Category: Final Draft Exp (Page 1 of 2)

Patricia Vitebsky

Professor Scanlan

English 1121

In the poem “New York Subway” written by Hilda Morely the author shows how people show their generosity. This is shown by the person who gives up his seat or simply by people helping each other onto the subway. It shows happiness in the teenagers talking and playing music. It shows culture and how people come together as a city. The author shows the beauty by using explication to describe the subway on a Saturday evening. The author explains the good deeds people do for each other, like holding the door for people who are slower. She shows how happy people are by expressing how they’re  laughing and joking around. Other people are more serious. The author believes in kindness and that the little things can make someone’s day. “The beauty of people in the subway that evening, Saturday, holding the door for whomever was slower”. Helping each other should be in our culture as well as making others smile. Morely uses explication to describe the environment she sees in the subway. She describes the type of people who ride on the subway on saturday evening from the way they look to the way they act.

The author ends the story with “learning from us what we learn from each other” this shows that she wants people to learn from the kindness others give and that will help us all come together as a city. Helping each other is a sign of respect and goodness that will most likely be returned to you. I think that the author is trying to make the first step into changing the mindsets of New Yorkers for the better.

E

Brendan Gonzalez

 Poetry Explication

 Professor Scanlan

                                                     The Road Not Taken 

In the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost the speaker goes right into decision making, choosing a road. As you read this poem Frost gives you the feeling of deciding between two ways to go in life which could be very hard thing to do for anybody. Going down the wrong road could literally cost you a life time and that’s something you can’t get back no matter what and you’ll only get to look back down that road and reminisce on why you took that certain road and don’t regret it or be upset with it because you can’t go back on that decision that’s life. Frost does a great job at giving you a feeling of the roads that were walked on by others but most importantly he really paints a picture in your head of the roads and what it would look like, “ two roads diverged in a yellow wood” I feel everybody sees that picture right away and it pops up in your head vividly on what it may look like. 

The two lines I decided to explicate from “The Road Not Taken” are in the last stanza the first two lines, “I shall be telling this with a sigh” and “Somewhere ages and ages hence”. The reason I decided on these two lines are one, I feel line one is a feeling of regret “I shall be telling this with a sigh” when you see the word sigh or someone sign two ideas comes to mind. One, a sigh of sadness and that’s what came to my mind first before anything else when I’m sad or have something on my mind I’ll let a sigh out in this case his sigh sounds like regret he’s going to tell you this with a sigh of regret. The second way you can take this sigh could be a sigh of relief a chance to look back on the decision made and be happy it went the way it did down the road. You can take it either way you want both ideas are good ideas to go with. Line two “Somewhere ages and ages hence” when he say this line I see someone down the line looking back at everything years from when that big decision was mad to take either road going left or right and really stick to it and walk down that path and reflect on how it went for you. 

Within our lives we will need to make a choice that you’ll probably only get to make once and it’s up to you to look down that each road left and right to see which one will do you best down in life. Once that choice is made and you walked that path for a while we will all look back and see how it went for us many will have that sigh of relief and be proud of that choice, while many are going to have that sigh of sadness and regret it all years down the line and all you’ll be able to do is look back and regret.

 Whitney Dale

Homework for Explication

ENG 1121 (Prof. Scanlan)

March 23, 2020

    “New York Subway” is a poem written by Hilda Morley. Reading the poem, Morley uses the symbol of kindness towards good actions. I will explicate a few lines in the poem, it will show you how the symbol of kindness can make another person day. Also as I read the poem, I saw how explication and enjambment was used as she describes what’s around her. She went in depth on who was down there and what was going on in the subway as she was going about her day. As she wrote her poem you can see how each line wouldn’t stop at the end but it will continue to the next line which why I say enjambment was use in the poem.

