ENG2003-1248               Prof Rosen              Essay# 2

TORNADOS BY THYLIAS MOSS

Glossary: Words and Definition

Jitterbug- a jazz variation of the two steps in which couples swing, balance and twirl in standardized patterns and often with vigorous acrobatics

Philharmonic- symphony orchestra

Wrath- strong vengeful anger or indignation

Bouffant- having a full and round shape

Roulette- something involved a high degree of chance and unpredictability

Annotations

 “Tornadoes”

Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms spawned from powerful thunderstorms; tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in second.  A tornado appears rotating, funnel shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds. Tornadoes they may strike quickly with little or no warning.  They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel. The averages tornado moves southwest to northeast but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction. (1) Tornadoes come from the energy released in the thunderstorm.  As powerful as they are tornadoes account for only a tiny fraction of the energy in a thunderstorm. What makes them dangerous is their energy is concentrated in a small area perhaps only a hundred years across. (2)

“Tornado Alley”

Tornado alley is a nickname in the popular media from swath of relatively high tornado occurrences in the central U.S. it occur almost anywhere in the U.S. including west of the Rockies Mountain and the east of the Appalachians Mountain. (3)  But science of this kind is challenging, for tornadoes resist analysis, and creative computer models can take researchers only so far. The tornado has become the black hole of meteorology. (4) Tornadoes in this region typically happen in late spring and occasionally the early fall. The Gulf Coast area has a separate tornado maximum nicknamed “Dixie Alley” with a relatively high frequency of tornadoes occurring in the late fall (October through December). (5)

Explication

            The poem that I would be explication is Tornados by Thylias Moss the way this poem is that it has a rhythm. The poem makes a connection between herself and the tornado.  She has different ways she makes reference of herself and the tornado what they do.  She makes it in a positive ways because the way it moves like a jitterbug.  Also philharmonic it’s like orchestra like the sound like music and tornado.  The rhythm is the motion that tornado does when it on land.  The tornado does not stay still it move around and destroy whatever it in their way.

“Trust is, I envy them/not because they dance; I out jitterbug them/as I’m shuttled though and though legs/strong as looms, weaving time.” (lines 1-4)  That part of the poem is about her envy the tornado but she doesn’t want to say what is she really envy.  But she makes the description about the tornado in the way it dances.  Jitterbug is a jazz move that has different ways that tornado and a person would move.  The rhythm of the motions. She also made the comparison with the looms you have the needle moving to weaving a sweater.  But the only thing is that a looms stay in one place because the people have it in their hand or if a machine it stay in place. Tornado moves all over the place they can go to the left or right or go any direction.

They/do black more justice than I, frenzy/of conductor of philharmonic and electricity hair/on end, result of the charge when horns and stringers release the pent up Beethoven and Mozart. Ions played//instead of notes. (lines 4-9) She is talking about the tornado doing more justice because they are very dangers and they would destroy anything that right next to them.  Also that tornado has a rhythm that it’s like playing in an orchestra.  She makes a reference to Beethoven and Mozart because of their musical rhythm because they music is an uncontrolled wild excitement. The ways their music sound their hair are electricity.

The movement/is not wrath, not hormone swarm because/ I saw my first forming above the church a surrogate/steeple. (lines 9-12) The morning of my first baptism and/salvation already tangible, funnel for the spirit/coming into me without losing a drop, my black/guardian angel come to rescue me before all the words//get out, I looked over Jordan and what did I see coming for/to carry me home.(lines 12-17) this part of the poem is mainly is about she is being in church and she happy to be there and all of that she feel the spirit and getting baptism. And suddenly her friend came to help her because of the tornado was coming to the community. When a tornado come to the community nobody is save.  That tornado would come and destroy everything in sight.

Regarez, it all comes back, even the first/grade French, when the tornado stirs up the past, bewitched spoon/lost in its own spin, like a roulette wheel that won’t/ be steered, like the world. (Lines 17- 20) The poem is representing in this lines are that she remember in first grade that tornado came by and just steered everything up and she compare it to a roulette like a gamble you don’t know what going to happen and what direction the tornado is going.  That day was an unpredictability day for storm.

They drove me underground, /tornado watches and warnings, atomic bomb drills. Adult/storms so I had to leave the room. (Lines 20-22)  After that situation everybody wanted to be more prepare for the next one and don’t want to be off guard for the next time it happens again.  Her teacher and her parents are probably drilling their children to survive from this danger storm. It mainly happen in west of the Rockies Mountain and the east of the Appalachians Mountain.

Truth is//the tornado is a nappy curl, tightly wound,/spinning wildly when I try to tamper with its nature, shunning/ the hot comb and pressing oil even though if absolutely straight/I’d have the longest hair in the world. (Lines 22-26) In this one she compare this lines to herself because the way the tornado looks and her hair but if she straight out her hair it would be long because when your hair is curly it curl up and its looks shorter.  But when you straight out your hair it looks flat and when the storm is over you don’t see the tornado curl or it destroy the community.  She talks about her having curly hair likes the tornado. She compare her hair to the way the tornado looks wild and curly and out of control.

