus I have to keep in mind that the era is different and where the play takes place helps understand more of what is taking place.   

I think that after the past two weeks of reading and understanding poetry, I would rate myself a 6 out of 10. I feel that I have made some progress in my ability to grasp metaphors and meanings in poetry, which has also helped me with reading *Oedipus the King*. I have read Robert Frost’s *Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening* several times and believe that both works share themes of responsibility and choice. In Frost’s poem, he writes:“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.” Here, the poet faces the temptation to remain in beautiful nature but realizes he still has a long way to go. Similarly, in *Oedipus the King*, Oedipus faces a tremendous inner conflict while pursuing the truth. This understanding of responsibility allows me to feel more deeply Oedipus’s pain as he discovers his fate. Overall, although Frost’s poem is short, reading it multiple times has helped me explore the themes, characters, and emotions in *Oedipus the King* more deeply, enabling me to better understand the richness and significance of this classic play.

After the past two weeks, I think my ability to read poetry has improved a lot than before. I am able to have a deeper understanding of the words or sentences in the poem. This helped me to understand what the poem, “Oedipus the King”, is talking about. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot exemplifies the loneliness and existential dread that can resemble Oedipus’s voyage. As Oedipus faces his destiny and the revelations of his past, so too does Prufrock struggle with identity and fears. Prufrock’s hesitation and contemplation mirror Oedipus’s terrible discovery of his previous deeds, as both works explore the human condition. Just as Sophocles uses tragic foreshadowing and dramatic irony, Eliot uses vivid imagery and stream-of-consciousness to deepen emotional depth. Similar to Prufrock’s sense of alienation in a busy world, Oedipus experiences growing solitude as he learns difficult realities about who he is and the repercussions of his choices. This comprehension of the emotional facets of poetry will improve my reading of Oedipus the King by enabling me to more fully appreciate the subtleties of subject and character.

Before exploring poetry in class, I never truly sought it out. However, within the past few weeks, I’ve come to realize how deep and beautiful it is. My ability to now read poetry is stronger than it was before, I’ve developed a clearer understanding of what poetry is and what it isn’t. My experience and understanding of poetry now can help me better understand Oedipus The King in ways such as the way it is structured. It is also full of literary devices, one being metaphors. “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”by William Butler has the strongest connection to the play. Butler emphasizes his desire to escape to a calmer place, and his quest to find peace similar to the kings desire to find the truth.

Over the past 2 weeks, I’ve gotten a bit better at reading poetry. At first, it was a tossup for me, sometimes I got it, and other times it just went over my head. But now, after reading more, I’m starting to get the hang of it, even if I have to read some poems a few times to understand them. When I started reading ” Oedipus the King”, I noticed the strong emotions between the characters, like betrayal, revenge, and suspicion. It was pretty intense, I felt really bad for Creon because Oedipus accused him of plotting against him without any real proof, and he was sentenced to death instead of banishment. That seemed crazy. A poem that reminds me of “Oedipus the King” is “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. Both the poem and the play are about making choices and discovering. In the poem, the speaker talks about choosing a path and how that choice made a big difference in his life. It’s kind of like how Oedipus decided to find out the truth, which led to a revelation.

Poetry is not really my forte. However, my ability in reading poems have improved a little. I can identify some of the literary devices use and tries to understand what it means. I enjoy reading poetry even though I cannot grasp what it means.  Poetry in my experience can help with the reading of Oedipus the King by understanding it’s structure and literary devices use. Poetry also allows the readers to engage more deeply with the themes such as fate. The poem ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W.B Yeats resonates with the play Oedipus the King. Both explore the desire to escape from reality. “I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:” in The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B Yeats. In the poem, the speaker longs for peace in nature, while Oedipus tries to escape his tragic fate. 