     On that Saturday evening, Morley describes the types of people that was riding the subway such as high schooler or office women’s. Also, she mentioned the actions that was going on in the station for one another. “The beauty of people in the subway that evening, Saturday, holding the door for whoever”. She explains how people holding the door for someone rushing for the train or giving up your seat for an elderly person are good deeds and she also telling readers that we can also learn to preform good act from each other. Everyday people face many choices in life in which deciding on doing a good deed, whether it’s a life changing situation or just for the moment. As we continue to help one another out of kindness, the choices we make can encourage others.

     Whether we know it or not the New York subways isn’t just a place to go where you need to but a place where we meet new people and learn from one another as you go. As strangers to one another we can all lend out a helping hand as we all come together. As people we perform the act of kindness because it’s the nature of us humans. Hilda Morley poem can open your eyes to the little things that may not seem all that big as a symbol of kindness.

Erica Kremer
Professor Scanlan
ENG1121
04/19/20
My Explication on a Portion of “The Taxi” by Amy Lowell
In the poem, “The Taxi” by Amy Lowell, a person describes their deep love for another individual, and the essence of their separation. The speaker uses a variety of figuartive language in order to portray the pain of her lover not being by her side. The use of simile, imagery, and juxtaposition has all been shown in order to cast the authors idea that without her lover by her side, “her world is dead”. A line that stood out, and gave away the meaning like no other is the two lines ending the poem: “Why should I leave you, to wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night”? These two lines not only encapsulate the meaning of the poem perfectly, but they leave the reader wondering why there is a choice of leaving her lover.
In the first line of the ending sentences; “Why should I leave you”, the author brings together the many questions asked throughout the poem. She describes her deep set connection to her lover, and the way that she is contemplating their separation. It seems like distance is the thing that seperates them, as the poem points at “streets coming fast, one after another”, along with “…lamps of the city prick my eyes, so that I can no longer see your face”. With these lines from the poem, the title “The Taxi” is also an indication of the lovers separation, as a taxi is taken to get from one place to another, along with its “alone in the city” sense. The reason these lines have been mentioned is due to the fact that “Why should I leave you” wraps the whole meaning together. The author questions why she should leave her lover, as it would cause her nothing but pain; but the author indicates that it isn’t a choice, and distance is what separates them. Her questioning herself ties together the idea that their love is meant to be; and if they’re not together, she is not whole. She wonders to herself, if she has to leave her lover, and if it is worth the pain; if the distance is worth it. From there, curiosity can stir, like why they need to seperate, and what is the distance separating them?
The last line, “ to wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night” ties the whole dynamic of the poem. The author shows that leaving her lover causes her pain, with the use of imagery and juxtaposition, by using an unreachable object, such as “the night” and giving it life. This use is shown throughout the poem; such as “the world beats dead”, “ridges of the wind”, and “lamps of the city prick my eyes”. She personifies objects such as wind, lamps, and the world, and turns them into significant factors of her pain. The sharp edges of the night describe how she is wounded by the city, and it’s loneliness at night. It is full of happiness and busy during the day, and quiet at night. The author is pained by the future/present separation of her lover, and expresses it with figurative language.
“The Taxi” by Amy Lowell uses many forms of figurative language that show her pain when she is separated from her lover. There are many hidden messages, uses of language, and different ideas used in this poem. It can be interpreted in many ways, but in the end, her pain is increasing, while the city gets eerier. The taxi, driving away on the road, is the separation of two people in love.

Feston Joseph

4/6/20

Eng 1121

Professor Sean Scanlan

In Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” the poem has a focus on choices that the author made and how he has regret but he looks like he has some appreciation for the choices at the same time.One line that emphasizes this is “Two roads diverge in a yellow wood”This shows that there are two choices that are laid out before him and this shows that there is a feeling of confusion.This shows that no matter where people go on their journey in life they always have choices and it is up to the individual to make the decision that is fitting to them.The “two roads” show that there are two directions in which one could lead to a pleasurable outcome and the other path could lead to something bad.This shows that whatever choice you make it could take you down a path that you would be satisfied with or regret.

