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My understanding of the story is that immediately from the start it takes a sad turn and dives in deeper in deeper as you continue reading. Highlight the main protagonist a 15-year-old girl named Connie. Known to almost everyone including herself she was not your average girl; she was extremely beautiful. In fact, her own mother treated her poorly and was even jealous of her. Her father was no better, not even speaking to the family going to work, coming home to read the paper, and eat after that off to bed. Connie’s life and upbringing has a theme of neglect. Her parent not caring about the slightest of things she does, and it causes major problems. While her mother disliked Connie she loved her big sister June. She was constantly being compared to her and was seen as an outcast within her own family. Her still being a teenage girl has caused her to have impaired thinking as she’s trying to navigate life. A predatory man Arnold turns the story from a sad story to a dark and twisted one where one’s quest for recognition will attract unwanted attention from some very bad people.

In my understanding, the story can be seen as a cautionary tale about the dangers of youth and childishness, the power dynamics between the sexes, and the temptations of evil. The interpretation of the “inverted fairy tale” is particularly thought-provoking. The story follows Connie, a young girl who becomes obsessed with her beauty and the attention she receives from men. She is drawn away from the safety of her home and into the clutches of the villain Arnold Freund, who represents the quintessential wolf in sheep’s clothing. This reversal of the classic fairy tale of a young girl encountering a dangerous wolf in the woods is powerful and disturbing, highlighting the dangers posed by too much trust and naivete. I think the story can also be read as a commentary on gender power dynamics. Arnold Freund uses his muscle power, personal charm, and manipulation to seize Connie, who appears vulnerable and powerless in his presence. Connie’s mother, on the other hand, is portrayed as weak and submissive, constantly deferring to her husband’s wishes. Thus, the story can be seen as a critique of a patriarchal society in which men have power over women, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

The story is about a rebellious 15 year old girl named Connie, whose mother constantly berates her for obsessing over her appearance and not being more sensible like her older sister, June. Oates wants to emphasize the inequality of men and women, and at the same time she is bringing forth her feminist beliefs that should be known to society. Connie, one young woman out of a country of young women, must confront her own questions and anxieties as she transitions into adulthood. The story’s title points up the threshold on which Connie stands, looking back to where she has been (childhood) and where she is going (adulthood). She presents a different version of herself when she’s home and when she’s out with her friends for validation.   

The reading “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” By Joyce Oates follows a story about a 15 year old girl named Connie who is obsessed with her looks. While her family was away and she was home by herself, she gets approached by this charismatic/manipulative man named Arnold who was in a car in front of her house. Connie at first is interested in Arnold but soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. As the story goes on Arnold becomes more sinister and dark. Threatening Connie to go with him. The understanding I have for the story is the dangers and risks of trusting strangers. The story shows very well the vulnerability of young people who are easily manipulated and naive.Connie herself in the story is portrayed as naive and careless. The story ends with Connie going with Arnold leaving us the audience uncertain of what her fate is.

My interpretation of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates was a story of dark, evil and power taking over innocence. In the article by Rena Korb, she states different interpretations of the story and I see her point in all of them. Early in the story, Oates made it clear that Connie was prettier than most and that she herself was aware of it as well. Connie was very much into appearances-which was what “allowed” the whole encounter between her and Arnold Friend in the first place (she liked his appearance). In the story their first encounter was also intriguing to her. “It was a boy with shaggy black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold. He stared at her and then his lips widened into a grin. Connie slit her eyes at him and turned away, but she couldn’t help glancing back and there he was, still watching her. He wagged a finger and laughed and said, ‘Gonna get you, baby,’….” This was Connie’s first time seeing Arnold Friend. While he was consistent on trying to get her to come outside of her house, Connie held her ground and did not actually step out-she knew well enough not to since she didn’t know him. Once Connie starts getting afraid, she starts feeling like if her heart, that is pounding so heavily, is no longer hers as well as her own body that she felt shaking. This is the dark and evil presence getting in her head and taking control. At the end of the story, she ends up getting out of the house and going with/towards him because he manipulates her by saying, “‘…Be nice to me, be sweet like you can because what else is there for a girl like you but […]

The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was an interesting, but eye-opening read. I believe that this story focuses on how young girls can easily fall for the words of older men. I’m sure that Arnold must have been a 30 year old, trying to make a move on a young girl. One mistake Connie made was opening the door and continuing to entertain the conversation with Arnold. As a young adult, she should not have been speaking to a stranger. I feel that if she hadn’t opened the door at all, the situation could have been different. Also, Connie was very much into her looks, I’m sure she was a beautiful girl, so that may have ben a reason that she allowed Arnold to give her attention, because she wanted her beauty to be seen. In the article, Korbs suggests said many who read the story view it as a feminist allegory. The way I viewed the story, I believe that it is important for parents to communicate with their children as long as they are responsible for them, because Connie’s parents didn’t seem to care about where she was going or what she was doing. When parents start to neglect their kids, it can often put the kids in unpleasant situations.

My interpretation of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was that it is a story about the curse of being beautiful. In the beginning of the story, Connie is the black sheep of the family because of her beauty. For example, her mother constantly berates her by saying, “Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you? You think you’re so pretty?” (Coates paragraph 1). Connie is treated ugly because she’s pretty and this leads her to relish the attention that she gets at the hamburger place. Connie gets attention from one boy, Eddie, in particular and enjoys herself. This is when she has her first encounter with Arnold Friend and “He wagged a finger and laughed and said, “Gonna get you, baby,”” (Coates paragraph 7). This makes Connies feel uncomfortable, but she dismisses it and continues with her night.  In Korb’s critique of the story, she includes how some readers interpreted the story as a as a “feminist allegory which suggests that… the spiritual death of women at the moment they give up their independence to the desire of the sexually threatening male” (Korb paragraph 4). This goes along with my interpretation of how beauty is a curse in this story because Connie was only seen for her beauty; her mother treated her like Cinderella’s stepmother. and boys gawked at her. Most importantly, her beauty was a curse in the end when Arnold Friend seduced her into coming on a drive which readers can interpret led to her being raped. He was sexually threatening, and she was still pure not only in her beauty, but also as a virgin and this shows how in society, a woman’s beauty often times attracts unwanted attention and women are stripped of their purity.

My own understanding of this story is the dark, evil subliminal flow throughout the story along with the realism that is brought out by the life of Connie and how something as your family life and the way a parent cares for their child or treats their child, or harmless intent decisions a young girl makes can create an outcome of men behaving sadistically and disgustingly towards a girl as young as 15.Connie is a shallow girl who is uncared for by her parents and who is often compared to her sister, obsessed with her looks she is fully aware of how beautiful she is. Having parents who do not typically ask where you are going will lead a young girl to involve herself into dangerous, but “fun” things that young teenage girls typically should not involve themselves in. Being a girl that beautiful and easy to talk to, men will think this is a easy target. Unfortunately for Connie, this man was very demanding and was very serious and was relentless in the fact where he really wanted Connie and targeted her weak, shallow thinking mindset and targeted her physically and mentally. The article states, “Since Connie so values appearances, she holds others to these shallow standards and uses what she sees on the surface as her criteria by which to judge them. This superficial view of the world leads her to embrace the drive-in restaurant, where older kids hung out and where Arnold Friend marks her with his X. Then, because at first she liked the way he was dressed, she does not immediately urge Arnold Friend to leave her driveway, and she stays talking with him, thus allowing him the time to create a physical space of psychological terror from which she cannot escape. ” The men […]

The story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” examines how societal and personal pressures affect choices.  Connie is a teenage girl who lacks self-awareness and is infatuated with her appearance. She makes a snap judgment on Arnold, a man who shows up at her house while she is alone at home, based solely on his appearance, not realizing that he has malicious motives. Arnold uses his knowledge of Connie’s family, acquaintances, and secrets to influence her and control her. Connie is forced to face the effects of her limited worldview as she loses her sense of self and grows frightened and vulnerable. According to my view, the story has a real feel, with Arnold’s seeming omniscience about Connie’s life coming from his compulsive and stalker-like actions. His knowledge of her family’s movements and activities can be traced to him watching Connie’s residence and following her family before approaching her while she was alone, not to some magical factor. This unsettling story is far from a fairy tale; rather, it serves as a terrifying warning about the possible risks that can result from actual circumstances and interactions with predatory people. Also The book serves as a warning about the perils of naivete and superficiality and can be seen as a cautionary tale about the world we live in, which includes young women like Connie.

In my understanding of the story, Oates is exploring the dangers of adolescence and the loss of innocence. Connie is portrayed as a typical teenage girl, concerned with her appearance and her social life. She is rebellious and seeks attention from boys, but she is not prepared for the danger that awaits her. Arnold Friend represents the evil that exists in the world and preys on vulnerable individuals like Connie. He is a manipulative and predatory figure who uses his charm to lure Connie into his grasp. The story suggests that Connie’s innocence and naivety make her an easy target for someone like Arnold Friend. Furthermore, the story can be interpreted as a critique of the cultural values of the 1960s. The story is set in a time of social change and upheaval, and Connie’s actions can be seen as a reflection of the values of that time. Connie’s desire for attention and her willingness to take risks with boys reflects the cultural shift towards sexual liberation and experimentation.

In Rena Korb’s critical overview of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, she presents various interpretations of the story, including the idea of an inverted fairy tale, a tale of initiation, and a feminist allegory. However, my own understanding of the story focuses on the theme of power dynamics and the struggle for control. Arnold Friend represents the ultimate manifestation of power and control over Connie, a young girl who is trying to navigate her way through adolescence. He uses his charm, manipulation, and ultimately his threat of violence to try to take control of Connie’s life. Connie’s resistance to his advances can be seen as her struggle to retain her own autonomy and agency in a world that tries to strip it away from her. Furthermore, the story can also be seen as a commentary on the societal power dynamics between men and women, as well as the dangers of toxic masculinity. Arnold’s relentless pursuit of Connie can be seen as a reflection of the pervasive belief that men are entitled to women’s bodies and attention. The story also highlights the danger that comes with toxic masculinity, as Arnold’s actions ultimately lead to violence and potential harm for Connie. Overall, while Korb’s interpretations provide valuable insights into the story, my own understanding focuses on the theme of power dynamics and the struggle for control, as well as commentary on societal power dynamics and toxic masculinity.