After two weeks, I gained a better understanding of poetry. I’ve realized that poetry requires multiple readings to grasp its essence fully. I now understand the importance of reading a poem aloud, as the lines’ meaning, sound, rhythm, breath, and typography are all significant. Reading different types of poems throughout the weeks has helped my interpretation of “Oedipus the King,” enabling me to connect the emotional experiences in poetry and the themes explored in the play. In “We Real Cool,” Gwendolyn Brooks portrays the rebellious and bold nature of young people as they embrace a risky lifestyle. The poem’s rhythm and repetition highlight their audacity and suggest the potential consequences of their choices. The last line, “We die soon,” is a reminder of life’s fragility and the inevitable outcomes of their actions. This theme of youthful arrogance is reminiscent of Oedipus’s tragic flaw, pride, and determination to challenge fate. Oedipus’s statement, “I am the one who solved the famous riddle,” reflects a similar sense of pride and defiance in the face of destiny, ultimately leading to his downfall.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve become more comfortable with reading poetry. I’ve learned to notice the layers of meaning in the words and understand the emotions behind them. This skill has helped me approach Oedipus the King with a new perspective. The play, like poetry, uses symbolic language and explores complex human emotions, and now I feel more confident in breaking down these elements. My experience with poetry has made it easier to grasp the deeper themes in the play and pay closer attention to how the language conveys Oedipus’ tragic journey. The more I proof read, the more I understand what the poet is talking about. The more I feel empathy for the writing, the more I feel connected to the story and meaning behind it. One poem that stands out to me is Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death.” In this poem, death is personified as a calm, inevitable force, one that comes for the speaker whether she is ready or not. This reminds me of Oedipus’ struggle with fate. No matter how much he tries to escape it, his tragic destiny is inescapable. Both the poem and the play highlight how powerless we are against certain forces in life, whether that be death or fate. What I find interesting is how Dickinson’s calm acceptance of death contrasts with Oedipus’ various attempts to avoid his fate. In the end, though, both the poem and the play show that resistance is futile. This connection has helped me better understand the themes in Oedipus the King, especially the tension between free will and fate. Through poetry, I’ve learned to appreciate how writers use language and imagery to explore these universal truths, which has deepened my reading of the play.

Poetry isn’t my greatest talent, but I have a decent understanding of it and can appreciate the nuances in the verses. While I may not possess the skill to write poetry myself, I can engage with the themes and emotions conveyed in the poems I read. My experience with poetry, particularly with Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” enhances my reading of “Oedipus the King” in several ways. Both works explore themes of power, pride, and the consequences of one’s actions, which creates a rich ground for comparison.  In “My Last Duchess,” the Duke’s voice reveals his possessiveness and underlying arrogance, much like Oedipus’s initial confidence in his ability to uncover the truth about his identity. Both characters exhibit a tragic flaw—hubris—that ultimately leads to their downfalls. This parallel allows me to reflect on the nature of authority and the fragility of human pride. Furthermore, the use of dramatic monologue in Browning’s poem provides insight into character psychology, reminiscent of the intense emotional revelations in Sophocles’s play. Just as the Duke’s speech unveils layers of his character, Oedipus’s dialogue reveals his inner turmoil and gradual realization of his tragic fate. Analyzing the imagery in “My Last Duchess,” where the Duke’s obsession with control is evident, I can draw connections to the motifs of sight and knowledge in “Oedipus the King.” Both works compel me to consider how the desire for power can blind individuals to the truths about themselves and their actions, enriching my understanding of the tragic elements present in both pieces.

I think that after reviewing poetry for the past two weeks, I now have a slightly better comprehension of speech, imagery, and emotion. Engaging with poetry, like “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot, has expanded my understanding of mental health and the varied nature of the social condition, themes that are further explored in “Oedipus the King.” In “Oedipus the King,” the terrible turn of events and Prufrock’s quest for the truth are mirrored, reflecting Prufrock’s inner turmoil and fears. Both poems examine the limits of human comprehension as well as the importance of both individual and collective accountability. Prufrock’s persistent self-doubt and hesitations, for instance, are reminiscent of Oedipus’s first denial of his fate and eventual acceptance of its tragic reality. Through comprehending the significant feelings of Eliot’s poem, I am able to look at the conversation and remarks in “Oedipus” from a more advanced viewpoint.

Even though poetry is not my thing, over these past two weeks I have seen a little improvement in my understanding of poetry when it comes to tragic themes since I enjoy it. I’ve become more aware of how tone and metaphor create meaning, which has helped me better understand the complex text of Oedipus the King. Poetry often conveys deep emotions using few words, a skill that applies to Sophocles’ play where each line holds importance. A poem that resonates with Oedipus the King is Maya Angelou’s “Alone” Both text explores the the theme of isolation and the inevitability of fate. In Oedipus the King, the protagonist’s quest for truth leads to separation from society and his family, reflecting Maya Angelou’s poem on the deep loneliness experienced by individuals regardless of the people surrounding them. This awareness of how isolation and fate twist together has deepened my understanding of tragic themes in poetry.     

I’ve learnt so much about poetry over the course of us going through the different types of poems etc. Therefore, my ability to read and understand poetry has increased. I’d rate myself a 6. Even though it’s seemingly low, before we started this topic, I would’ve rated myself a 3. I realized that poets use the different times of day or seasons to represent time or age. Like in the poem “What my lips have kissed, and where, and why” by Edna St. Vincent Millay. She wrote, “Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree” (Millay). The term winter can convey that a lot of time has passed or now she’s older. This shows that you need critical thinking, creative interpretation and sometimes a little research to figure out what the poet is trying to convey. Just like in Oedipus the king, we are provided with interpretations for the language used. But without these interpretations I would’ve been confused about some of the references. For example, where it says, “You may see them one with another, like birds swift on the wing, quicker than fire unmastered, speeding away to the coast of the Western god” (Grene 3).  At first read, the meaning behind this is hard to understand so I had to research It to realize that the western God refers to “the god of night, or Death” which tells me that this means the women were dying quickly.