The other line that shows this is “that has made all the difference”.This shows that when the author chose a road he implies that he went down a path that he didn’t explain and there is only room for us to assume how he felt about the path he took.In the line the phrase “the difference” could be for good or bad and there could have been a positive change or negative change.The narrator does not explain what occurred between the time he took the path to where he is at now but he does show that there was a difference.This alludes to the point that any choice that you make could benefit you or harm you and it is your choice and what you do from that point forward that makes your future and the other choices you make as well.

The “two roads” show that there are choices that are presented before us and it is up to us to make the choice and face the results of that choice.At the end of the poem the narrator reflected on his choice and how it made the difference.This shows that when we make a choice we have to reflect on the choice and think on if it was for the good or the bad.This shows that the choices that you make could make a difference.This shows that actions that people take could effect them further down the road and could lead them to a comfortable space that they feel accomplished or a non pleasant space where they don”t experience the success that they would love to have.

It is up to the individual to make a lifestyle for themselves and do what they think is right for them.The message in this poem is about choice and how you could use that to benefit you or not.Another thing that is important is difference.Did the choice you made make a positive difference or a negative difference.It shows that you have to think before you choose and think about the long term effect that choice could have on your other choices later on.This is also about reflection on the idea that whatever choice you make that choice will stick with you and the only thing that you probably would have to do is to think about what your lifestyle is like because of the decisions you made and how they carry a lasting effect on you.

Humaiya Sawda
English 1121
Professor Scanlan
April 10, 2020
My Explication of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

In the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, The poem opens on an individual, the speaker, and protagonist, who have met an intersection that he is voyaging. The road offers the speaker a selection of streets, and we immediately come to comprehend that these streets symbolize decision all in all: all of us arrive at endless byways of our lives, and we need to settle on decisions dependent on what restricted data we have around then. The speaker remains in the forested areas, thinking about an obstacle on the road. I believe two lines in this poem that hold the most significance are And having perhaps the better claim because it was grassy and wanted wear; though as for that the passing there had worn them really about the same.” In this part, he mentions the outcome of his decision. After unraveling these two sentences, there will be a couple different ways of its significance.

In the first line, Frost suggests “And having perhaps the better claim because it was grassy and wanted wear.” This line shows, assuming that it might even be the better alternative of the two, since it is verdant and looks less worn than the other way. The speaker is indicating that one path looked “grassier” than the other path. Using symbolism, he is representing the grass as the better path. Also, using imagery he is showing the readers two different paths, one better being than the other. At this point, the speaker has not finalized their decision yet but is really close to taking that better path. I feel this specific part of the poem resembles a part of everyone’s lives. We constantly need to make decisions on a regular basis. We also all have a moment in life where we feel stuck, but we must choose one “path” over the other in order to continue.

In the following line, Frost states “Though as for that the passing there had worn them really about the same”. Here, he is indicating, however, since the speaker has really strolled on the subsequent street, the person believes that as a general rule the two streets more likely than not been pretty much similarly worn-in. At this point the speaker has already made their choice. After making the choice, they felt that the other path could have provided them with more opportunities. So the speaker, similar to anybody confronted with a decision, must settle on a decision, yet can’t realize that enough will generally be certain which decision is the correct one.

These two lines both share many connotations and denotations. For example, the denotation for the word wear is to use habitually for clothing, adornment, or assistance and it can also mean to hold the rank or dignity or position signified by. This word has both a positive and negative connotation. It is positive because this can be used to signify a good action such as wearing a crown. It is negative because it can also mean energy wasted gradually. For example I am worn out from all the work today. Another example is the word grassy. Grass is green and the color green can resemble many things. Green, the color of life, restoration, nature, and vitality, is related with implications of development, concordance, newness, security, fruitfulness, and condition. Green is additionally customarily connected with cash, funds, banking, desire, insatiability, and envy. This can be a positive and negative connotation. But, in this case it is better because the speaker went with better path. One more example is the word claim. This can have a positive and negative connotation. The denotation for it is an assertion of the truth of something, typically one that is disputed or in doubt.