Different interpretive perspectives are put forward in Rena Korb’s critical overview, providing a place to start in understanding the narrative. However, my interpretation of the story as a study of power relations, particularly those involving gender and sexuality, has shaped my understanding of it.  At the heart of the story Arnold Friend, a supposedly charismatic and alluring man who poses a serious threat to the story’s adolescent protagonist Connie, is the central figure. Friend is a multifaceted character whose identity is obscured, rather than just a straightforward predator. He blurs the lines between the masculine and the feminine by embodying both. The way that Friend appears, with his painted-on eyebrows and wig, questions conventional ideas of male strength and attractiveness. He plays on Connie’s anxieties and vulnerabilities while manipulating and intimidating her with his remarks. In this approach, the story could potentially be understood as a critique of the ways in which toxic masculinity and patriarchy are employed to oppress and control women. The men in Connie’s life, from her controlling mother to the scary Arnold Friend, consistently stand in the way of her attempts to claim her own identity and independence. Due to the objectification and sexualization woman experiences from both males and the general public, her sexuality in particular becomes a cause of vulnerability and shame. The story can also be seen as an examination of the dangers of youth and the maturation process. Connie experiences several difficulties as she develops from a naive and self-centered teenager to a more self-aware and compassionate young woman. She is compelled to face both the harsh facts of the world around her and the darker sides of her own ambitions and inclinations.  The story can also be seen as an examination of the dangers of youth and the maturation process. Connie […]

Scholar Rena Korb discusses numerous differing interpretations someone may have while reading the story. She expressed how people view it as a tale of initiation or having a feminist allegory or concept to it. My first reaction while reading this story can be best associated with American culture, or tale of initiation. I would necessary have seen this story in a bad or dark perspective, but the influence of American culture is there. The girl in the story is being groomed by an older man who conveys mental abuse on her. Therefore, I would have to agree with this criticism interpretation at first hand. Rena Korb states, “Oates has expressed her interest in the richness of pain and chaos. Certainly, these elements are apparent in Oates’s own writing, and many critics have commented on the bleak nature of her fiction and on the many unpleasant things that happen to her characters”. This quote illustrates how the author initially focuses on this dark themed writing which is rich in pain. The author has the characters go through real life emotion representing something someone may experience in reality.

Many readers have come up with their own interpretation of the story “Where Are You Going? Where have you been?” describing it as a “inverted fairy tale” or even “a tale of initiation into the evils of depraved American culture. To me it is simply a thriller/ horror about a young girl who is confronted by her stalker and lured into his trap and eventually assaulted in many ways. The Story does not go further than when Connie gives in to Arnold but the subtle threats the Arnorld throws out there in his encounter with Connie makes his intentions seem more than sinister. Even going back to when Connie spots the “boy” at the drive-in restaurant and he tells her “gonna get you baby” from a distance made me unsettled and nervous for what that may mean. In Korbs’ essay about the story, the writer explains that people may interpret Arnold as the devil with the way he had “Supernatural” awareness on Connie and her families whereabouts. For me, this story was a lot more realistic, the almost omniscient awareness Arnold seemed to have was just his obsessive nature and that he’s been watching Connie way before she saw him at the restaurant. He knew where her family was and what they were doing by simply staking out her house and following her family as they pulled off while Connie enjoyed her alone time until Arnold came back. This terrifying story is something that can very much happen in reality and to me is far from a fairy tale. 

Most readers make three false assumptions when addressing an unfamiliar poem,” writes Edward Hirsch in his article “How to Read a Poem” (Activity 1) Which of the three prior assumptions did you make with respect to one of the poems read this week? Be sure to refer to specific lines or phrasing in your discussion.   The First assumption that I made while reading the poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” on the Poets.org website, while reading t the line “And live alone in the bee-loud glade,” the phrase “bee-loud glade” I though that the speaker wants to live a free and simple life which is close to nature, but after doing some research it the lines meant that the speaker is referring to the sound of bees buzzing and is trying to create a peaceful environment. The Second assumption i made was that in the line “There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow” I thought that the speaker is talking about the different colors of the sky at night or during different times at night, but then i realized that by the word “glimmer of midnight ”  and “noon a purple glow “the speaker was talking about different mood swings and the color purple meant to convey a sense of warmth and comfort The third assumption that i made was in the line “While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey” I thought that the speaker is physically standing on the road or on the sidewalk but it turned out be that the speaker is using a metaphor to explain its mental and emotional state, it could also mean that the speaker is trying to tell us about. his daily routine and hustle in his everyday life.

The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is captivating and incredibly eerie. Reading it felt as if I was watching a movie and yelling at the girl on screen to turn around and run away. The story seems to represent a young girl being groomed: manipulated by an older man to coerce her into agreeing to mental abuse. “I took a special interest in you, such a pretty girl, and found out all about you—like I know your parents and sister are gone somewheres and I know where and how long they’re going to be gone, and I know who you were with last night, and your best girl friend’s name is Betty. Right?” There is a terrifying aspect to this quote. Immediately, as the reader you might see flashing neon red flags, yet Connie is just confused.  Connie, although doing so hesitantly, is cooperating at first. It starts to seem like he almost has her convinced and then things escalate. After the escalation, Connie is defeated. This quote, “She was hollow with what had been fear but what was now just an emptiness. All that screaming had blasted it out of her.” is representing, to me, a victim fighting until they cannot fight anymore. At this point in the story, this is clear because Connie is now beginning to do everything Arnold says. The next few lines in the end of the story point to the victim being estranged from family and being convinced that it is okay. “… Be nice to me, be sweet like you can because what else is there for a girl like you but to be sweet and pretty and give in?—and get away before her people come back? ”She felt her pounding heart. Her hand seemed to […]

The story “Where are you going, where have you been?” is about a fifteen-year-old girl named Connie who goes to meet people who don’t treat her well. The story offers several interpretations of the event, including how awful things can happen in our lives and in our society. The story itself can be seen as a warning to young people about the dangers and terrible things that can happen in America. Connie’s character is portrayed as naive, unaware of the dangers of the world much like all young girls her age. Conversely, the character Arnold Friend is presented here as a nasty character, who hurts and deceives people. In her essay, Rena Korb makes a suggestion that some people may associate the character of Arnold Friend with the image of evil or the consequences of giving up one’s freedom at the hands of someone corrosive. It is a life lesson that aims to warn and warn young people.

The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is about a young 15-year-old girl named Connie whom a child predator seduced. In my understanding, the story portrays how a child predator-prey on young girls. Connie seems to be a beautiful young girl that likes to be seen because of her beauty, and she feels that her mother doesn’t like her much as how she does her older sister, whom she always praises. Also, Connie’s father seems to be just interested in his work and not showing the family much attention. In my opinion, 99% of the time, when a family is like that, the one that gets less attention tends to seek it elsewhere, and for me, Connie seems to fall in that category. Connie likes to hang out with older teens, which can be alarming. The older “friends” she trusts can set her up to do or get into things she’s incapable of understanding or escaping from. And it is sad because in our society, the same vulnerable young kids get seduced and taken advantage of, and most of them are found dead. Several times we watch the news or read the papers and see that young teens have gone missing, but there is no trace of them; those are the teens that know their predators, but at first, they try to build their trust before they make their move. We must check our surroundings because, at times, we never know who is watching us, our children, and just waiting to make a move at the right time that pleases these predators. This story is a well-learned lesson for us not to put our trust in people, no matter the circumstances, and not to show favoritism to our children because it can lead to something displeasing along […]

When I read “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W. B. Yeats, the assumption I made was assuming that the poem was a code. For example, throughout the poem, Yeats is talking about the lake house at the Innisfree Lake and when he was describing the scenery, I thought it was symbolic for something else. The entire time I was reading the poem, I was trying to decipher what was the meaning of Lake Innisfree and why it was important for the author to write about it. Yeats says, “And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow” (Yeats line 10) and to me this was a reflection of the poets’ need to find peace and serenity. Usually this is my issue while reading poems, I never really understand it because I feel like there’s a hidden message.

After reading Rena Korb’s critical overview of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, I believe that the story can be interpreted in various ways, including as an inverted fairy tale, a tale of initiation into a depraved American culture, and a feminist allegory. However, I also noticed some other themes that were not explicitly mentioned by Korb. One of the themes that stood out to me was the idea of teenage rebellion and the consequences that can come with it. Connie is a typical teenager who wants to break free from her family and their values. She sees herself as mature and independent, but her encounter with Arnold Friend teaches her a harsh lesson about the dangers of the real world. This theme is relevant to today’s society where young people often feel the pressure to act like adults before they are ready. Another theme that I noticed is the power dynamics between men and women. Arnold Friend’s manipulation and control over Connie reflect a larger societal issue of men exerting dominance over women. The story highlights the vulnerability of women in such situations and their struggle to assert their own agency. Overall, the story is multi-layered and open to interpretation. The themes of teenage rebellion and power dynamics between men and women, along with the other interpretations suggested by Korb, make it a thought-provoking and complex story.