Bouffant tornadic/crown taking the royal path on a trip to town, stroll down/Tornado Alley where it intersects Memory Lane. Smoky spirit-/clouds, shadows searching for what cast them. (Lines 26-29)  Where she grew up, she probably had a lot of tornado watch. Where ever she goes she knows that where the tornado happen the most common place where it happens a lot.  When she past be to that place where the tornado happen she just remember the way the sky looked and what was happen and it’s a very powerful storm.  You can’t control it go on its own. You just have to be prepared and be alert. She also wonders how it happens and why do it happen. Sciences know what happen but can’t stop it because it created from earth natural calling.

I wanted to add a video to my essay that represents this essay its call twister movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKSIdx11DnE.  It’s a clip what happen when the tornado is coming and they are warning people and trying to save of the tornado.

Work Cities

Glossary:   www.merrian-webster.com

(1)    FEMA: www.ready.gov/tornadoes

(2)  http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/faq/faq_tor.php

(3)  Edwards, Roger (2009-12-31). “What is Tornado Alley?”. The Online Tornado FAQ. Storm       Prediction Center.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/index.html#alley1. Retrieved 2010-02-21.

(4) Priit J. Vesilind: Republished from the pages of National Geographic magazine

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/chasing-tornadoes/#page=3

(5) U.S. Tornado Climatology: National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, North Carolina                             Updated 7 March 2012                       http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/tornadoes.html

Meyer, Michael. “Tornados by Thylinas Moss.” Poetry: An Introduction. 6^th ed. Boston MA:        Bedford/St Martins, 2010. 239. Print

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” Robert Frost

Definitions

1. Queer (line 5) – adj- questionable or strange

2. Sweep (line 11) – verb- to touch in passing with a swift continuous movement

3. Downy (line 12) – adj- soft, soothing

Annotations

#1- Theme of nature and farms – Many of Frost’s poems focus on the themes of nature and farms. Even though he grew up in the city, he lived on a farm in Derry, New Hampshire for 9 years after marrying. After farming proved to be an unsuccessful venture, he sold the farm but purchased another in New Hampshire in 1915. Frost preferred the rural life and many of his greatest works were written when he lived on his farm. It is easy to see the effect this had on his poems as much of them focus on attraction to nature, its beauty, and the allure of country life. This poem was written on his farm in Derry, after staying up all night on his collection of poems New Hampshire.

#2- The darkest evening of the year – The darkest night of the year would be the night before the Winter Solstice – December 21. The fact that the setting of the poem is on this night adds a very profound effect to the poem. It is snowing, the speaker is in the middle of the woods, and it is the darkest night of the year but he is still stopping to admire the quiet, the fall of snow, the darkness of the woods, and the beauty of nature in general. This speaks volumes of the beauty of nature and the man’s love for it.

Explication

Along with “Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood’, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”  is perhaps Robert Frost’s most famous work. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” has been analyzed and studied in Literature classes of all levels. It is written in iambic tetrameter with a rhyme scheme of AABA BBCB CCDC DDDD. Even though the words used are simple, the smooth flow of the chain rhyme from one stanza to the next gives the poem a very memorable sound and makes it very simple to understand. As with many of Frost’s poem, it addresses the common theme of the beauty of nature. In the poem, the speaker is in the middle of a journey when he decides in the middle of the woods to admire the snowfall and contemplate nature’s beauty. After an unknown period of time, he remembers his journey and obligations that need to be fulfilled and continues moving.

In the first stanza, the speaker stops in the middle of foreign woods to admire the snowfall. The image painted throughout the poem is that of a working man in the middle of a journey who is drawn by the allure of nature in the middle of these woods. He wonders whose woods he is stopping in, as if he fears reprimand or reproach for trespassing.  Perhaps he is also thinking about how strange it would seem to the owner of these woods that he is stopping without permission merely to watch it snow. Author Frank Bernard of The Explicator suggests in his explication of Frost’s poem that perhaps the speaker fears reprimand for stopping while he has a journey to continue and that society would frown on this “unmanly” introspection in the middle of someone else’s woods in the middle of winter when there is work to do (Bernard 43).

In the second and third stanzas, the speaker continues to ponder his hesitation in the middle of these woods. He wonders what his horse might think of their stop without any visible reason for doing so. They are “between the woods and frozen lake”, a place where stopping is dangerous on a cold winter night. There is no farmhouse close by, so they aren’t stopping for shelter or supplies. It is as if he is projecting his own feelings onto the horse. He knows there is no logical reason to stop and merely watch the snow but he is drawn to do so nonetheless and the horse represents his conscience, reminding him that there is work to be done and no time for this meaningless stop, especially at this time and place. Frank Bernard suggests that had the horse not been present, the speaker would have probably projected these feelings of guilt and reprimand onto some other passing animal, suggesting that it is actually the speaker’s conscience, and not the horse wondering why he is stopping (Bernard 43).This contemplation all happens in the third stanza as the shake of the horse’s bells interrupts the quiet sounds of the wind sweeping the snow and the soft flakes accumulating on the ground. It is as if the speaker’s conscience, represented by the horse and his bells, interrupts the idle admiration of the falling snow with reminders of completing the journey and fulfilling obligations.