In the last 2 week my ability to read poems has improved significantly When starting to read poems i would let the word play and symbols go over my head without understanding the meaning of each word but now i pay close attention to the small details and word play in certain lines. This experience can help me with reading oedipus the king by getting to understand theme like fate and self discovery, for example like sylvia plaths poem Mirror they both have to deal with self awareness and confrontation.

I would say my ability to read poetry hasn’t changed, if it did then only slightly, within the past couple of weeks. However, my experience with Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening did help me when I had some issues understanding what “A blight is on the fruitful plants of the earth.” could mean or who “a God that carries fire, a deadly pestilence” could be. I had to think about what each line had to do with each other in Oedipus the King, the same way I had to think about what the line “And miles to go before I sleep,” had to do with stopping in the woods to watch the snow fall, which was that the context clues from the surrounding text would help figure out what was being talked about. I ended up realizing the god who carries fire and pestilence was Apollo and the pestilence he brought was towards the crops.

My ability to read poetry I would say is probably a 6/10, and I say this because some poems are easier to read than others. For instance, the poem “The Mother” by Gwedolyn Brooks, within the first line you immediately know what the speaker is writing about, “Abortions will not let you forget” (Brooks). Right away the speaker is disclosing her emotions and remembrance of the terminations she had and how she wont be able to have those nurturing experiences with the children she could’ve had. Then there’s the poem, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W.B Yeats, and you have to use your sense of imagery to understand what the speaker is writing about in the poem and how he is describing his safe place by metaphorically speaking about his 5 senses. “I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;” (Yates). In these two lines he is using his sense of hearing through the poem so we can understand how peaceful it is at his safe place, its so peaceful there that you’re able to hear the movement of the water. Consequently, that’s why I say some poems are easier to read than others because some are more direct and there’s others that you actually try to imagine what the speaker is writing about in order to fully understand. As far as the play, I missed Tuesday’s class so I’m playing a little bit of catch up. Nevertheless I feel as though the play falls under the same category as one of those pieces of writing that you have to sort of know about the ancient Greek history to understand the play. When we were placed into groups and we discussed the chorus of the […]

Poetry really taught a lesson for me throughout the semester, much more than when I was in high school. In my studies in high school, we were introduced to poetry in ELA where all we know much about, that was true at the time, is they always rhyme when we were studying about their fluctuation and how the reader is taught “to make ideas as they believed” when reading a poem. For the majority we had to read them by overused but famous poets like William Shakeshphere and Edgar Allen Poe. We also learned that poetry’s like a code of words dressed into the sentence structures of each stanza, along with the assumption every poem can be easily understandable by just the beginning, or read once.    I would like to include Haiku there as a good example written by Buson.    “In lantern light,  My yellow chrysanthemums Lost all their color”   This comes at first glance as simple to me if I were a beginner of poetry. It then tells me Buson’s people became old when his friends died. Which I respect about the way Buson described coloration as shifting. In Oedipus, there comes a simile and metaphors between most lines at the same time, as usually within haiku’s use in describing their ideas in a natural element.    Before high school, we were taught that poetry comes with a “hum”, describing the melody in the tone of the writer who made them decide to express figurative languages into emotions and feelings.   These myths both helped and discerned me. For the good side, myths are used as a testament to my knowledge because they allow people to understand what to avoid, and not to accept. On the flipside, knowing these myths into true beliefs had led me […]

I would rate my ability to read poetry after these past two weeks a 7. Reading the different poems and analyzing them really helped me understand the true meanings of poems, but I struggle with some here and there. Understanding the poem in general is always confusing and I need to reread a couple times and definitely annotate to get some ideas from it. I feel like my experience with poems can help with the reading of Oedipus the King because I’ve seen many different words and the definitions of them. This is one of the things I struggle with the most when it comes to poems, many of the poems I read use words and phrases that are from an old period of time, which we don’t use anymore. This always confuses me, but I think being able to read numerous poems these past two weeks that both show and don’t show it will help. Touching more upon the word choice and how I struggle with understanding it, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” because they both use certain words that I don’t understand. The difference between the two is that “Oedipus the King” uses those older words such as “thee” and more less, and, they added the definitions of not so common words on the bottom of each page which was useful to me as well.