In preparation for the discussion of the stories for our discussions, I prefer to read a story several times, form my own vision about it, and only then read articles that analyze this text in order to consider the story from my own subjective point of view and not be attached to the thoughts of scholars. After reading this story, I fixed three thoughts: the first is terrible violence, but not in the form we are used to, but in a verbal one, the very concept of which curdles the blood. Secondly, this is a gender issue: in particular, the exact delimitation of the role of a woman in this story is noticeable on the basis of two sisters. Either you are an exemplary family woman, a housewife, etc. (remember the cult of femininity) and the second is our protagonist, also a rather stereotypical girl who is more interested in appearance and boys than any other issue. As well as the dialogue between Koni and the Friend, he really reminded me of modern gender realities, including today’s one. And the third is something terrible and supernatural, invisibly present in this story. There are a number of interpretations of this story in Corb’s article, such as initiation or inverted fairy tale, the diabolic motives, feminist allegory. I would like to note that the story is quite creepy, provided that there is not a single scene of violence or physical rudeness here. The author in this case refers to symbolic violence. According to wiki “symbolic violence describes a type of non-physical violence manifested in the power differential between social groups”, but why does the author use this phenomenon in the story. What does it describe? I believe that the main message of the author is a feminist message, symbolic violence between gender […]

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a thrilling and captivating story that can leave the reader with a few different impressions simultaneously. When I read this, I initially thought of it as a coming of age story with a terrifying twist. Ultimately, I look at it as a representation of the defeat of women by men because of gender inequality. I enjoyed reading the details of all the interpretations in the article by Rena Korb. I see how they can all be applied to the story. I did not consider the “inverted fairytale” interpretation with Arnold assuming the role as the devil. It is apparent by the way he psychically knew this information about Connie and her family, and his name being so similar to “archfiend.” I can see how it can also be perceived as an “initiation into an evil, depraved American culture.” However, the writing is strongly gender specific with Connie’s obsession of keeping up with a beauty and behavioral standard society has engrained in her; and the type of predatory evil she faces. I think this story is an initiation into evil for specifically a female. I do side most with the “feminist allegory” interpretation, but all of these themes blend together.

In the interpretation of the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Rena Korb, she interpreted that the story is an, enjoyed as a finely crafted story. She believes the main character Connie is having troubles understanding the world around her and meeting the not so good man named, Arnold Friend.  She depicts that 15 year old Connie will be lured into a car with a not so good man that could potentially either rape her or kill her. But my interpretation of this story is about the real world that goes on around us today involving women. At the young age of 15, we all now the saying of not speaking to strangers but when someone is constantly begging someone to go on a ride with them and could potentially go on a dangerous ride with them is something you see today. Men try their hardest to take advantage of women everyday. Not saying every man intentions are to harm someone but when a man at the drive thru says, “Gonna get you babe” then shows up at her house is pretty creepy. At her young age it’s cool to be hanging around either girl or boys that are older to portray a cool image of herself for the friends around her but also isn’t smart as well. The story is warning young girls of signs like these to help them say no and seek help instead of trying to do things on their own. Young people make mistakes in life but some mistake can’t be taken back once done.

Reading this piece, I initially thought of it as a coming of age story. And after reading Korb’s article on the writing, and what was defined as a feminist allegory, where women are sexualized and seen as an object of pleasure, I still think in some way, it is a “coming of age” story, albeit the grim and assumed conclusion. It is mentioned in Korb’s article that although Connie is shallow, she becomes likeable. Although she is shallow, I never disliked Connie. I saw Connie as a typical, popular teenager. What teenage girl would not be obsessed with her looks and hanging out and disliking her mother and do-gooder sister? This is what they do – who they are….typically. I saw this as a coming of age story because although the story took a sharp turn, and again, the assumed grim conclusion, Connie is met with realizing the world is actually not all roses and daisies. Connie being the typical teen-aged girl consumed with her looks and social life sadly has to make some really hard and adult decisions in the moment. As we all have aged, there is a moment in our lives where we realize life is actually full of tough decisions that need to be made, and our parents are not going to always be there to tell us what to do, or protect us.

In the story “Where have you been, where are you going” I believe this story was about the inevitable. Connie starts out as this young care-free teenage girl and ends up stoic and accepting of her fate. The twilight of the teenage years is the last time being a silly unaware child is acceptable in American society. In the article by Korb, he mentioned the feminist view of this story being about a woman giving into a male culture. I have a more universal take. This story in my view is the reality of life everyone must face. Whats so interesting about this story is that nothing is as it seems. Arthur Friend, is more likely a 30 year old man that attempts to pass himself off as a 18 year old. The diner she went to and described as “fly-infested” though she thought of it as a sacred building. Connie, as many teenagers do has a skewed view of the world. This skewed view does not help her fend off her impending possible demise. This story represents the realities of life that we all face after the end of our childhood, a death of childhood so to speak. We realize as adults that many thing we believed as children are not real, the fun places aren’t so fun anymore and the candy makes you sick. The paint begins of fade, and the shine of the world begins to dull, however just like Connie did, we accept it.

The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” shows real life situations in the modern world today, such as, pedophiles hunting down children who end up being physically harmed or traumatized and get away with it. The story is about the safety of children, sexual maturity, and rape. In the text it states, “She cried out, she cried for her mother, she felt her breath start jerking back and forth in her lungs as if it were something Arnold Friend was stabbing her with again and again with no tenderness.” (Oates). Furthermore, a girl in the story named Connie was raped after being left home alone, but she could not call for help since she was threatened with her family. In my opinion, Connie gave in to Arnold Friend knowing he was going to rape her because of body experience. “She watched herself push the door slowly open as if she were back safe somewhere in the other doorway, watching this body and this head of long hair moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited.” (Oates). Rapists get away with things, since some people are threatened or give in to them just for sexual experience.

The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is about a girl named Connie who comes across a man who is not very kind to her. The story discusses several interpretations of the event, such as viewing it as a fairy tale or a story about how awful things may happen in our society. However, the story also states that there is no straightforward explanation for the story’s meaning. The story is like a warning to young people about the awful things that may happen in America. Connie, the main character, is like many young people at the time who were unaware of the threats in the world. Arnold Friend is a nasty character who deceives and harms others. The story warns young girls to be cautious and mindful of the dangers that may arise. Regarding Rena Korb’s essay, I believe that she is suggesting that some people may perceive Arnold as a representation of either the devil or the potential consequences of giving up our freedom to someone who is harmful. The story also serves as a lesson to beware of caution as well as to be aware of putting our trust in others and the places we travel to.

The greeting card lyrics and the sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” conveys two ideas of love that can be compared and contrasted. The greeting card lyrics shows love as an emotion of trust and warmth, a directed expression towards someone that is specific, clear and simple, yet deep and emotional. The rhythm of the greeting card lyrics is calm and there is slight rhyme such as “Because you’re a part of my favorite memories as well as my most important dreams.” The mood and tone is very romantic and passionate, stating lyrics such as, “Why Do I Love You So Much? Because I trust you more than anyone in the world.” The Italian sonnet follows a different structure in which it follows a Petrarchan sonnet pattern, consisting of 14 lines and a significant rhyme scheme. This sonnet conveys a formal, sensual, deep and soul-filled love. The repetition of the speaker saying “I love thee” brings to light the rhythm of the poem. It is also a hyperbole in a sense where it is an exaggeration of the phrase, used to further show readers the emotion of how strong her love that she is trying to convey through her poem and the usage of this phrase. The speaker states in her poem, “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight.” This shows a significance in her expression of love being that she is comparing it to something spiritual. Love expands through her soul and body. 

I honestly could never “read between the lines” or think of the bigger picture when reading poems. When reading “We Real Cool” By Gwendolyn Brooks I assumed the poem was obvious when I fully read it. This is the prior assumption I made from “How to read a poem”. I read the poem very easily and didn’t make any “think outside the box” assumptions when reading it. I didn’t think of the bigger picture. To me the poem is about kids being kids. Having all the freedom in the world to be a kid. To ditch school sometimes or maybe even underage drink wouldn’t kill you. We Left school. We Lurk late. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. Most people will say the bigger picture is young kids with destructive behavior. Like I said, Its kids being kids. However the line “we left school” is confusing me as it ditching school? or dropping out of school? if it is dropping out of school and all you are doing is drinking alcohol and singing, That is destuctive behavior that can have a early demise.  

While reading poems I always have a problem which is I always think I will understand it on the first reading and feel like there’s something wrong with me since I never understand what it means immediately. This is the prior assumption I made, of the three mentioned in “how to read a poem.” While reading “White lies” by Natasha Trethewey I started reading so confidently and thought I could understand it at first reading just by reading its title. When I was done I noticed I didn’t get its meaning or what was really behind it and had to go back, read it slowly, and analyze it. At first, I thought it was just about a little girl lying, but after reading it back, word by word, I understood it had something to do with color and race. “I could even keep quiet, quiet as kept, like the time a white girl said (squeezing my hand), Now we have three of us in this class.” The girl felt like lying was the only way white people would be nice to her. She would lie about where she lived, and also about being African American. 

One of the poems I read was “White Lies’ by Natasha Trethewey. While I first starting reading the poem, I couldn’t fully grasp what exactly it was that I was reading. This is when I had encounter with the first assumption, which is that readers think they should understand what it is that they are reading on the first read, which is not true. We all read and interpret things differently. Eventually, I had to read the poem over a few times to really get a feel about what I was reading, and the story behind it. The speaker in the poem appears to be a young black female, who lives on the poorer side of town, but says she can get away with telling the white people that she lives in a better area. I was feeling a sense of shame from the speaker’s point of view. Her mother had punished her for lying about who she was. Overall, I’d say the meaning behind this story is all about the difference in racial dynamics.

The act of reading a poem involves more than simply scanning the words on the page. It requires both an appropriate attitude and the technical ability to analyze the poem’s structure and meaning. A reader must approach a poem with an open mind and a willingness to engage with its themes and ideas. At the same time, the reader must have the necessary skills to decode the poem’s language, syntax, and imagery, as well as an understanding of poetic devices such as meter, rhyme, and metaphor. By combining the right mindset and the appropriate techniques, a reader can fully appreciate a poem’s beauty and complexity, unlocking its deeper meanings and insights.  My personal experience reading “My Mistress” gave me trouble and led to confusion because of how the author talked about his mistress in the poem led me to believe that he didn’t think too highly of her until the end i assumed that the author was talking in code since i could not understand why would he put other things before his mistress these lines in the poem sounded like little insults for his mistress. “And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks”  “I love to hear her speak, yet well I know [10]That music hath a far more pleasing sound”

After reading “White Lies” by Natasha Trethewey, I initially didn’t understand the poem’s deeper meaning. This lack of understanding led me to assume that something was wrong with me or the poem itself. However, upon further reflection and analysis, I came to realize that the poem was exploring the idea of lying as a survival mechanism for people of color in a society where white people hold power and privilege. The speaker in the poem, a young Black girl, quotes “I could easily tell the white folks that we lived uptown, not in that pink and green shanty-fled shotgun section along the tracks. I could act like my homemade dresses came straight out the window of Maison Blanche”. tells white people that she lives in a more affluent area, rather than admitting to living in a poorer neighborhood near the train tracks. The poem also touches on the idea of shame and the internalized racism that can lead people to disavow their own cultural roots. The speaker’s mother punishes her daughter for these lies, “Mama found out. She laid her hands on me, then washed out my mouth with Ivory soap”. Revealing the desire for honesty and authenticity in one’s identity. Overall, the poem explores complex themes of identity, race, and power dynamics, and it takes time and reflection to fully appreciate its significance.

