Bequeath
Part of speech: Transitive verb
Definition : to give or leave by will- used especially of personal property
Source: Merriam- Webster
Found in the poem , “Our Jailer” by W.S Merwin, line 13
Knowing the definition of the word ” Bequeath”, it helps shows the difference amongst the people in the cell and how they interact with the trap and their findings.
Hi everyone,
I found the directions for how to add an image to blog posts. There is a new feature that was added since I wrote the directions for this assignment. It’s actually really easy to add the alternate text and doesn’t involve using the text box at all. When you click on Add Media, you’ll see a menu on the right hand side of the screen. If you scroll down, you’ll see there’s a place to add Alt Text–put in the title and author of the poem you’re righting about here and you’re all done. Then click Update. Very easy. Here’s a screenshot:
If you forget to add the Alt Text, that’s when you’ll see that giant text box. If that happens, you can click on this link from OpenLab which shows exactly what to do with the giant Alt Text box and then how to delete it. Click on the bold where it says WP Accessibility for step-by-step directions.
I will demonstrate how to do this on Wednesday now that I understand it.
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/blog/help/wp-accessibility-plugin/
Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: Investigate; To look into.
Definition: Source: Oxford Dictionary
Found in the Poem, “My Boy Willie” by Anonymous, Line 12: “That I might enquire for my sailor boy”
The definition of the word “Enquire” was used as the speaker was looking for the sailor and instead of inquire they used “Enquire”. Could mean that the speaker can’t find him or wants to know something about him.
You may already know the term ballad in relation to music. A ballad in music is a slow song that conveys a lot of emotion. The musical term ballad comes from the poetic form ballad, a poem that tells a story.
Typical features of a ballad:
Today’s class goal: to explore the similarities and differences between Anonymous’s “My Boy Willie” and Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool.”
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: The complete loss or absence of hope.
Source: Oxford Dictionary
Found in “My Boy Willie” by anonymous line 26
“Despair” indicates that the speaker not only feels sad, but also feels hopeless. The future without her boy is not worth her looking forward to it.
Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: to wait somewhere secretly, especially because you are going to do something bad or illegal
Source: Oxford Dictionary
Found in “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks line 3
The word “lurk” in the poem means “we” secretly do bad tihngs until very late. And this makes “us” look cool.
Mainmast
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: The principle mast of a ship, typically the second mast in a sailing ship of three or more masts.
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Found in ” My Boy Willie ” Line 35
Looking up the definition of mainmast helped me understand the passage. I had never seen the word before, so at first I looked at and said to myself: ” What in the world is this ?”
Wrung
Part of Speech: Past tense and participle of the word Wring which is a verb
Definition: To squeeze (someone’s hand) tightly, with sincere emotion
Source: Oxford Dictionary
Found in the Ballad, “My Boy Willie” by Anonymous – Line 25: “She wrung her hand and she tore her hair”
The definition of the word wrung allowed me to figure out what Line 25 meant. Although, the speaker was feeling hopeful in finding her lover she ends up finding out that he had drowned. When the speaker found out the bad news, “She wrung her hands and she tore her hair.” In other words, the speaker lost all hope she had within in searching for husband leaving her heartbroken that she reacted in such a way. She grabbed her own hands with sincere emotion possibly the way her lover would hold hers for comfort.
The poems we’re reading today, William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow,” ” This Is Just to Say” and Amy Lowell’s “Aliens” are examples of imagist poetry.
What is imagism? According to the Poetry Foundation’s website it is “an early 20-th century poetic movement that relied on the resonance of concrete images drawn in precise, colloquial language rather than traditional poetic diction and meter.”
Amy Lowell’s criteria for imagist poetry was based on six specific principles:
“1. To use the language of common speech. . . .
2. To create new rhythms. . . .
3. To allow absolute freedom in the choice of subject. . . .
4. To present an image. . . .
5. To produce poetry that is hard and clear, never blurred nor indefinite.
6. Finally, most of us believe that concentration is of the very essence of poetry.”
Another way for us to think about imagist poems is to ask ourselves, what do imagist poems not do? What don’t they focus on? What is it like for us as readers to read these poems? Are they satisfying–why or why not?
Here are the directions for Blog Post #1, which must be posted on Open Lab by Monday, October 29th at 10 am:
Blog Post #1 poetry in motion
The OpenLab is an open-source, digital platform designed to support teaching and learning at City Tech (New York City College of Technology), and to promote student and faculty engagement in the intellectual and social life of the college community.