In the fourth and final stanza, the speaker realizes that he cannot stay to admire the snowfall any longer and must continue on his journey. The appeal of the woods is very strong but the reminder of his obligations pulls him away and demands that he fulfills his duties. Much debate has focused on the meanings of these last lines specifically. Some are of the opinion that the poem carries only a literal meaning; a man on a journey stopping to admire the snowfall and the beauty of the dark woods only to remember his obligations and duties then continue on his journey. Others believe it is more figurative and the speaker is contemplating death, represented by the dark woods and frozen lake, far from civilization[1]. There is beauty in death, where one can finally relax from the toil and hardships of this life, but the reminder of obligations to fulfill before that step is once again what calls the speaker to keep on moving. At first glance, the poem appears quite literal, but the repetition of “And miles to go before I sleep” in the last stanza makes it seem as if there is a deeper meaning to the speaker’s hesitation in his journey and as if the contemplation was about more than just snow falling on quiet woods. With either interpretation, however, the poem has a profound meaning that is enhanced by its use of simple words and its flowing chain rhyme.
 

Bernard, Frank. “Frost’s STOPPING BY WOODS ON A

SNOWY EVENING..” Explicator. 40.4 (1982): 43.

Print.

Greiner, Donald First. “Robert Frost’s Dark Woods and

the Function of Metaphor.” Frost Centennial

              Essays Jackson: University of Mississippi Press.

              1974: 373–88. Print.

Henry, Nat. “Frost’s STOPPING BY WOODS ON A

SNOWY EVENING.” Explicator. 37.1 (1978):

37-38. Print.

Moore, Richard. “Frost’s STOPPING BY WOODS ON

A SNOWY EVENING and OUT, OUT–, and

Swift’s GULLIVER’S TRAVELS.” Explicator.

59.2 (2000): 95-97. Print.

Jabberwocky by Charles Lutwidge Dogdson

Annotation 0: Reading of “Jabberwocky” with illustrations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ZeWcXhlRE&feature=player_embedded

Annotation 1: Glossary for the non-sense words of “Jabberwocky”

            Many of the words used in “Jabberwocky” were of Dodgson’s own creation and he never bothered to explain most of them. I think Dodgson used the character of Humpty Dumpty from “Through the Looking Glass” to explain his opinion on this topic, ‘When _I_ use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean–neither more nor less’ (Clark 44). Below are definitions found from various sources (Rooy, “Jabberwocky”).

·   “Brillig”: four o’clock in the afternoon — the time when you begin broiling things for dinner.

·   “Slithy”: lithe and slimy. ‘Lithe’ is the same as ‘active’.

·   “Toves”: curious creatures that are something like badgers, something like lizards, and something like corkscrews. They make their nests under sun-dials and live on cheese.

·   “To gyre”: to go round and round like a gyroscope.

·   “To gimble”: to make holes like a gimblet.

·   “Wabe”: the grass-plot round a sun-dial. It is called like that because it goes a long way before it, and a long way behind it. And a long way beyond it on each side.

·   “Mimsy”: flimsy and miserable

·   “Borogove”: a thin shabby-looking bird with its feathers sticking out all round; something like a live mop.

·   “Mome rath”: a ‘rath’ is a sort of green pig. Humpty Dumpty is not certain about the meaning of ‘mome’, but thinks it’s short for “from home”; meaning that they’d lost their way.

·   “To outgrabe”: ‘outgribing’ is something between bellowing and whistling, with a kind of sneeze in the middle.

·   “Frumious”: combination of ‘furious’ and ‘fuming’

·   “Snickersnee”: a large knife, or fighting with a large knife

   “Beamish”: shining brightly

·   “Galumphing”: combination of ‘gallop’ and ‘triumphant’

·   “Chortled”: combination of ‘chuckle’ and ‘snort’

·   “Uffish”: state of mind when the voice is “gruffish” and the temper is huffish

·   “burble”: combination olf verbs ‘bleat, murmur, and warble’

 Annotation 2: History and peculiarity of “Jabberwocky” Poem

            “Jabberwocky” is an extremely famous poem by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson also known as Dodgson. The first appearance of this poem was in an 1885 periodical privately published by Dodgson for his sibling called Misch-Masch. That first publication included only the first stanza, calling it “Stanza of Anglo-Saxon Poetry”, with no explanations as to what it means. This more complete version called “Jabberwocky” appears in the book “Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found there” by Dodgson. In this sequel to “Alice in Wonderland” Alice travels through a mirror into an alternate world, where she discovers this poem. At first she is led to believe the poem is in a foreign language, since she has no understanding of it, but discovers it was written backwards. She manages to read it using a mirror, but is disappointed to discover that she can’t make any sense of it.

            The poem has no exact meaning and in letters written by Dodgson, we discover even he is not sure as to what all of his words mean. However, he gives us clues through other sources. For example in the same book that the poem appears in, the main character Alice meets Humpty Dumpty who explains to her the meaning of the first and last stanzas. In another poem “The Hunting of the Snark”, Dodgson used and explained vocabulary he used in the “Jabberwocky”. Some of the words were accepted into the Oxford English Dictionary. Another author, Martin Gardner, published “Annotated Alice – the definitive edition” in-which he found and annotated the original Victorian words from the poem. 

Explication: The Nonsense ballad of the Jabberwock

            The Poem “Jabberwocky” by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson also known as Lewis Clark is arguably the most famous nonsense poems ever written. To me it appears as a personal testament from Dodgson of his mastery of the English language. The results of this talent gives us a literary ballad of a mystical distant land full of unique creatures and the heroic adventure of a young hero going against the “Jabberwock”.