I read both We Cool as well as The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks. The reason I read both, other than I was interested by both titles, was because the prior assumption I made when reading We Cool, was that I would understand the piece with the first run through. And full transparency, I felt as if I SHOULD understand because I am a voracious reader of poems, lol. The lines “we sing sin, we thin gin” I didn’t quite understand and I still don’t understand what ‘thin gin’ is. I will look it up after I finish responding to this discussion, but I assumed it has something to do with hanging out and drinking. After reading the poem once again, a little slower and without the assumptions, I gathered the meaning of the poem. I then, liked the writing and Gwendolyn’s writing style. I also learned she does not have one style from reading both pieces.

“Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique.” Restated: Reading a poem isn’t about the words, it’s how you read it and HOW you read it. – This is absolutely true. Reading poetry, is so different from reading an essay, or a play or any other works of literature because you have to FEEL the author’s emotion. Poetry paints pictures of intangible things – moods, emotions, thoughts, “vibes”. The phrase that reading a poem is part attitude and part technique means having a certain technique to understand and reiterate the inflections in the words. Having the right attitude is diving into the poem. Reading poetry can’t (well shouldn’t) be done because you HAVE to, but because you WANT to. 2. Reading Sonnet 130 by Shakespeare, I found this piece funny and ironic. I read this, with all the love I felt Shakespeare had for his mistress. He didn’t think very highly of her physical appearance or or scent, but the love was incomparable. The writing seems to be belittling the mistress at first, with the comparison to hair like wires and her breath that is not like perfume. However, at the end of the piece with the words “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare  As any she belied with false compare.‘ there is no denying the love. I read this piece with a whimsical and smitten heart, as if he was just thinking of his mistress. The attitude felt was she may not be the prettiest, and she may not have the best scent – she’s no Snow White – the “fairest of them all”, but I love her perhaps more than YOU love your spouse. Reading this short piece required a technique to feel the emotions and paint the picture of what he was […]

Three prior assumptions that I made while reading the poem “White Lies” by Natasha Tretheway are assuming that everything in the poem is literal, assuming that the poem has one definitive interpretation, and  that the poem is an expression of the poet’s personal feelings. Even though the poem is definitely personal, it also addresses wider socioeconomic themes. In order to examine more general questions of race and identity, including the ways in which societal pressures can have a negative impact on people, Tretheway draws on her personal experiences. The poem offers comments about the world in which the poet lives in addition to being a personal expression of her sentiments. Lines 3–4 of the poem use the speaker’s description of herself as “light-bright, near-white, high-yellow, red-boned” to show how complex racial identity might be. These descriptions are intended to explore the speaker’s experiences with identity and race instead of to be taken literally.

As Edward Hirsch so aptly put it in his article “How to Read a Poem”, when approaching an unfamiliar poem, readers tend to make three false assumptions and the one I made was to think that the whole poem was a kind of code where every detail corresponds to a single thing and if I wanted to understand it I had to decipher it. I made this mistake when reading the poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” written by William Butler Yeats in which the author just expresses his desire to find calm and peace by going to live alone on an island <<And I shall have some peace there, for peace slowly descends>>. For me this poem was hiding an unknown meaning and I started looking for it until I applied the literary techniques explained in Edward Hirsch’s article and then I realized my mistake.

This week, as I was reading “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W. B. Yeats, I made the mistake of assuming that the poem could mean anything readers wanted it to mean. I felt a connection to my own experience and thought that the poem might refer to isolation and escape from the surrounding world. As an example, when reading the lines:“Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;and live alone in the bee-loud glade.”This occurs, in my opinion, when you read a poem and interpret it as being about your own desires and centered on your own perspective.However, as I was reading this line: “And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings.”I believe Yeats is expressing his longing for a simpler, more peaceful life in a specific location, which may resonate with different readers in different ways. This made me realize that it can differ in certain ways depending on the mood of each reader, which helped me fully understand the poem’s message and enjoy it.

For this discussion, I’ve chosen the poem, “We Real Cool,” by Gwendolyn Brooks. Of the three prior assumptions readers tend to make when approaching a poem, I believe I made the mistake of assuming that the poem can mean anything readers want it to mean. I actually read the poem once to myself, read it a second time out loud and then listened to Gwendolyn speak about and then read the poem on my third attempt. I did get the sense that it was about a group of kids who were supposed to be in school, but were instead playing pool, but I questioned the point of the poem. After listening to the audio attached, she explains that the idea for the poem came from her passing a group of schoolboys at the pool hall in her community, and instead of asking why they weren’t in school, she asked herself, “I wonder how they feel about themselves?” With this question, she explained the line in the poem “We Jazz June,” as a representation of the contempt they might feel toward school which also coincides with the lines, “We Real Cool. We Left School.” Also, when listening to her read the poem aloud, she gave it a different kind of energy as opposed to the way I was reading it myself; I ended up very much enjoying this poem, the energy and the meaning behind it.

The assumptions and mistakes when first time reading a poem, as described by Edward Hirsch were very relatable to what I go through when attempting to understand a poem. Throughout this week’s reading, I have found myself making the first wrong assumption. “The first is assuming that they should understand what they encounter on the first reading, and if they don’t, that something is wrong with them or with the poem”. This resonated with me deeply as when I don’t understand something after a few times, I tend to get frustrated. However, with poems I realize and understand that they can be tricky, so I prepare myself to read it many times throughout. In addition, I found myself making the second wrong assumption as well. Thinking that each line connects to each other, or there is some sort of code to figure out. I tend to overthink what the poem is really trying to illustrate. For instance, this week’s poem, “White Lies” by Natasha Trethewey was challenging to understand at the first and second attempt at reading it. This poem is rich in imagery and definition, so therefore I got a little intimidated. I also thought that some lines interconnected ideas to each other. This made paying attention to important or big details difficult and so I skipped over them.

“Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique.” Restate this in quote in your own words. When reading poems, we must embrace the words, examine each element, and decipher the author’s intentions to unpack and discover its meaning entirely. With specific reference to one of the week’s sonnets, discuss your personal experience with these two components of reading poetry. Be sure to support your response with a short quote from the poem you are discussing. In Sonnet 130, “My Mistress’s Eyes Are Nothing like the Sun” by Williams Shakespeare, the author highlights the beauty of his mistress, “If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.” Him comparing her to things to show that she is imperfect would not stop him from loving her. Not too often do we read poems as such where the lady is not elegant or beautiful; she is just an ordinary person. But that did not stop him from appreciating her for who she was and how she looked. Women are often idolized for their beauty, but we can see in this poem that there is genuine love.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” and the greeting card lyric “Why Do I Love You So Much?” convey love in similar ways but contain different literary aspects.  Both pieces convey a strong love and devotion for the subject. The poem by Browning emphasizes on the depth and intensity of love, whilst the card talks of trust and emotional support. The card refers to recollections and dreams, and Browning’s poem makes use of natural images to depict the wide nature of love. Both pieces use imagery to convey their emotions. The way the two pieces use rhyme and meter is the primary difference between them. The card isn’t bound to any particular meter or rhyme scheme, unlike Browning’s sonnet, which adopts the standard rhyme pattern. This shows the differences between a sonnet’s organized shape and a greeting card’s free-verse style. Browning’s poem has the well-known phrase “How do I love thee? “Let me count the ways,” she says, emphasizing how extensive her devotion is. The card, on the other hand, emphasizes the value of trust in a relationship by stating, “Because I trust you more than anyone in the world,” which communicates affection.

One of the three prior assumptions that I made with respect to the poem “White Lies” by Natasha Tretheway is that the poet is writing about herself or her own experiences. This assumption could potentially limit my understanding of the poem, as it is important to recognize that Tretheway uses a persona or fictional character as the speaker. In the first stanza, the speaker describes her own physical appearance: “Be careful of stones that you throw / Young girl alone in a world / Where race is not a bone in her throat / But a stick in her side.” This sets up the context for the poem and establishes the speaker as a young girl who is not white. However, in the third stanza, the speaker reveals that she has lied about her race: “I could easily tell the white folks / That I am a spic, a mick, a hunky / Jew, a nigger, or even a chink.” This reveals that the speaker is not necessarily the poet herself, but rather a fictional character or persona created by Tretheway. The young girl in the poem, who lies about her race to fit in with her white classmates, is not necessarily a reflection of Tretheway’s own experiences. By assuming that the poet is always writing about themselves or their own experiences, I might miss the broader themes and issues that the poem addresses, such as identity, race, and social conformity. 

In week 13’s reading ” Most reader’s make three false assumptions when addressing an unfamiliar poem” it hits on some valid key points about what many readers myself included tend to do when reading poems as if it’s an involuntary action. I myself am guilty of the latter I fall underneath the second category where in my heart I truly do believe that there is an undercover meaning behind and thus why it was written in such a way. In the poem “White Lies” written by Natasha Trethewey made me think of that poem in such a way and yet I failed to even realize it. Right from the opening line I thought that this short poem was supposed to have a deeper meaning behind it when it stated, ” The lies I could tell, when I was growing up light brown near white high yellow, red boned in a black place were just white lies,” In my head I thought the protagonist past had caught up with them and they would have a sort of epiphany were they would seeing the error of their ways when it came to being a liar.

