Mother to Son By Langston Hughes

This poem seems to be pretty simple and straight to the point. This is a mother that is telling her son that life isnt as simple as it may seem. All of the hard work is just part of the struggle, but no matter what may get in your way, you cant make that hinder your future. That mother has been through alot to makesure that her son is happy, and she doesnt want him to take advantage, rather see what she went through and dont become a stastic. She doesnt want him to give up...

Barbie Doll

Barbie Doll By Marge Piercy

* As I see it, this is a young lady that came into the world very innocent with out fear or hatred, but left the world unhappy to self.

*Someone can have the worst view of you, but the only one thatreally matters in your opinion.

*She let people brainwash her mind into believing that she was not the same perfect girlchild that came into the world.

*Now that everyone is happy there is no self worth, no morals, She became that very same Barbie doll, Plastic and Dead.

Dont Let That Horse...

Dont Let That Horse by Lawrence Ferkinghetti

*This Horse that is eating the violin could is a hobby that he is really interested in, hismother may not likeit and his trying to stop him from futhering a career out of it.

*He continues his goal at the same thing people were trying to discourage him about and made a career and future out of it

*When he got to where he wanted to be in life he allowed pthers to see how good he was at it and took the time to help someone else futher there hobby

Just because someone says not to do something, if its your interest and will make you happy,you should continue on to struggle and meet your goal. The simplist obstacle in his life became a benificial and fulfilling future.

Round About Midnight By Bob Kaufman

* As Midnight comes around everything tends to loosen up

* He has the music flowing with a good Jazz tune, The Lady of the hour is sitting with him she must be enjoying the music since she is a "Jazz Type Chick" He seems to have a perfect set up because the more they hear the music and the instruments being played, the more the laughter stirs up and she may be becoming more relaxed, its only Midnight so he has time toget the mood just right.

*He puts acolor to the voice saying they were Blue, they lady may have hurt within and as she gets more relaxed the more you can here her tru feelings start comin out, she just smiles without word, smiling in agreement that the time is right for whatever that may happen next because her voice switches up with excitement even though she knows what mayhappen would be against her fathers wishes

Sex Without Love

Sharon Olds wants to know to why people have sex with out the love for one another. How do you take such an act and dirty it just for pleasure. She says “wet as the children at birth whose mothers are going to give them away” She must mean that since the female took the time out to give her body away and yet give away, an abortion or adoption, so easily, knowing that they purposely put themselves in that position. She mentioned the bible because in the bible it says that people should not have intimacy out of wedlock.

Facing Past Reality

Yusef Komunyakaa's Facing it



*The speaker seems to be hiding from something at the beginning of the poem, it could be his feeling or the reality of the past that is now settling in.

*"I'm stone, I'm flesh" He is going from memory to the present, he is remembering what happened while he was in the Vietnam war. His reflection that is depending on the light is making him turn from stone to flesh, by the second.

*He clearly survived the war, but his friend "Andrew Johnson didn't, as he puts his finger on the name, the horrible death replays in his mind, Andrew was killed by the booby trap and the speaker saw it. He thought that he too should be dead.

*The lady that walked by could be someone that also escape death, and as she passes the wall, Andrew remains dead, she could have saved him but chose to let him die.

*The white vet's image is Andrew, he is now bringing the name on the wall to life. He should have been dead, he didn't go out like a soldier, he didn't fight back to save his friend's life, he hid inside the black granite! Now Andrew doesn't see his as a real "Soldier" He sees right through him.

*As the vet fades into the stone, or disappears, he sees a lady that is trying to erase the names, could that be Andrew's wife, that does want to believe that he is dead? or maybe Andrews mother? and as he realize that she is brushing a boy's hair, that little boy can be Andrew as a young boy or Andrew's son, mourning his deceased father.

Something Fishy...

Elizabeth Bishop's "The Fish"

* The fish is a Soldier, even though he hadnt put up a fight at the beginning, just seeing the thread and previous hooks still attached to his "lips" shows that he survived numerous battles befor the one he was in now, perhaps he was too tired to fight his last battle.

* As he hung like ancient wallpaper, we can tell that the fish is an old one, he was shaped like "Full- Blown roses" I would interpret that to mean that his time is almost near.

* Im curious to know if by her letting the fish go back into the water, would it survive? the features and condition of the fish seems as though it was ready to give up, her catching him on the hook without a fight may have been his easy way out, rather than dying in the water. She said he had "sea-lice" and "Rags of green weed" hung down, Could it be he was already on his death bed IN the water?

* Elizabeth put human characteristics into the fish, "I admired his sullen face, the mechanism of his jaw, and then I saw that from his lower lip" as she stood there with the fish she began to feel some of its "pain" she looked into its eyes with out getting a stare in return.

* She let it go.... To her it may be a good deed, but to the fish it can be the rebirth to the beginning of death... again.