            The very first stanza starts our epic story and gives us a clear indication that we are in an alternate world. Our story goes as follows, “Twas brillig, and the slithy toves/ Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:/ All mimsy were the borogoves,/ And the mome raths outgrabe”  (1-4). Right away we are taken in by the rhyme in those first four lines. We have an ABAB rhyme scheme and a hint of alliteration in the second line with the words “gyre” and “gimble”. In unison with the rhyme Clark’s word choice of these unknown words grabs our attention producing a sound of cacophony and onomatopoeia, with words like “mimsy” and “brillig” as we try to pronounce words we’ve never before viewed. Without knowing the meaning, the whimsical sound of the words inspires a feeling of “awe”. Translating this stanza we discover flowing images of the unknown birds and mammals in an unknown world and there’s an added suspense in the seemingly anxious activities of the animals. The first stanza acts to catch the eye of the reader, reveals the setting of the story and identifies a hidden conflict.

            The second stanza reveals the plot. Just the first line identifies our protagonist and antagonist, “Beware the Jabberwock, my Son!” (5). That first line identifies our rising action and foreshadows a conflict between the “Jabberwock” being the antagonist and the “son” our protagonist. This stanza follows the same rhyme scheme CDCD, with alliteration in the second line (7) with the words “jaws” and “claws” emphasizing the ferocity of the Jabberwock. The images from the first stanza continue into the second with addition fantasy creatures such as the “jub jub bird” and the “bandersnatch” except this time the list includes all predators to highlight the dangers our hero will face. The second stanza begins the plot of the story.

            The action continues to rise in the third stanza as we follow our hero on his adventure. Our hero’s journey goes as follows, “He took his vorpal sword in hand:/ Long time the manxome foe he sought-/ So rested by the Tumtum tree,/ And stood awhile in thought.” (9-12). Our hero has now traveled a while looking for his nemesis and begins to tire of the search. The entire tone changed in this stanza, the story slowed down, the rhyme scheme changed to EFGF. The alliteration in this stanza appears in the third line instead of the second with the phrase “Tumtum tree”. However, Dodgson’s word choice still holds true as he continue to use vocabulary stemmed from his own imagination. I think the whole point of this stanza is to continue the story along while creating a state of suspense for the audience awaiting the big climax identified in the second stanza.

            The rising action peaks in this fourth stanza and begins the climax. In this stanza we experience the meeting of the hero with the villain as follows, “And, as in uffish thought he stood,/ The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,/Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,/ And burbled as it came!” (13-16). Our hero is pondering his next move when he spots the eyes of the Jabberwock on its deadly flying approach towards him. The story speeds up at this point. Dodgson engages our sense of sight and sound in this stanza with the image of the beast and the onomatopoeia with words like “whiffling” and “burbled” finally giving in to the suspense created by stanza two and three.

            The climax continues into the fifth stanza bringing with it the falling action. Our hero finally engages the antagonist, “One, two! One, two! And through and through/ The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!” (17-18) and the outcome is decided, “He left it dead, and with its head/ He went galumphing back.” (19-20). Unique to the rest of the poem this stanza has word repetition and includes the least complicated language, I think this adds to the impression of the battle on the audience. Without explicitly stating it, we get an image of the hero running around and swinging his sword at the creature, missing some swings and injuring it slowly until he manages to get to the head and chops it off, leaving the creature dead in place. The falling action continues into the next stanza.

            In the sixth stanza the conflict of the story has concluded and the hero returns home. The hero meets with his father who sent him out on the dangerous adventure, “And hast though slain the Jabberwock?” (21), and with the news of his success the father cheered with joy as described, “Come to my arms, my beamish boy!/ O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!/ He chortled in his joy.” (22-24). This stanza follows in sync with the others including use of alliteration in the third line and end rhyme between the second and fourth, as well as use of his made-up vocabulary with words such as “frabjous” and “chortled”. It’s this stanza with its cliché celebration between the hero and his loved ones that brings the idea of a folk tale of heroism that leads to identifying this poem as a literary ballad. With this stanza the falling action ends and the denouement continues into the last stanza.

            The seventh stanza is an exact repeat of the first. This conclusion shows us that even with the conflict resolved and the Jabberwock gone, life for most of the other creatures in Dodgson’s made-up world goes on.  The use of this stanza with its cacophony and most complicated to vocabulary I think also ties back in to the whimsical nonsense of the Dodgson’s creation, leaving us with the images of this far away mystical land of wonder.

            Jabberwocky is the most famous nonsense poem written. A personal challenge of Dodgson with the English language and he succeeded. His triumph and silliness assisted in creating a world unique in multiple aspects that we cannot relate to, and with the confusion he instills pushes us deeper into the story engaging and inspiring the audience with highly detailed images and sound makig it a highly successful literary ballad.

Works Cited

Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. Lenny’s Alice in Wonderland Site. Lenny De Rooy. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/books/through-the-looking-glass.pdf>.

Dodgson, Charles Lutwidge. “Jabberwocky.” Poetry: An Introduction. By Michael Meyer. 6th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. 202-03. Print.

Newham, Cameron. “Lewis Carroll.” Lewis Carroll. Rotary Global History Fellowship. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://www.rotaryfirst100.org/philosophy/carroll/index.htm>.

Rooy, Lenny De. “Jabberwocky.” Lenny’s Alice in Wonderland Site. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/jabberwocky.html>.

Schurman, Aysha. “Jabberwocky, by Lewis Caroll.” Life123. Life123, Inc. All Rights Reserved. An IAC Company. Web. 12 May 2012. <http://www.life123.com/arts-culture/british-authors/lewis-carroll/jabberwocky-by-lewis-caroll.shtml>.