1. Restate this in quote in your own words. ““Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique.” This quotes can be restated in my own words as to understand a poem you do need to have a right mindset and basic skill to understand it. 2. With specific reference to one of the week’s sonnets, discuss your personal experience with these two components of reading poetry. Be sure to support your response with a short quote from the poem you are discussing. When we read “”Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” by William Shakespeare, if you have a positive mindset and attitude you would be enjoying this line and thinking about love, In order to analyze this poem you do need to have a right mindset of understanding it and comparing it with beauty and love. Understanding a poem also involves on how you  approach the poem and some people do compare it with their past experiences, so if they had any bad experience or they lack in knowledge it would effect the understanding of the poem.

The quote “reading poetry well is part attitude and part technique” is basically stating that reading poetry well and correctly, requires both a certain mindset and a set of skills. With regard to the attitude component, it means approaching poetry with an open mind and a curious mindset, free of preconceived preconceptions about what or how it should be read. The technique part refers to specific skills that can help readers engage with poetry more effectively, such as asking questions and analyzing literary devices. Take Shakespeare’s “my mistress’s eyes are nothing like the sun” for instance, A person might be more inclined to read with an open mind and a sense of curiosity rather than expecting it to follow the norms how they love sonnet. The poems use of metaphors and similes could then be examined in order to better grasp its meaning, for example “Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.”

When I first read W.B. Yeats’ poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” I assumed it was about someone who wants to escape to a remote island and live a peaceful life. However, after reading Edward Hirsch’s article “How to Read a Poem,” I realized that there’s more to the poem. One of the false assumptions I made was that the poem was only about physical escape from the city. Upon closer inspection of the lines “And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow, dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings,” I realized that the speaker is seeking not just physical peace, but also emotional and spiritual peace. Another false assumption I made was that the repetition of the line “I will arise and go now” was just a way to emphasize the speaker’s desire to leave the city. However, Hirsch points out that repetition in poetry can often have a deeper meaning, such as emphasizing the speaker’s determination to make a change in their life.  

 “Most readers make three false assumptions when addressing an unfamiliar poem.” While reading “White Lies” by Natasha Tretheway, I made the first assumption- “they should understand what they encounter on the first reading, and if they don’t, that something is wrong with them or with the poem.” This is the assumption I always make while reading poems. “White Lies” was a poem that I reread to make sure I understood it. It is about someone who is of mixed-race and lives in a neighborhood of more colored people, but can pass as a “white girl”. The narrator states that they can say they live “uptown”, which they seem to think is a better area than where they really live. At first, I thought the reading was about a kid lying to fit in, but then I realized it is someone struggling with identity and lying to figure out which race is “more them”. While reading “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks, I made the second assumption-“the poem is a kind of code, that each detail corresponds to one, and only one, thing, and unless they can crack this code, they’ve missed the point.” I didn’t understand what the “code” was so I moved onto the next poem. I came back to it and realized it wasn’t so difficult to understand. I believe the poem is about a group of kids who drop out and think they are cool because they do their own thing and defy authority. I think the narrator sees their group as “thugs” because of their comment in the last line “We die soon”. It is a known topic that if you are apart of the “thug-life” you risk losing your life to “the streets”.

The poem “White Lies” by Natasha Trethewey made me fall into the first and second assumptions Edward Hirsch discusses in his article “How to Read a Poem.” From the title, I expected the poem to be about one subject, lies that were not too grandiose. But it is not solely about lying, and each detail does not correspond to only one thing, like I originally thought. It took me three times to read it to understand it is more so about the experience of a young girl of African and European descent than about small fibs. The use of color in the first stanza of the poem is very powerful. “The lies I could tell, when I was growing up light-bright, near-white, high-yellow, red-boned in a black place, were just white lies.” (Trethewey, lines 1-6) I did not immediately understand the perspective of the narrator and it took me multiple times to read to fully digest the true nature of the poem, and the use of color in the first stanza. These exercises are definitely teaching me to read poetry with a more open mind, without expectations, to completely understand the message the author is conveying.

“Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique” In my opinion, this means in order to understand a poem you have to use the correct tone. For example, when it comes to William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the Sun” I would not read it in a happy and positive tone. I read it with more of an annoyed or distasteful tone because he is analyzing his mistress and almost comparing to other women who are attractive or “appealing” to him; meanwhile his mistress is not. “I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight, Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.” I, for one, am not big on reading poetry because I usually have to reread it multiple times in order to fully understand what I am reading. For example, William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” I had to go back for a second time, half way through after getting an idea of what I was reading. The language also plays a part in the “technique” of reading a poem. The way writers used words such as “hath” instead of has, “thou” instead of you, and abbreviations such as “grow’st”, “ow’st”, and “wand’rest”. These are all tongue twisters in my opinion and can be all be factors in your understanding of the reading.

Which of the three prior assumptions did you make with respect to one of the poems read this week? Be sure to refer to specific lines or phrasing in your discussion. The poem that stood out in this week’s reading was “White Lies” by Natasha Tretheway. At first, when reading the poem, I first thought I understood what the narrator was saying. When I read the lines, “I could easily tell the white folks that we lived uptown,” I was assuming only white folks lives uptown, and the narrator’s completion matches with the white folks who live uptown, then yes, the narrator will mix in as well. Then further in the poem, lines “I could act like my homemade dresses came straight out the window of Maison Blanche.” I paused, the narrator portraying to be some lavish person, which is a lie. Then my curiosity came out to question, is the narrator black, with a lighter complexion, but lying about their race, ethnicity, and lavish lifestyle. Then when her mother found out the lies that had been said, she was punished by “purifying and cleansing her mouth with Ivory soap.” I related to the poem “White Lies” because I did similar things as the narrator growing up, and my punishment was the same, my mom washed my mouth out with soap in front of my friends, which was embarrassing, but I learned my lesson.

Speaking about several poems of this week, I can say that “My last duchess” impressed me the most.  So firstly, I want to say that before reading the article I always thought that one reading of the poem is enough to interpret it in an appropriate way. After first reading, I caught the description of the duchess and created an image of the person she was, as far as the poem mostly consists of the description of her personality and appearance. “…too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere”. So it was a kind and openhearted woman. So, after first reading, for me it was a kind of drama about the young and beautiful woman who passed away too early.   However, after several readings, the personality of the narrator (her husband) has started to be disclosed to us on the basis of his words. It becomes clear that he was a strict, cruel person, who was trying to restrict the life of his wife, and probably finally killed her. “Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together”.  And after understanding that, I thought that this cruelty and relation of the narrator to his wife could be the unique code, the answer to this poem, with the help of which we can get the message of the author. But with the help of a video lecture about this poem, I learnt that this code “doesn’t feet”, so and  searching for “one universal code” is a mistake of a reader. 

The full experience of reading a poem involves what you assume about the poem beforehand and what you do with the information you receive after reading it. These two factors stood out to me after reading “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun” Before even reading the poem I looked at the title and seen that Shakespear was the author and automatically assumed that this sonnet will be the typical poem full of sophisticated language and beautiful compliments like “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” After reading lines like “And in some perfumes is there more delight/ Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.” I realize this poem is more satirical than romantic. I was so distracted by this that I failed to catch the fact that the poem ends with love until I reread it multiple times. The lines “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare/ As any she belied with false compare.” were assumed to be more insults after focusing too much on trying to read the poem with the intended rhythm, but now I see this was the type of compliment I initially thought the poem would be riddled with.   

I read Lu Xun’s poem “Swimming,” and my initial assumption was that the poem represented a puzzle that had to be solved. I may have focused on finding a clear interpretation of the poem and ignored the emotions and themes that the poem conveys. However, after reading Hirsch’s essay, I would realize that this assumption would limit my understanding of the poem, which Hirsch suggests should not be “solved” like a puzzle, but should be felt and experienced. In this poem, I would realize that the theme it conveys is not just the technique and skill of swimming, but a deeper sense of being and thinking about the meaning of life. I would realize that there are multiple interpretations of this poem, and that your interpretation is only one possibility.

As I read through this week’s poems, the main three assumptions referenced in “How to read a poem” popped up in my head many times. The poem that stood out for me was “White Lies” by Natasha Tretheway. The first time I read the poem I felt like it was the easiest to understand out of the list of poems assigned so far. I even went on to read the rest of the other poem thinking I fully understood it. As I finish the remaining poems I go back to “ White Lies” and realize I may have missed some details. When I read lines like “I could act/ like my homemade dresses/ came straight out the window/ of Maison Blanche.”I assumed the poem was about the narrator lying about their financial situation. After rereading the poem and analyzing lines like, “like the time a white girl said/(squeezing my hand), Now/we have three of us in this class.” I start to think maybe the narrator is black and has fair skin and lies about their ethnicity, which is much more of a punishable offense since her mother disciplines them for these lies. Then again, I can be be wrong, maybe there is no right or wrong and it was left to be interpreted by the reader however they please. 

My way of rephrasing the quote “Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique” is “Read a poem with an open mind to truly interact with it.” Before reading “How To Read a Poem” by Edward Hirsch, I always read poetry trying to find the meaning behind it immediately. I guess it is my impatient nature to want to be able to properly understand the abstraction behind more difficult poems. After reading the essay by Hirsch, I attempted to approach the sonnets in a different, less preconceived manner. The last poem “What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why” was the most successful for me to read in this nonjudgmental way. I read it twice to myself and twice aloud. While reading it, I asked myself of the qualities of the poem; including what is the rhythm? How is imagery used? One of the first things I noticed was the use of imagery to create a hauntingly lonely atmosphere. For example, “Under my head till morning; but the rain Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh Upon the glass and listen for reply, And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain” (Millay, lines 3-6) Each time reading it, I absorb more of the speaker’s mood and how she feels about the lovers of the past she is referencing. It inspires me to ask, is the narrator just somber in her solitude or does she long for a new love?

“How much we receive out of a poem depends on how receptive we are to its themes and language.” While reading Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,” I experienced two aspects of reading poetry: attitude and technique. I approached the poem with curiosity and found it interesting due to its realistic portrayal of love when he describes how he is in love with her cheeks. “I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks;’ Technically, I noticed the poem’s structure and use of language. The first line, “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,” This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem by establishing that he is going to describe her honestly and realistically. Through it, I learned to appreciate the unique way that Sonnet 130 looks at love and to understand Shakespeare’s literary techniques. I also found that reading poetry requires both an open attitude and an eye for technique. Attitude allows us to appreciate the emotional impact of the poem, while technique helps us understand how the poet achieves that impact through structure and language.