Over the past two weeks, my ability to read and understand poetry has improved. Now, I  can better understand deeper meaning and emotions, especially in themes of loss and conflict. Reading poetry was never an easy task for me, and I always thought that poetry is simple writing with random picked words. Gwendolyn Brook’s poem ” the mother” has been important in this growth. What caught my interest was the title ” the mother”, which is written in all small caps. That intrigued my curiosity to learn deeper meaning to this poem. Her focus on grief, guilt, and the struggles of motherhood connected with me. The poem deals with fate and choice, This new understanding of how to read a poem will better direct me onto reading the ” Oedipus the King” , as Greek plays, stories and mythology requires some type of background history, as everything in the play might have a meaning. It is difficult for me to directly quote from poet ” the mother”, but I will paste 1st stanza of the poem for references. Abortions will not let you forget. You remember the children you got that you did not get, The damp small pulps with a little or with no hair, The singers and workers that never handled the air. You will never neglect or beat Them, or silence or buy with a sweet. You will never wind up the sucking-thumb Or scuttle off ghosts that come. You will never leave them, controlling your luscious sigh, Return for a snack of them, with gobbling mother-eye.

I believe I am improving in my ability to read poetry. Even with some improvement, I still catch myself rereading specific lines multiple times to fully grasp the sentence. More specifically, the older poems (such as Shakespearian poems) are less direct with their meaning. The sentence structure used in its lines is typically outdated today, which makes it read less fluently. At the same time, I believe this has prepared me to read Oepidus the King. One example of a poem by Shakespeare that uses rather indirect sentence structuring is “Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun.” A line such as “I have seen roses damasked, red and white, but no such roses see I in her cheeks…” doesn’t have the same flow as modern writing; therefore, it forces you to pay more attention to its meaning. Oepidus the King uses very similar language and sentence structuring; hence, I have experience to aid me in fully understanding each line. .

Lately, I’ve been getting more comfortable with poetry, even though it’s not something I usually familiar with. At first, trying to dissect each line and uncover the deeper meanings felt pretty daunting. But with some practice, I’ve learned to take my time and really enjoy the layers in the poems. Going over them multiple times, like we did in class, has really helped me grasp the content better. I think these skills will be super useful when diving into Oedipus the King. One poem that really sticks with me is Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken. The way he uses the paths as a metaphor for choices and their consequences reminds me a lot of how Oedipus’s choices lead him to his tragic end. Realizing how Frost creates deeper meaning from something as straightforward as a road has made me notice how even small details in Oedipus—like the crossroads—hold significant symbolic meaning. All in all, the readings has boosted my confidence in tackling the complex themes in Oedipus the King and looking for the hidden messages beneath the surface.

Over the past two weeks, my ability to read, understand and interpret poetry has improved. I feel more confident in understanding the deeper meanings poets convey through metaphor, symbolism, and imagery. This experience has taught me to read carefully and multiple times, while looking for subtle cues that reveal more complex emotions or ideas. When reading Oedipus the King, these skills are valuable. In Emily Dickinson’s, “The Wife”, the metaphor of the sea developing “pearl and weed” shows how emotions can be hidden. This insight could help me understand similar symbolism in Oedipus the King, blindness as that can be representing ignorance or the search for truth. It also makes me more sensitive and aware to the emotional depth of characters, and encouraging me to read beyond the words in order to find the underlying tensions. Understanding the structure and form of poetry has prepared me for analyzing the structure of the story which can help me understand better the connection between subtle and complex ideas to the flow and more visible ideas.

I don’t have much experience with poetry. I mean I have read some poems from time to time but never took the time to break them down to fully understand them. Poetry is something that must be read piece by piece and break it down the same way, just as we have been doing in class. However, I’m not sure this makes it easier for me to process and understand. Even though I don’t read much poetry, I do have a favorite poem. It is actually a spoken word type of poem. Ain’t That Bad by Maya Angelou resonated with me and was easy to understand and interpret. To me it is a celebration of blackness, black culture, black identity, black language, black experience. Dancin’ the funky chicken Eatin’ ribs and tips Diggin’ all the latest sounds And drinkin’ gin in sips. Puttin’ down that do-rag Tighten’ up my ‘fro Wrappin’ up in Blackness Don’t I shine and glow? Now ain’t they bad? An ain’t they Black? An ain’t they Black? An’ ain’t they Bad? An ain’t they bad? An’ ain’t they Black? An’ ain’t they fine? Oedipus the King will take some time for me to process, but I don’t think it will be as challenging as it seems. I just have to read it multiple times.  

Poetry has never been a strength of mine, poetry tends to be very confusing. While I understand poetry is meant to be read more than once I find it discouraging; going over the poems in class made me feel better about taking my time and processing. When reading My Last Duchess I noticed the line: How such a glance came there; so, not the first Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not Her husband’s presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek Breaking this section down was challenging, but I realized the poet is really foreshadowing by showing us the jealousy and possessiveness of the Duke. With the exercise of reading poems, I feel confident that I will be able to understand and process Oedipus the King. This reminds me of the process I had to take to understand Othello, my old English teacher helped me learn how to read it and it ended up being one of my favorite stories of all time.