Shaw, David. “Glorious Nonsense.” Jabberwocky. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/jabber/>.

Definition

Hence: In the future (used after a period of time).

Trodden: Set one’s foot down on top of.

Undergrowth: A dense growth of shrubs and other plants, esp. under trees in woodland.

Annotation

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
and sorry I could not travel both

Robert Frost made many dramatic decisions that affected the poem The Road Not Taken and his writing in general from moving to England to becoming a farmer after proposing to his wife, choices he made greatly affected him. There was always an uncertainty in his life and nowhere is that more apparent then when he writes “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, / and sorry I could not travel both” (1-2). Frost was always presented with tough decisions including his move to Great Britain, choices that he made willingly but always resented.

Robert Frost became a farmer after his grandfather passed away; he enjoyed the calm farm living and writing in the mornings. While living in Derry New Hampshire for 9 years he wrote many of his great works but his farming venture was unsuccessful and he had to go back to teaching, he always regretted leaving the farm life behind but chose the path that would benefit his family and his writing career. Later on in his life he moved from Massachusetts to Great Britain and later England, this affected the writing of this poem mostly because he was faced with decisions with no clear answer or right choice. He doubted he could come back to Massachusetts when the choice was made because he felt the decision was final in the sense that he should follow through and see where it leads him. Roads or paths in life are the hardest to take, Frost felt sorry who couldn’t stay home and follow through with certain decisions like farming but he had to move forward.

Explication

The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is a fable, or a brief tale that tries to teach the reader a lesson.  This poem is made up of four stanzas, with 5 lines per stanza that follow a rhyme scheme of ABAAB. When I originally read this poem I thought it was about choosing the road less traveled but upon analyzing the words closely I realized I was wrong, this poem is about the uncertainty of life and how our choices no matter how uncertain define us. In this poem the narrator is presented with two choices or roads. He contemplates which path to take while he tries his best to analyze the decision he is about to make, but as far as he could see they are both equal. To his knowledge no one has traveled either path as he states “In leaves no step had trodden black”(13).

In the 1^st stanza the main theme of the poem is showcased “two roads diverged in a yellow wood”(1). The idea that life is seen as a path that we all most take and major decisions as forks in the road with no way of being able to predict where they will lead us or how they will turn out as he states “And be one traveler, long I stood/And looked down one as far as I could”(3-4). Frost while uncertain is also regretful that he is unable to experience both decisions “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, / and sorry I could not travel both” (1-2) something that showcases the simple idea that experiences define us but we must constantly move forward without regret.

Robert Frost tries to teach us all a simple life lesson, that you will never be able to predict what’s to come or where different choices will lead you. He showcases how in life we can’t predict the future, he does this by stating the similarity of the paths he was presented with in the 2^nd stanza and how he sat and studied them but did not see any discernable difference between the two. Frost also dwells on the idea that we all hope to come back and be able to experience a different choice or path, but he realizes in the end that life will never give us a second chance instead it will constantly lead us forward. Towards the end of the poem the narrator breaths a sigh of relief, showcasing to the reader that following through with whatever life throws at you no matter how unpredictable will always make the difference.

The lesson Robert frost tries to teach us is simple and defined clearly in 4^th stanza. Upon traveling the path he chose and looking back at his life he realizes he choose a path less traveled and even though it was a challenge and he could not predict where life would take him he did not give up. Reading the poem we realize how impossible it is for the narrator to try and predict where the paths will take him or what the outcome will be, but when he contemplates and looks back at his life he realizes the decisions he made and moving forward made all the difference.

Works cited

Frost, Robert, and Louis Untermeyer. The Road Not Taken; an Introduction to

Robert Frost. New York: Holt, 1951. Print.

Hollander, John. “A Close Look at Robert Frost.” A Close Look at Robert Frost

Poets.org – Poetry, Poems, Bios & More. Spring 1998. Web. 12 May 2012.<http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15894>.

Meyer, Michael. Poetry: An Introduction. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St.

Martin’s, 2001. 354-56. Print.

Stanlis, Peter J. Robert Frost: The Poet as Philosopher. Wilmington, DE: ISI,

2007. Print.

The B Network by Haki R. Madhubuti

Definitions:

Bodacious- An adjective meaning outstanding or remarkable

Braggart- A person who brags or is boastful

Bountiful- liberal in bestowing gifts, favors, or bounties

Annotation:

“be-bop”

Be-bop is a style of jazz that rose during the 1940s. This style of music is known for its fast-tempo and improvisational melodies. This style came from swing music, which was popular at the time, but unlike swing music be-bop was not danced to. Be-bop musicians used the blues and harmonic framework of swing music to create more complex melodies.

“locked up and chained insane by crack”

Crack is a freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It appeared throughout cities across The United States in the late 1980s. The “crack epidemic” hit low-income neighborhoods the hardest because of its addictiveness and low cost. During this time many black communities experienced an increase in crime in their neighborhoods. Murder rates and drug related arrests increased during this time.

Explication:

Haki R. Madhubuti’s poem, “The B Network,” is a plea directed towards African–American males asking them to be better people and to strive for greatness. Madhubuti uses this poem to break away from stereotypes associated with young, Black males. He centers his poem on the letter “B” to give readers a better understanding of what being Black means. This poem can be seen as motivation for Black males.