In “How to Read a Poem” by Edward Hirsch the assumptions that are made in this poem are, many readers make the false assumption that they should immediately understand everything in a poem, as seen in this quote: “Most readers make three false assumptions when addressing an unfamiliar poem. The first is assuming that they should understand everything right away.” A second assumption is that readers believe everything in a poem is meant to be taken literally, which is challenged by Hirsch in the following lines “The second is assuming that everything in a poem is literal. But some words refer to a reality outside the poem while others do not.” The third false assumption I would say is that poems have only one interpretation, as Hirsch states: “The third is assuming that poems can be reduced to a single, definitive interpretation. But poems are multivalent; they can mean many things to many different people.” Moral of the story I believe that it encourages readers to challenge these assumptions and approach poetry with an open mind.

When reading the poem “White Lies” I made one mistake which inevitably led to another. I initially believed lines 1 – 6 were some sort of code that would help me understand the poem. This blunder led to my second mistake which was trying to understand the poem on the first read through. Though I quickly realized that there was not code in the mentioning of all these colors, I should have read through the poem completely before I made any assumptions. When I read a poems, I’m looking for the deeper meaning. As I am constantly learning, sometimes the author is being literal, and there is art in that. As I continued through the poem, I realize that this is about a girl that lies to boost her social status, because she’s not proud of where she is actually from. A child telling white lies is something I can relate to, which is something I understood after correcting my aforementioned mistakes.

“Reading a poem is part your own understanding, and part understanding the format”. When I read a poem, the first thing I do is try to understand the format of the poem. I look at how it is written, if it rhymes, and how does it all come together. My personal experience is there is usually a format, this helps me understand how to read the poem. Once I understand the format then I delve into my understanding of the poem. I try to understand what the author is saying with this poem. I try place myself in the person writing the poems shoes. I also try to relate to the poem itself if possible. “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any belied with false compare” (Shakespeare). I used these two methods to understand this poem, and I totally relate to it.  To me this poem is about love being unconditional, not about beauty which fades. My attitude, and personal experiences help me not only understand the poem, but also personalize it.

From what I understand, reading poetry requires a proper attitude and skill. In William Shakespeare’s Eighteen Sonnets, I believe that having the proper attitude and skill is necessary to understand the beauty and message of the poems. The poet compares his beloved to a summer’s day, but he asserts that she is more beautiful and peaceful than any summer’s day. To understand and appreciate the subtleties of this comparison, the reader needs a certain attitude and skill. For example, when the poet says, “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date,” he implies that summer is short-lived and temporary. Readers must be willing to recognize and accept the transience of life and have the skills to understand the language and imagery used in the poem. In addition, the reader must have the proper attitude to appreciate the message behind the poem about the eternal nature of beauty. The following quote illustrates this point: “But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest. Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade. When in eternal lines to time thou growest:” Here, the poet implies that the beauty of his beloved will never fade or disappear because he praises her in his poem, making her immortal. To fully appreciate this idea, the reader must have an open mind and a willingness to consider the possibility of beauty’s eternity. In addition, the reader must have the skill to understand the metaphorical language that describes the beauty of the beloved as an “eternal summer” that will not fade with time.

In his article, “How to Read a Poem,” Edward Hirsch points out that most readers make three false assumptions when addressing an unfamiliar poem. These assumptions can make it difficult for readers to truly appreciate and understand the poem. The first false assumption that readers make when approaching an unfamiliar poem is that they believe that they should be able to understand it on the first read. This assumption is based on the belief that poetry is like any other form of literature, where the meaning is clear and straightforward. However, poetry is often written in a way that is intentionally ambiguous, and it requires the reader to spend time unraveling the layers of meaning. It is important for readers to approach poetry with an open mind and a willingness to spend time with the text. The second false assumption that readers make is that they believe that there is only one correct interpretation of the poem. This assumption is based on the belief that poetry is like a puzzle that has only one correct solution. However, poetry is open to interpretation, and there may be multiple ways to understand a poem. The reader’s interpretation may be influenced by their personal experiences, cultural background, and the historical context in which the poem was written. It is important for readers to recognize that their interpretation of a poem is valid, even if it differs from others.The third false assumption that readers make is that they believe that they need to understand every word and reference in the poem to appreciate it. This assumption is based on the belief that poetry is like a code that needs to be deciphered. However, poetry is not meant to be understood in a literal sense. It is often filled with metaphorical language and symbolism that […]

In “How to Read a Poem,” Edward Hirsch notes that while studying a poem, readers frequently make three incorrect assumptions. I discovered after reading William Butler Yeats’ “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” that I had assumed the poem was straightforward and lacked deeper depth. However, after reading Hirsch’s paper, I realized that this assumption was incorrect. The poem’s simple language and structure can be deceiving, since there are deeper themes at work, such as a desire for isolation and a simpler existence in nature. Overall, reading these poems has taught me the value of not forming preconceptions when approaching a new poem. I was able to better comprehend the speaker’s desire for a simpler existence in nature and the romantic theme present in the poem by paying great attention to the language and imagery used.                                                

“Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique.” 1. Reading a poem requires a certain level of openness and curiosity of what the poem actually means or stands for, and it needs to be read in a meaningful way. A poem cannot be looked at as though it is simply words put together in lines. You have to approach the poem free of judgement or indifference and ask yourself questions as you do so. 2. In my personal experience throughout this course, I have had to learn how to read the poems we’ve been given. I have learned that approaching the poem with an, “I don’t want to read this,” or an, “What is the point of this,” attitude, is not helpful at all in trying to understand what the poem means. I have also realized that it’s okay to misunderstand the poem at first read. In Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun, for example, by just reading the title, I said to myself, “well damn,” because at first it sounds a little rude (lol.) Even after reading a little further, he is describing her hair as coarse and her breath as being a little stinky, but when I read the last two lines, 12-14, “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare  As any she belied with false compare.”  He ends the poem by saying he loves her more than anything else and his love may be truer than any she’s ever experienced. I will admit it took me reading this poem twice in my head and once aloud, before I finally understood what he was saying and it’s beautiful. He loves her with her coarse hair, her dull skin and her stinky breath.

The quote “Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique.” in my own words reading a poem requires a combination of both a certain mindset or a set of skills or methods. One sonnet from this week that I can discuss is “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare. In my personal experience, reading this poem requires both a certain mindset and a set of techniques. The attitude or approach I bring to the poem involves an appreciation for the beauty of nature and the passage of time. Meanwhile, the techniques I use include paying attention to the rhyme scheme and meter, as well as analyzing the use of metaphors and other literary devices. In the opening lines of the poem, the speaker compares the subject of the poem to a “summer’s day.” This metaphor sets the tone for the rest of the poem and emphasizes the beauty and perfection of the subject. By recognizing and analyzing this metaphor, I am able to better understand the poem’s message. Furthermore, the poem’s use of iambic pentameter and rhyme scheme also contribute to its overall effect. As the speaker praises the subject’s beauty and perfection, the poem’s structure and rhythm help to reinforce these qualities. For example, in lines 5-6, the speaker says,”Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed”.  

1- “Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique. Attitude Technique is also very important for understanding, the repetition of certain words, the rhythm or even the style of language to use can be very useful for understanding and for the emotions that the writer is trying to communicate to us. 2-At the beginning of the reading I was very confused but after having read the poem again and used the literary techniques my approach totally realized all the irony present in William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like The Sun”. ‘‘My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks .’’ Unlike classic poems that highlight the beauty of women using exaggerations, the author does the opposite. He compares the parts of his lover’s body to beautiful objects, but each time he does so one realizes that he is describing his lover’s body as less beautiful than the thing he is comparing it to. For example, he says his eyes aren’t as bright as the sun and his breath isn’t like perfume at all and it “reeks”.

The poem “Why Do I Love You So Much” is an expression of the speakers feelings of love and trust for someone. The poem is constructed in short lines with a tone that really reflects  the intimacy of a relationship. When talking about imagery this poem shows that clearly to convey the speakers emotions. For example the lines “to remind how to laugh” and “favorite memories”. On the other hand, “How Do I love Thee” by Browning Sonnet is a poem that expresses the speakers affection for a summer day. This poem uses figurative language and imagery to compare affection to a summer day. The line “Thou art more lovely and more temperate” compares the person to a summer day that is not too hot or too cold. In my opinion, both poems use imagery to convey emotions and ideas. As well as expressing feelings of love and admiration to an figure or object like a summer day or a person.

“Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique.” To do anything in life is part attitude and technique if you really think about. Not only is it the attitude of the person who conveys or reads in this case, but it is the attitude that the poem itself creates. This can be best described as the tone or emotion a poem instills in its audience. Just with most literary works, understanding something like a poem takes time technique. To be able to find out the true meaning of that small line that seems to be coated with details but yet so small in its bigger picture. To relate your experiences to the poem, in order to dig deeper. Many literary techniques can be utilized to break down a poem to understand it clearly. 2) After reading Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare, the quote above and those two aspects of it were truer than ever. Throughout reading the poem at first, it was confusing to understand what Shakespeare was comparing the person in the poem towards. However, after using literary techniques, I was able to break it down line by line to understand.  For example, it states, “Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, and often is his gold complexion dimmed”. This quote at first baffled me but after reading the line before and after it, I got a clue of what the poem was saying about summer in comparison to the person in the poem. Regarding attitude, I had to slow things down and match the poem’s energy to understand clearly. 