At the point when the two lines consolidate, it sets the entire tone of the poem. It permits the audience to get a handle on the genuine importance and subject that Robert Frost needs the audience to comprehend. The symbolism and imagery inside the poem sets the point over. Throughout everyday life, a choice must be made. The choice must be settled on completely as any choice is made.

Jennifer Zheng

English 1121

Essay 2- Poetry Explication

April 19, 2020

Explication of Two lines from “The Taxi” by Amy Lowell

In the poem, “The Taxi,” by Amy Lowell, was written in the first-person point of view as the speaker describes itself being driven away from their beloved ones. Lowell hasn’t once mentioned anywhere in the poem about a taxi beside the title but makes the reader assume that the speaker is indeed inside the taxi with the descriptions provided. This blank verse poem gives off the impression of a city and a loss with an anguished tone. I will explicate the two lines towards the middle of the poem: ” I call out for you against the jutted stars/And shout into the ridges of the wind.” Although there are many lines used to develop the concept in the poem, I explicate these two lines because to me, it appears to be the start where the speaker’s emotion begins to crash. These two lines specifically represent the poem terms of imagery, connotation and denotation, symbolism, assonance, and enjambment.

In the first line, “I call out for you against the jutted stars,” Amy Lowell provides a great vision to the reader. Using imagery, she portrays a picture of someone calling upon the stars. The connotation of “stars” suggests the setting of a dark night in the city, importance, dignity and/or hope. Proceeding deeper into the “jutted stars”, the word “jutted” denotes something sticking out or extending beyond the main body or line. Perhaps it also infers the “stars” as a threat: sharp, pointy, knife-like, in other words interpreting the night as having “sharp edges,” which repeats the last line of the poem, “upon the sharp edges of the night.” There is also a sense of the speaker being overwhelmed as it “calls out” into the dark night sky with no one but deadly stars to listen to its broken heart. Furthermore, the “stars” also symbolizes a big change or turning point in a person’s life, but they are also seen as a sign of sorrow. Lowell didn’t directly say the speaker is in pain but shows it in the images of sharpness to expose the pain of that night.

 The following line, “And shout into the ridges of the wind,” describes the speaker revealing its pain. The word “shout” denotes a loud call or cry; an expression of strong emotion to be heard through the ridges of the wind. The “wind” symbolizes the natural movement of air. It can also imply a gale; an uproar storm. There is assonance of the repeated “I” vowel sound in “ridges” and “wind”, emphasizing the speaker screaming as the wind’s roars, preventing her cries to be heard. The reader can visualize the scent, sound, feeling, or taste as Lowell uses one of the five senses into imagery as the wind rushes through the speaker at the peak. 

 There is also an enjambment show between the words, “stars” and “And”, completing a full sentence when both lines are combined. There is consonance found in the S’s of ‘stars’ and ‘shout’, both ‘stars’ and ‘shout’ are words that apply to be seen and heard which the speaker was incapable of doing as its being driven away. Assonance is found in ‘out’ and ‘shout’ within the letter o. Lowell uses nature in her poem as a reference to create a sharper image to express the suffering the speaker feels, as it departed from its lover. 

The louder it cries for its lover, the more faraway it is and the more grief it feels inside. The speaker goes back to the last line of the poem and questions why it should leave its lover “to wound itself upon the sharp edges of the night”. Not understanding why she must be torture for loving who she loves dearly. The poem simply explicates that life without its lover is depressing.