Madhubuti employs many literary devices to get his message across in his poem. Alliteration is used throughout the entire poem with the letter “B.” He begins his poem with, “brothers bop & pop and be-bop…”(Poetry 207.) This is important because the title of the poem is “The B Network” which prepares readers for the use of “B” words. So starting with that phrase helps the structure of the poem. Madhubuti continues to say, “…in cities locked up and chained insane by crack and other acts of desperation computerized in pentagon cellars producing boppin brothers boastin of being better, best, & beautiful.” He seems to be referring to black males using drugs and doing criminal acts in the cities across the country. Madhubuti uses alliteration of “b” words to show how those words can be associated with being black. He talks of the problems black men face and how it’s kept alive through society. By referring to the pentagon, he shows that he thinks government creates this breed of black males that do drugs and criminal acts. The importance of using “b” words is seen in this first stanza. Madhubuti is attacking the “boppin brothers boastin of being better, best, and beautiful.” He wants to show readers that even though these words have the same sound they should not be associated with being black.

The next stanza says, “ if the boppin brothers are beautiful where are the sisters who seek brotherman with a drugless head unbossed or beaten by the bodacious West?” In this stanza Madhubuti uses repetition to get his point across. He repeats “boppin brother” in this stanza to reinforce the idea that that type of black male is not ideal for society because black women do not seek them. He continues to doubt this type of black male in the third stanza by saying, “in a time of big wind being blown by boastful brothers, will other brothers beat backwardness to better & best without braggart bosses beatin butts, takin names and diggin graves?” Madhubuti continues to use repetition and alliteration. He is trying to say that these particular “brothers” are telling lies that they will improve themselves. He wants to know if “other brothers” will listen and follow them. Madhubuti is trying to say that black men should not follow the ways of the “boastful brother” because that will not lead to advancement for the black race. Madhubuti’s word choice is important as he uses “backwardness.” He thinks this is what black men need to fight against.

Madhubuti continues to use repetition in the fifth stanza by saying, “brothers bop & pop and be-bop in cities locked up and chained insane by crack and other acts of desperation computerized in pentagon cellars producing boppin brothers boastin of being better, best, & beautiful.” This is how the first stanza begins, but he ends the fifth stanza differently. He ends it by saying, “…and definitely not Black.” He does this to show that he doesn’t believe these people define what being black means.

Madhubuti begins to describe what being black means to him in the sixth stanza.  He says, “…brothers better be the best if they are to avoid backwardness/ brothers better be the best if they are to conquer beautiful bigness.” These lines are interesting because he repeats words like “brother”, “better”, “best”, and “backwardness.” He does this to show the difference between the two types of black males he describes throughout the poem. He talks about what being black really means using the same words. This shows that the problem facing blacks is how they think. Madhubuti thinks blacks are giving in to the stereotype that blacks boast about becoming better without actually accomplishing anything. Instead blacks should take more action in regards to becoming better.

Madhubuti believes that if the mentality of blacks change it will lead to prosperity for the race. He ends the poem by saying, “While be-boppin to be better than the test, brotherman. better yet write the exam.” This means he wants blacks to strive towards becoming better. He wants to change the mentality of many blacks across the country. Madhubuti is motivating black people with this poem. The alliteration and repetition in this poem show that changing the way black people think can be key to their success as a race. He uses many of the same words and sounds to describe in the poem yet two different types of black people are described. This shows how a certain perception is important for advancement.

Imani Manley
English 2003-1248
Essay 2

London, 1802
By Williams Wordsworth

Glossary

• Bower – a shady leafy shelter or recess, as in a wood or garden; arbor; an attractive dwelling or retreat.
• Dower- natural gift or talent.
• Fen – low land covered, wholly or partially with water, boggy land, a low and marshy lad or frequently flooded area of land.