“Good poetry reading is part attitude and part technique”. I want to start by saying that during our course, I carried over a few thoughts for myself. The first, concerning the goals and objectives of art and literature in particular. I have always believed that literature should have a purpose. Now it seems to me that literature owes nothing to anyone. However, if a universal thesis arises, we can say that its goal is our emotional and mental response. All literary devices and art forms appear for this purpose. Therefore, I understand the word “attitude” as a reaction to what has been read and the following interaction. Thus, a kind of dialogue between the reader and literature takes place. However, in order to start this dialogue, we must have a number of knowledge and skills, or techniques. This is especially true of the genre of poetry, the genre of the most capacious and more complex “interlocutor” than prose. Form, rhyme, literary devices, they all build our experience and perception of poetry. Sometimes, you need to understand the background of it. Just recently, for example, I read a poem that tells about a letter that came to the mother of a soldier during World War II. The lines of the verse were composed in such a way that they appeared with a triangle. These forms of letters were sent to mothers, wives and children of soldiers from the front. People were in trepidation and horror opening such letters with the hope that their husband, son or father is still alive. The use of such a form prevails over the feelings and sensations that people experience. However, if you are not aware of this fact, it will be just a poem in the shape of a triangle. 2. After reading sonnet 18 […]

  “Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique.“ In order to understand a poem, the reader has to get into it and read it as they feel it, paying attention to the language and tone of the poem, which would be the attitude. As well as having a technique to help understand such as looking up confusing words, connecting related ideas, listening to its sound and rhythm and paying attention to repeated words and literary techniques used by the author.    In William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like The Sun” the author uses irony to emphasize the beauty of his mistress, by comparing her to things that show she’s not perfect but he still loves her.  “Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head” (Shakespeare lines 2-4) It took me a while to understand because I wasn’t really getting the point, but then I realized he was comparing her and being realistic about the woman he loves, as many poems try to idealize and exaggerate woman’s beauty, he did the opposite. My attitude while reading this changed after I read it a few times, at first I was confused, then i read it as a love poem and my technique was just reading it and trying to figure out the author’s message, technique and ideas. 

The greeting card Lyrics  “Why Do I Love You So Much?” in relation to the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee? both do share a theme of exploring the depth, affection and the reasons behind loving someone . The lyrics in the greeting card have simple and straightforward words that expresses the feelings of the speaker for trust and relaying on the person they love.The While in the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee? it uses more complex words to express love and also uses metaphors in it.The fourteen lines of the poem are rhyming and there is a repetition of the phrase “I love thee” which shows the intensity of the love of the speaker.

When I look at the quote “Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique” (Hirsch) what comes to mind is feeling and interpretation. For example, your “attitude” could be how you feel about reading poems in general, if you do not enjoy reading poems, then it would be harder for you to interpret the poem versus someone who enjoys reading poems. Also, how you feel while reading the poem plays a part in how you interpret the poem because a happy poem could make you feel sad and your interpretation from the poem would be as such versus someone who would read it in a happier attitude. Your “technique” is how you read the poem and your ability to understand the poet’s style. In William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18″ Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” I read it as a love poem. Because I received it as a love poem, my attitude was more open and calmer, and I absorbed the words more. Shakespeare uses a lot of personification in this poem by making nature more humanistic. For example, he says “Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed” (Shakespeare lines 6-7). In this line, he is referring to the sun and when the sun sets which is what he means when he says, “his gold complexion dimmed”. In this poem, I interpreted Shakespeare saying that the woman’s beauty is as raw and bright as nature is during the summer because the heat is brutal but it’s bright. 

Lyrics of greeting cards like “Why do I love you so much” express deep love and passion for someone. The lyrics may express the feeling of being overwhelmed by love and a deep emotional connection to the person mentioned in the greeting card. The tone may be romantic, sensual, and perhaps even poetic. On the other hand, Browning’s sonnet “How Do I Love Thee? (also known as Sonnet 43) is a classic love poem that expresses deep and abiding love in a more structured and formal way. The poem, composed by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, is in iambic pentameter five-step long stanzas and follows a strict rhyming format (ABBA ABBA CDCDCD), a form typical of Petrarchan poetry. The poem reflects a deep, mature and enduring love that transcends time and circumstance. Although both the greeting card lyrics and Browning’s sonnet express love, they differ in tone, style and depth. Greeting card lyrics may be more modern, casual and direct, focusing on the emotional experience of love in the moment. Browning’s sonnet, on the other hand, is a more eloquent, formal and thoughtful expression of love, exploring the complexity and depth of emotion. It uses carefully chosen words and follows a strict poetic form in order to convey a love that endures and transcends time and space. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

The poem “How Do I Love Thee?” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and the greeting card  “Why Do I Love You So Much?” address love and affection in distinct ways, structurally speaking. Through repetition of vivid imagery , meter, and rhyme. Barrett Browning’s use of these poetic devices emphasizes the speaker’s deep affection for their lover, evident through the words, “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight” It is her complete arrangement of musical elements like a musical tune that further emphasizes how strongly she feels about their romantic partner.While poetic techniques are absent from the lyrics of greeting cards meant to convey love, they utilize a direct and comprehensible language. The apparent ease with which “Why Do I Love You So Much?” expresses emotions enables readers to comprehend the speaker’s emotion and recognize those tangible and supportive elements inherent to love. Indeed, the message of love is very clear, and its cornerstone attribute of simplicity is laid out plainly; “Because I trust you / more than anyone in the world / to listen, to help me through.”While both texts share the central theme of love, they approach it differently in terms of style and structure. Browning’s sonnet delves into love, showcasing a more formal and elaborate poetic style, whereas the greeting card lyrics emphasize the relatable and nurturing qualities of love through a casual and direct tone.

The two poems “How Do I Love Thee” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and the gift card “Why Do I Love You So Much”, are declarations of love written for loved ones. The sonnet has fourteen lines, while the greeting card has eleven lines. They begin with fairly simple questions that everyone has already had the opportunity to ask themselves. In Browning’s poem we have the presence of the hyperbole “I will love you better after death” which the author uses to reinforce the image of endless and limitless love while in the gift card , the author uses a list to tell us the reasons he loves his partner. The sonnet uses rhyme, formal language, and tone to emphasize what she is trying to communicate. On the other hand, the card simply states the reasons why he/she likes the person, having no tone, rhyme or anything else to grab the audience’s attention and also having a simple language and structure.

The greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” share similarities and differences in their use of poetic elements. Both the card and the sonnet express deep love and admiration for the object of affection. However, while the sonnet describes the many ways in which the speaker loves their beloved, the card seems to focus more on the overwhelming intensity of the feeling of love itself. In terms of language, both the sonnet and the card use vivid and emotional words to convey their message. The sonnet uses words like “depth,” “breadth,” and “height” to express the magnitude of the speaker’s love, while the card uses phrases like “my heart beats faster” and “I am hopelessly in love with you” to convey the intensity of the feeling. Sound and lineation also play a role in both poems. The sonnet’s consistent iambic pentameter and end rhyme scheme give it a musical quality that enhances the emotional impact of the words. The card, on the other hand, uses shorter lines and irregular rhyme and meter to create a more conversational tone. For example, the card might use a line like “I can’t explain what you do to me” to convey a sense of urgency and passion, while the sonnet might use a more measured and formal tone. Imagery is another element that both poems use to express love. The sonnet uses metaphors like “sun and candlelight” and “breath and smiles” to describe the many ways in which the speaker loves their beloved. The card, meanwhile, might use imagery like “you light up my life” or “you complete me” to express the same idea. In terms of rhyme and meter, the sonnet follows a strict pattern of ABBAABBA CDCDCD, while the card’s rhyme scheme and meter are […]

The greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” share similarities in their exploration of love, but also have differences in their use of poetic elements. Both pieces use imagery to convey their emotions, such as the metaphor of trust in the card and the metaphors of light and depth in the sonnet. Repetition is also utilized in both, with the refrain “Why Do I Love You So Much?” in the card and the repeated phrase “I love thee” in the sonnet. However, the sonnet is structured with a strict rhyme scheme and metrical verse, while the greeting card is more free-form in its lineation and lacks a specific meter. As the card states, “Why Do I Love You So Much? Because you’re a part / of my favorite memories / as well as my / most important dreams.” In contrast, the sonnet declares, “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight / For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.” In summary, both the greeting card and the sonnet express love through the use of poetic devices, but differ in their approaches to form and structure.

In the card greeting, I would label it as a prose versus a poem only because it uses standard sentences that don’t require critical thinking in order to understand it. Both the card and “Sonnet 43” by Elizabeth Barnett Browning reinforce the passion in the author’s love. For example, in “Sonnet 43″, Browning explains, ” I love thee with the breath/Smiles, tears, of all my life” (Browning lines 12-13). This emphasizes the passion behind the author’s love to the point where she invests her life energy into loving. Similarly, in the greeting card, it says “Because you’re a part/of my favorite memories/as well as my/most important dreams”. In both quotes, the author mentions their personal life and includes love as a part of their priorities. In “Sonnet 43”, there is more repetition with “I love thee” to compare the love, and in the greeting card the repetition is more subtle and indirect to where the author repeats the different reasons why they love.

In both “How Do I Love Thee” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and “Why Do I Love You So Much” gift card, the poems start with a question about the love they have for their significant other. After their question,both writers list their reasons but there’s a bit of a difference. In the poem by Browning, the list consists of how much love they have for their significant other using sophisticated language and hyperbole like “I shall love thee better after death” In the gift card, the list are reasons why the writer loves their partner. The writer also uses exaggeration to emphasize how much love they have saying things like “You’re a part of my favorite memories as well as my most important dreams”  Compared to the words used in “How do I Love Thee” the language used in the gift card poem is a bit more standard and easier to understand. The gift card poem also includes the opening question twice for dramatic effect. 

The sonnet “How Do I Love Thee” and the greeting card “Why do I Love you so much?” speak of love. The sonnet comprises fourteen lines, while the greeting card has eleven lines, and the shortest line, “As well as my,” doesn’t catch the reader’s attention and has four syllables. The greeting card has some repetition, such as “Why Do I Love You So Much?” used twice. The greeting card doesn’t have rhymes, but the sonnet sometimes rhymes. There are a couple of examples of imagery in “How Do I Love Thee,” such as “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height” also “With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath.” In my opinion, I think the greeting card is more prose, while the sonnet is more concise or direct than the greeting card.