(629)

Alexis Gonzalez

Essay 2

English 1121 (Prof. Scanlan)

April 19th,  2020

Explication of “The Taxi” by Amy Lowell

In the blank verse poem The Taxi by Amy Lowell, the speaker expresses the pain of having to separate from a loved one. The speaker emphasizes the struggle of having to be apart from the one they love, through imagery, connotation, denotation, symbolism, and several other figurative languages. Through a sad tone the speaker describes the suffering that comes through the departure. I will explicate line 4 “I call out for you against the jutted stars” and line 12 “To wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night?”. I choose line 4 and line 12 to explicate because these two lines could convey the whole of the poem through the use of negative diction. Where it helps to convey the speaker’s emotions.

In line 4 and 12 the speaker use of imagery helps express the pain and sorrow through the use of the words such as “jutted”, “wound”, and “sharp”. Using the word “jutted” is a good example of imagery as the word’s meaning is to be stricken. This can be perceived as a person who is crying or in pain as there watching a loved one leave or as they are leaving themselves. The use of the word “wounded” is in fact an example of imagery as the word is defined to be injured. This can be observed as the amount of pain inflicted to the person as the distance between each other increases. Last, the use of the word “sharp” is an example of imagery, as it signifies a fine point that can be used for cutting or piercing. This can be seen as the person feeling as though they are in physical pain because of their emotions.

The pain and anguish the speaker expresses in line 4 and 12 are examples of the use of the literary device symbolism. As the speaker uses the words “Star” and “night” to help emphasize their sorrow, that is caused by having to depart from their loved one. Using the word “star” is to represent the loved person by figuratively linking the person to the stars she is relating the feelings of losing someone to being apart from them. Also, describes how massive their love is as it shines and calls the speaker attention comparing their love toward its. As stars are known to symbolize a person, whom someone may have lost. Using the word “night” is defined as a condition or period reminiscent of darkness. The night is frequently symbolized as being depressing, lonely, and empty. Through the journey of leaving, the speaker expresses the massive emptiness that is encompassing and constantly inflicting emotional pain on the speaker.

Therefore, in Amy Lowell’s blank verse poem “The Taxi” the speaker dwells upon the pain they are feeling because of departing from their beloved. Through the use of the literary devices of imagery, connotation, denotation and symbolism, the speaker stresses the trouble of not being able to be with the person they love. In addition, the speaker use of a depressive tone stresses the struggle that comes with leaving behind their lover. In the explications of line 4 “I call out for you against the jutted stars” and line 12 “To wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night?”. It can be seen that the speaker is crying out to no avail. I explicate the importance of the words “jutted”, “stars”, “sharp” and “night” that have a negative diction and helps describes the struggle. In fact, the speaker’s choice of wording helps shape and expand on the emotion of the speaker’s experiences through the whole of the poem.

Ibrahim Mfosah

Essay #2: Explication

English 1121(Prof. Scalan)

April 19th, 2020

Explication: “The Bridge”

Hart Crane’s poem “The Bridge,”(350) is a formal poem. It has eleven stanzas, and forty-four lines. The poem is a visual depiction of American life, using the Brooklyn Bridge as the centerpiece, or center image. The poet is painting a picture of Brooklyn at, or along the east river. Two lines from the fifth stanza really intrigues me. Line sixteen, and line seventeen are the first two lines of the fifth stanza. Picking those two lines from the poem, I will explicate them, and break them down as much as I can. The lines are, “Out of some subway scuttle, cell or loft/A bedlamite speeds to thy parapets.” These lines talk about, in a literal context, a lunatic moving around on a subway. 

Looking at the first line, “Out of some subway scuttle, cell or loft,” the meaning of the line can be found by looking at the denotation and connotations of the words. First word is “subway” which in the denotation means an underground railway. The connotation for this word is an underground route for pipes, sewers, etc. The common thing between these two meanings is that both refer to something underground, or below grade. The next word is “scuttle” which the denotation is, a container like an open bucket(usually for carrying coal). The connotation means, a small hatch or opening that provides access to the roof from the interior of a building. In the line the poet uses literary devices of assonance, alliteration, and consonance. An example of assonance in the first line is,  “Out Of sOme sUbway scUttle, cell Or lOft.” In the same line there is also evidence of alliteration as shown, “ out of Some Subway Scuttle, cell or loft.” 