Annotations
• “London, 1802” – This title refers to the time that Wordsworth lived in England. Although he did not live in London, he traveled past it frequently. There were accounts of him traveling to and from France (a place where he had illegitimately conceived his first child), which at the time was amidst revolutionary wars. As a result William Wordsworth became a supporter of revolutions; “Wordsworth, still full of passion for liberty, equality, and fraternity, boldly penned a defense of the revolutionaries” (Klavan.) The conditions of France had him reflect on England’s turmoil. Wordsworth and another Romantic poet, William Blake very displeased with England, expressed themselves in writing. As William Blake communicate his distaste for the condition of London in his poem “London” (1794), “London, 1802” serves the same purpose.
• “Milton!” – William Wordsworth pays homage to former English poet John Milton. Milton (1608-1674), known especially for his religious epic “Paradise Lost” (Meyers 149), was one of the scholars that influenced Wordsworth while growing up. Similar to Wordsworth, “Milton’s poetry and prose reflect deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self – determination, and the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day” (“Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”.) In writing, London, 1802 Wordsworth not only expresses his admiration for Milton but also demonstrates how troubled England can benefit from his ideals.
Explication
“London, 1802”
Beginning with the desperate outcry “Milton!” emotion is immediately revealed in William Wordsworth’s sonnet, “London, 1802”. In his apostrophe, Wordsworth speaks to the soul of John Milton, summoning his return because the condition of present-day England is horrible. He states that England is “of stagnant waters” (3), or stuck as stagnant implies; a stillness that symbolizes death. The sonnet is centered on Wordsworth’s use of poetic devices that conveys how Milton’s death is a metaphorical representation of England, which too is dead and requires Milton’s return to be revived.
The poem is a traditional Italian sonnet of fourteen lines. The octave presents Wordsworth concern for England. There is a dreary, unsettling tone as the poet expresses his despair. The sestet however, resolves that despair, offering hope to the idea of Milton’s return. The tone then becomes pleasant with the aid of words like virtue, star, majestic, cheerful, and of course heaven. Wordsworth uses the word “thou” to address Milton in the first line. He says “Milton! Thou should’st be living at this hour: /England hath need of thee.” In other words, where are you Milton when England needs you? Wordsworth word choice of the historical pronouns, as suggested by author Cameron “thou, thee, and thy”, (which for the most part repeats throughout the poem) places emphasizes on his belief that England not only needs the guidance of Milton, but needs to revert back to the attitudes of that time in order for it to be recovered.
After calling out to Milton, Wordsworth uses imagery to paint a not so specific picture of England’s current vices. In the next four lines he states,
” Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,
Have forfeited their ancient English dower
Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;”
This describes a nation in demise; a nation that cannot even be restored by its major institutions. Using images of the altar pen and sword, he is able to convey that idea, as these metonymies symbolize the church, literary scholars, military, respectively (“Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”.) Wordsworth continues on to say that corruption lies within the home (fireside) and the heroic wealth of hall and bower (ruling party). Wordsworth proclaims England is no longer the place it used to be. The “ancient English dower “that has been forfeited is the natural gift of historical greatness that England is otherwise known for. It consists of selfish people whose primary concerns are themselves and material entities. Wordsworth is so bothered by the situation that emotion is transmitted in the line “Oh! raise us up, return to us again;” (7). Here he calls Milton into existence as he conditions that, such a resurrection will bring England back returning virtue, freedom and power.
The sestet works in the poem as a resolution to the troubles presented in the octave. In these last six lines Wordsworth gives insight on who Milton’s was and why he was admirable. He compares his soul to a star, and the sound of his voice to the sea (8,9). With similes and metaphors Wordsworth is able to illuminate Milton’s character. He even states “Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free” where Milton is given the compliment of being divine. All of these comparisons are to nature (sun, sea, heaven), which Wordsworth viewed as one of the upmost entities in life (Woof.) By likening Milton to these Godlike features, Wordsworth provides hope. Why? Because if Milton’s virtues were to revisit England, England will then be saved.
London, 1802 is full of emotion! Although Wordsworth has never met or personally knew Milton, he is certain that the solution to England’s darkness is Milton. In the last lines of the poem he writes “So didst thou travel on life’s common way, /In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart//The lowliest duties on herself did lay.” In other words Milton lived an ordinary life possessing godliness (righteousness) while still adhering to his duties here on earth or in the world. This was something that Wordsworth thought went wrong in England. The nation has become full of “selfish men” whose main concerns are material things, thereby losing sight of all morals. If only Milton was here to inspire England, the way he inspired Wordsworth England will come alive. The countless use of poetic devices helps Wordsworth convey how Milton’s death is analogous to the “death” of England, in which the only hope for England’s recovery is the adoption of Milton’s ideals. After all Milton cannot return himself!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Behrendt, Stephen C. “Placing the Places in Wordsworth’s 1802 Sonnets.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, Vol. 35, No. 4, Nineteenth Century (Autumn, 1995), pp. 641-667: Rice University. .

Cameron, Janet. “William Wordsworth London 1802.” Poetry Suite 101. N.p., Dec. Web. 11 May 2012. .

Cantor, Rebecca. Berkow, Jordan ed. *Wordsworth’s Poetical Works Study Guide: Summary and Analysis of “London, 1802″*. GradeSaver, 17 November 2007 Web. 23 May 2012.

Klavan, Andrew. “Romanticon: Wordsworth’s corpus reflects the growth of a conservative’s mind.” City Journal. The Manhattan Institute, 2009. Web. 10 May 2012. .

Meyer, M. Poetry an introduction. Questions from Micheal Meyers Considerations For Critical Thinking And Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 149, 119.

McNulty, John B. “Milton’s Influence on Wordsworth’s Early Sonnets.” Modern Language Association. Vol. 62, No. 3 (Sep., 1947), pp. 745-751.