The greeting card “Why do I love you so much?” and the Browning sonnet “How do I love thee” have their subject in common, but differ on their elements and literary devices. In “How do I love thee” the author emphasizes the depth of her love using many literary devices to engage and communicate her feelings to the audience, such as imagery, alliteration and simile. The sonnet uses rhymes, a formal language and tone to emphasize what she’s trying to communicate. On the other hand, the card just states the reasons why he/she loves the person, having no tone, rhyme, or any other element to catch the audience’s attention and also having simple language and structure.

while the greeting card lyrics rely on vivid imagery and metaphor to convey the intensity of the speaker’s emotions, the Browning sonnet uses more abstract language to express the speaker’s love. For example, the greeting card lyrics use phrases like “My heart beats a little faster” to evoke physical sensations associated with love, while the Browning sonnet uses phrases like “I love thee with a love I seemed to lose / With my lost saints” to express the speaker’s spiritual connection to their beloved. , while both the greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” explore the theme of love, they differ in their use of poetic elements. The greeting card lyrics utilize rhyme, repetition, and vivid imagery to create a sense of passion and intensity, while the Browning sonnet uses formal structure and abstract language to convey the speaker’s love.

The greeting card lyrics,  “Why Do I Love You So Much?”  and the Browning Sonnet “How do I love thee?” share many similarities in regards to theme and the main point of the poem. Both of these poems explore the theme of bondage and love. However, the author used varying literally elements to express each poem uniquely.  The main poem where most of these elements can be found in significant amounts would be ‘How do I Love Thee”. One literary element i have identified was visual imagery, where the author uses specific language to poetry an idea or feeling to the audience. In contrast to this, “Why do I Love You So Much?” explores a similar route just without as many literary elements implemented within the poem. For instance, according to the poem, it states, ” Why Do I Love You So Much? Because you’re a part of my favorite memories as well as my most important dreams”. This quote is illustrating a clear example of the author using words and feelings in order to convey an emotion within the reader. The words such as “favorite” and “important” relays the message of the poem, which is love/affection to be taken seriously.

The greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” share similarities in their expressions of deep affection and love, but also exhibit differences in their use of poetic elements. In terms of themes, both the poem and the card express deep affection and love towards someone. The Browning sonnet describes a profound love that includes all aspects of life, from the physical to the emotional, while the card speaks of trusting someone deeply and valuing their presence. In terms of poetic elements, both the poem and the card use words and imagery to convey emotions. The Browning sonnet uses vivid imagery such as “depth and breadth and height” and “ends of being and ideal grace” to express the vast and intense love of the teller. The card, on the other hand, uses simpler language, but still demonstrates the view of love through sayings such as “help me through” and “favorite memories.” Overall, the Browning sonnet leans towards a more organized expression of love, while the card has a more casual one.

The greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” are both expressions of love, but they have some key differences. The Browning sonnet is a classic example of Romantic poetry, with its formal structure, iambic pentameter, and rhyming scheme. The language is elevated, using images of nature and divine love to express the depth and breadth of the speaker’s feelings. In contrast, the greeting card lyrics are more casual and conversational, using simple language and repetition to create a rhythmic effect. The main similarity between the two poems is their focus on love and the intensity of emotions that come with it. However, while the Browning sonnet describes love as all-encompassing and eternal, the greeting card lyrics focus on the partner’s support and companionship as the source of their love. Overall, both poems use language and form to convey deep emotion, but in different ways that reflect their respective contexts and purposes.  

Both of these poems are a declaration of love. The authors both describe why they love and how much they love. “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height. My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight” (Browning). This is flowery language and powerful imagery used by the author to describe her love. I can picture how she feels throughout the poem. “Why Do I Love You So Much? Because you’re a part of my favorite memories as well as my most important dreams. (Unknown). This description also makes me visualize that feeling of being had over heels in love. That special person overtakes your every thought, even your dreams. Both of these poems remind me of the cloud 9 phase where the other person can do no wrong. We all know it doesn’t last forever, but it’s great while it lasts.

I was always curious about poetry. I remember in the 5th grade, we had to write a poem and from what I remember, I worked so hard on mine and that my teacher had loved it. But, I definitely forgot how many different types of poems there are, and the week 11 activities really gave me more knowledge. I really enjoyed watching the video in Activity 3 about sonnets, as I was not familiar at all with this type of poem. One of the sonnets I really enjoyed was Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare. The way he talks about his lover’s beauty and praises her and even compares her beauty to a summer day was so beautiful and captivating. Poems can be so diverse, it can be about love, or even about heartbreak, but no matter what it’s written about, the way it’s written and captured is in a way that will grab your attention for sure.

The text on the greeting card “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and the sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” both discuss love, but are very different. The sonnet is composed of its’ standard fourteen lines with ten syllables per line. The text on the greeting card consists of eleven lines with the lines having either five or seven syllables with no specific order making it a mixed up longer haiku; with the exception of the second to last line with four syllables “as well as my.” This quote displays how the greeting card follows no classic poetic structure, and has no meter. The greeting card has some repetition, asking “Why Do I Love You So Much?” twice. The sonnet begins four lines with “I love thee…” which truly adds to how infatuated the narrator is with the person she is describing. The tone in the sonnet is so much more passionate, while the greeting card is more tender. The sonnet rhymes at times, and the greeting card does not rhyme at all. I really enjoy this part of the sonnet that rhymes and contains imagery that captures the strong feelings of the protagonist: “My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need by sun and candlelight I love thee freely, as men strive for right” (Browning lines 3-7)

I would describe greeting card lyrics “Why do I love you so much?” as more lineation as opposed to “How do I love Thee” which was more imagery for me. The lines I “Why do I love you so much?”  had a break at the end of each line which got me into a flow reading this poem almost immediately. How do I love thee had a lot of imagery in the poem from parts talking about their smiles, and tears. To a moment where it feels like their soul can reach. It paints a picture for me in my head going through emotions making me feel connected throughout the poem.  Although I do like the sound of “Why do I love you so much?” a bit more the typical format worked as it felt like a rhyme a little bit. I read each line of the poem as if there was a beat attached to it.

The greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” are both expressions of love and affection, however there are differences between them. In her sonnet, Browning uses figurative and rhetorical devices to create imagery: Personification: “My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight,” “I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.” Simile: “I love thee freely, as men strive for right.” Hyperbole: “I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life Browning uses end-rhyme in her lines: height (3), sight (4), candle-light (6), right (7), use (9), lose (11), choose (13) breath (12), death (14) ways (1), day’s (5), praise (8) Browning’s use of anaphora adds emphasis and rhythm by beginning multiple lines with “I love thee…” In reference to the greeting card, the lines are beautiful but do not create imagery, they simply state the reasons why love is being expressed. There isn’t much of a rhythm other than “Why Do I Love You So Much?” being stated twice. I would describe the greeting card as prose with line breaks and pretty words, where the sonnet is poetry with rhyme and rhythm.

The greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” share some similarities in their themes of love and affection, but they differ in their poetic elements. The Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” is a love poem that expresses the speaker’s love for her partner. The poem uses various poetic elements such as imagery, rhyme, meter, and sound to convey the speaker’s feelings of love. For example, the poem uses imagery to describe how much the speaker loves her partner by saying “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach”. The poem also uses rhyme and meter to create a musical quality that emphasizes the speaker’s love for her partner. On the other hand, the greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” express a similar sentiment of love but do not use as many poetic elements as Browning’s sonnet. The lyrics use simple language to convey the speaker’s feelings of love for their partner.

Both poems “Why Do I Love You So Much?” and “How Do I love Thee?” both express that true love is an all-consuming passion. One is coming more direct to someone and the other poem is just her love for the things going on around her. In text poem “Why Do I Love You So Much?” it says, “Because I trust you more than anyone in the world to listen, to help me through to remind me how to laugh when times are trying”. This greeting card represents the love someone has for somebody else and the way of telling this person is in a greeting card. The other poem “How Do I love Thee?” It says, “I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love you thee with the purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old grief, and with my childhood faith”. Her love for the outside world helps cope with her old grief that sometimes gets in her head at times. Some people express there love in different ways but it’s used the same way.

Both the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee” and the greeting card lyric “Why Do I Love You So Much?” communicate fervent love and devotion, yet they utilize different literary devices. In order to express the speaker’s love, the Browning sonnet adheres to a rigid structure and utilizes formal tone. With words like “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach,” the imagery is mostly metaphorical and visual. The rhyme scheme is also formal, with an ABBA ABBA CDC DCD pattern. In contrast, the words on greeting cards convey affection through cherished memories and experiences by using a conversational tone, particular imagery, and repetition. The phrase “Why Do I Love You So Much?” appears at the start and conclusion of each verse, utilizing repetition in the poem. Less allegorical and more concrete, the imagery refers to familiar situations and recollections, as in the line “to remind me how to laugh / when times are trying”. Despite variances in literary aspects, both pieces portray the overpowering sense of love and the desire to share that love with someone else. The sonnet describes the depth of the speaker’s love using formal language and metaphorical imagery, but the greeting card lyrics communicate love via shared experiences using a conversational tone and repetition.

Comparing these two poems, it can be defined that they are quite different in many ways: Form: “How Do I Love Thee?” includes 14 lines. It is a classical sonnet size, while the card has only 13. Also, according to the video lecture, the shortest lines in the poem should be important and consist of poetry. On the postcard, the shortest line is the following: “as well as my”, which doesn’t make sense, because the shortest line will definitely catch our attention. Rhyme: Elizabeth Barrett Browning uses the abba (ways, height, sight, grace) abba (day’s, candle-light, right, praise) cdcdcd (use, faith, to lose, breath, choose, death) rhyme form. It’s impossible to define the rhyme scheme on this postcard as there are no rhymes there at all. Imagery: there are many examples of imagery in “How Do I Love Thee”, such as “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height”, “With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath”, “I love thee to the level of every day’s”. Also, the author uses other literary devices. Alliteration: “I love thee with the breath”,simile: “I love thee freely, as men strive for right”, hyperbole “I shall but love thee better after death” (here I’m not sure, because maybe she is just  very religious kind of person and has a strong believe the life after death), repetition: “I love thee, I hove thee…”. All these devices create the imagery and make the reader feel more active. Speaking about the card: the author just declares the fact why he loves the person he/she addresses these lines, so they don’t create an imagery effect. There is only one case of repetition here: “Why do I love you so much?”. The subject of these two works is the same. This subject is love. However, […]

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