Subway as commonly known is a means of transportation on a train running underground. A train is a carrier, which in this city carries millions of people to their destinations. So in this case, it could mean any of the New York City sewer systems which carries waste away from the city. Since New York City subway cars do not have scuttles, it is fair to conclude that whichever person came out of that place, was coming out of a sewer hole. As commonly known, not everything that comes out sewers are good. 

On to the second line, “A bedlamite speeds to thy parapets,” two words stand out. “Bedlamite” and “parapets.” Denotation of bedlamite is a lunatic, or a madman.The denotation for parapet as commonly known is a perimeter wall that extends above the roof. The second line does not have much of a sound devices evident, as is in the line sixteen. There is rather an example of assonance in the line. The example being, “A bEdlAmItE spEEds to thy pArApEts.” 

Linking this to the first line, it makes sense that maybe, a lunatic would emerge from the sewers, because that would be where he or she dwells. This may also have a completely different meaning, as many poems do. The explications above are the meanings I deduced in my opinion.   

(527 words)

Raysi Perez

Poetry Explication

English 1121 (Prof. Scanlan)

April 19, 2020

Explication of “Immigrant Mother (lovely to me)”

The poem “Immigrant Mother (lovely to me),” by Taiyo Na is a very long formal verse poem and it is also a song that Na wrote. In the poem, Na is thanking his mother for everything she has done for her children. How she went through a lot to make sure that her kids had food and a good education. How she started dating horrible men because she felt like she had nobody. How she worked all the time and barely had any time for herself. While trying to take care of her kids she had to communicate with people and since she didn’t know much English, she struggled to speak to many people. The two lines in the first stanza of the poem “It takes a whole lot to leave your homeland / And raise a few children with your own hands,” show how the mother went through a lot to take care of her children. The poetry terms that these two lines show are denotation, connotation, assonance, consonance, and enjambment. 

In the first line, “It takes a whole lot to leave your homeland,” Na shows the readers how his mother had to leave her homeland. The tone in this line is sad. Na is showing the readers how it was very difficult for her to leave, especially when it is her homeland, a place where she most likely had friends and family who loved her and who she loved. The word “leave” means to go away, and it can be a good or a bad thing, but in this line, “leave” connotes a bad time. A sad and hard time where she had to leave a lot of things behind and start a new life somewhere else. The word “homeland” is someone’s native land. In this line, “homeland” connotes love. A place where she was happy and loved. Assonance and consonance are being used in this line. Assonance is found in the words “whole” and “homeland,” repeating the sound “oh.” Consonance is found in the letter “L,” using the words “whole,” “lot,” “leave,” and “homeland.” 

In the second line, “And raise a few children with your own hands,” Na shows the readers how his mother had to take care of her children all by herself. The tone in this line is lonely. Na is showing the readers that she was all alone while taking care of her children and how she didn’t have anyone to help her. The word “raise” means to take care of. In this line, “raise” connotes challenge. it must be very difficult to take care of children alone. The word “children” means someone’s daughter or son. In this line, “children” connotes challenge. It’s very hard to take care of children all alone. Assonance and consonance are being used in this line. Assonance is found in the words “takes” and “raise,” repeating the sound “a.” Consonance is found in the letter “s,” using the words “raise” and “hands.”

When both lines are combined, an enjambment is shown in between the words “Homeland” and “And.” It shows how there is a continuation of the first line to the second line. In these two lines, Na shows the readers that his mother had to leave her native land to take care of her children all by herself. The tone in these two lines is sad and lonely. It shows how she had to leave everything and everyone she loved behind. It also shows how much she had to do in order to take care of her children and how difficult and lonely it was for her to do that since she had to do everything all by herself with no one to help. 

(Word Count: 615)