SATISH MAHARAJ
ENGLISH
ESSAY 2 Choices 1

A poem from our reading that I choose which stood out to me was “Alzheimer’s” by Kelly Cherry. From the time anyone reads this poem it can be taken to be a very sad one. The tone that is set from the beginning to the end as sad. Also his word choice in this poem also shows signs of sadness for example he uses words like “pretends, crazy, slung.” Firstly according to the Alzheimer’s website the definition of it states that “is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.” Going to my doctor, Doctor Robert Chavez, Internal Medicine, I asked him a question about Alzheimer’s and I quote, “Alzheimer’s is a very difficult disease to live with, for the reason that it affect the memory in the brain functions, and also there is certain times where clarity in memory is there which is when the disease becomes dormant, however the dormancy of this disease only happens for a couple minutes and then comes back affecting all memory.” Kelly Cherry usage of Alzheimer’s as a heading which is very ironic. The poem is ironic because this poem talks about an old man coming home from a hospital and having flash backs of his life.
The irony in this poem is at the beginning to the end of the poem where the old crazy man walks in his home. The poet describes his odd possessions such as a book that he pretends to read, showing memory lost. If we continue to the middle of the poem, the old man seems to remember a lot of his younger days, the home he built, the garage, and also the music he likes also. The line in the poem that shows this is “This is his house. He remembers it as his, Remembers the walkway he built between the front room And the garage, the rhododendron he planted in back, the car he used to drive. He remembers himself, a younger man, in a tweed hat, a man who loved Music. There is no time for that now. No time for music, the peculiar screeching of strings, the luxurious Fiddling with emotion.” In this little excerpt a vocabulary that I looked up was “fiddling” which I taught was very interesting, hence by definition from the dictionary is “a little (or small) matter.” Very interesting how the author uses this word choice of fiddling because emotions to this crazy old man is not important, because he keeps forgetting what reaction he has. According to a website I searched “enotes.com” a blogger describes this part in his way. He states “he remembers his past and the improvements he had made to the property. He remembers himself as a younger man and recalls loving music, but once again he is drawn back into a state of confusion.” I agree fully which “mkcapen1” with his interpretation because the old man is drawn back at a state of confusion cause of the disease of long term and short term memory lost.
Following the poem, in the last couple lines of this poem he states, “Other matters are now of greater importance, have more Consequence, must be attended to. The first Thing he must do, now that he is home, is decide who This woman is, this old, white-haired woman Standing here in the doorway, Welcoming him in.” At this point in the poem it seems that he has memory lost again because before everything was clear and he remembering his house and now he is trying to figure out who the white hair woman is. Alzheimer’s disease affects us with short term and long term memory. In this poem, I believe the old man has short term memory lost, because he can remember his past and having some clarity to it. And the next point he is gone, doesn’t know anything and anyone as pointed out in the last line where he is trying to figure out who this white hair woman is which is his wife. Vocabulary that I had to look up on this was “consequence”, I feel as though the author confused me by using the word consequence, or maybe it was one of her effects to make us feel the effect of Alzheimer’s. When you have Alzheimer’s you would be confused and wouldn’t know who is who or what is what, therefore it just a great effect in the poem. The second vocabulary I looked up in the above except above is “welcoming” which by definition from the dictionary states that it is being “Received with pleasure and hospitality into one’s company or home.” Very Interesting way of the poet usage of welcoming, it shows that his wife even though he is sick brought him home with love and still loves him even though he cannot remember. The word choice of welcoming in the last line gives and shows a lot of personality to his wife.
In conclusion, “Alzheimer’s” by Kelly Cherry is a very sad story, as attached in the bibliography is a video with Kelly speaking about the poem. She claims that her father was the one who had Alzheimer’s disease and she wrote this in tribute to him. She used to look at him at his points of clarity and then in a minute, all his memory would be gone. This poem is very touching also because in a way shows the steps in life. Which is, when the we as children just born and looking to take our first steps, for most times it is our parents who guide us, and when the parents gets old, the children guides the parents, which is a cycle of life. Therefore “Alzheimer’s” by Kelly Cherry is a very nice, but sad tone where a father has Alzheimer’s and has certain points of clarity of his life, and then it all change when the disease comes back into effect and he doesn’t know anyone or anything and trying desperately to figure out who that white haired woman really is.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND CITES

craft talk with Kelly cherry
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp
alzherimers definition
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=rhododendron&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=699&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=tuS_mWTRpAzIoM:&imgrefurl=http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flowers/wa_rhododendron.htm&docid=p40ot6ydB0Al5M&imgurl=http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flowers/images/pacific_rhododendron.jpg&w=300&h=300&ei=a3-PT8-tDIaa0QGo88moBQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=95&sig=117641943091754855803&page=1&tbnh=143&tbnw=169&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:139&tx=69&ty=85
picture of rhododendron
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fiddling
definition of fiddling
http://www.enotes.com/arts/q-and-a/what-interpretation-this-poem-alzheimers-by-kelly-121815
usage of source ( taught is was a good source, cause she is a teacher)
DR ROBERT CHAVEZ (INTERNAL MEDICINE)
24 EAST 12th street, suit 604
In person interview

ANNOTATION

Annotation 1: “This is his house. He remembers it as his, Remembers the walkway he built between the front room And the garage, the rhododendron he planted in back, the car he used to drive. He remembers himself, a younger man, in a tweed hat, a man who loved Music. There is no time for that now. No time for music, the peculiar screeching of strings, the luxurious Fiddling with emotion.”
It is a man who is affected by “Alzheimer’s disease.” It is a disease that affects the brain, directly to the memory gland. At the beginning of this annotation, the old man just got back into his home and looking around he sees the front room, garage, plants, drive way and is reminded of his young days. .” One such vocabulary I looked up was “rhododendron” which is a type of flower and looks close to what a rose looks like. Attached in my bibliography is a picture of a rhododendron. The second word in this little excerpt that I looked up was “fiddling” which by definition from the dictionary is “a little (or small) matter.”
Annotation 2: “Other matters are now of greater importance, have more Consequence, must be attended to. The first Thing he must do, now that he is home, is decide who This woman is, this old, white-haired woman Standing here in the doorway, Welcoming him in.”
In this paragraph the author gives us a feeling of how Alzheimer’s disease affects us. At the beginning of having the clarity of his life, now he forgets everything. He is trying to remember who the white hair woman is. In my opinion, the white hair woman is his wife. . Vocabulary that I had to look up on this was “consequence” which is defined in the dictionary as “an act or instance of following something as an effect, result, or outcome.” I feel as though the author confused me by using the word consequence, or maybe it was one of her effects to make us feel the effect of Alzheimer’s