Extinguish

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: to put an end to; destroy or to render ( a right or obligation ) void

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Found in ” Field Trip to the Museum of Human History ” line 10

I looked up this word as I wanted to help Li Pan, who looked up the accurate definition but that’s the first basic definition of the word. I mean no disrespect to my classmate, I just want to make sure everyone fully understands the word and that it means more than just putting out fires.

part of speech:  verb

definition: Cause (a fire or light) to cease to burn or shine.

Source: Oxford Dictionary

Found in the line 10 on “Field Trip to the Museum of Human History” by Franny Choi

The word “extinguish”  in the stanza means the nightstick stops or destroys the light in people’s eyes . I believe the hidden meaning of the sentence is that it breaks people’s dream, or hope for their future.

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: to put to death, especially by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.

Source: Dictionary.com

Found in “Puerto Rican Obituary” by Ada Limon

“ Proud to belong to a community

of gringos who want them lynched

”lines108/line109

The speaker is being sarcastic in this poem. He is saying that the people of his country always dream about coming to America to fulfil their  dream life even though most of it are fantasies they thought of while in their country; such as living in a community of non-Hispanics. The speaker sarcastically added by saying those people would want to hang them.

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition: offensive to morality or decency; indecent; depraved

Source: Dictionary.com

Found in “Instructions on Not Giving Up” by Ada Limon

“ More than the fuchsia funnels breaking out
of the crabapple tree, more than the neighbor’s
almost obscene display of cherry limbs shoving
their cotton candy-colored blossoms to the slate
sky of Spring rains, it’s the greening of the trees
that really gets to me.” line1/line2/line3/line4/line5/line6

The speaker is saying that more than all those things that he/she listed including the indecent display of the cherry limbs shoving their cotton candy-colored blossoms to the slate sky of Spring rains that may make them feel good, it’s the greening of the trees
that really gets to them; where he/she means its the results of whatever is done that makes them feel better than those things.

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: a small piece of linen, silk, or other fabric, usually square, and used especially for wiping one’s nose, eyes, face, etc., or for decorative purposes.  

Source: Dictionary.com

Found in “Folding My Clothes” by Julia Alvarez

“ my panties strictly packed into the size
of handkerchiefs on which no trace
of tears showed.
” line7/line8/line9

The speaker is using handkerchief as a reference to size, by referring to something small.

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: any bulbous plant belonging to the genus Narcissus, of the amaryllis family, having showy yellow or white flowers with a cup-shaped corona.

Source: Dictionary.com

Found in “Persephone, Falling” by Rita Dove

“ One narcissus among the ordinary beautiful
flowers, one unlike all the others!  She pulled,
” line1/line2

The speaker is saying this specific flower stood out among the other ordinary ones of the same kind that was pulled.

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: The action or fact of resurrecting or being resurrected.(in Christian belief) the rising of the dead at the Last Judgment.

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Found In: “Not a Mile” By Andrew Grace

“Not a mile from where my students show me outlines of what they are trying to say about resurrection, one of the men pulls a phone out of his mesh shorts and call Columbus”.

I feel resurrection was used to describe the men who were being brung back to consciousness by the Narcan. The word resurrection was used in its original context.

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: The use of a word referring to or replacing a word used earlier in a sentence, to avoid repetition, such as do in I like it and so do they.

Source: Webster Dictionary

Found In: “Not a Mile” By Andrew Grace

“My students are sincerely trying to analyze death: its cadence and anaphora, its German origins. Line 21-23

Anaphora has nothing to do with death so the speaker is using figurative language to try and paint a picture in the readers head. I guess he is trying to explain how often death occurs.