The Guest Ellen at the Supper for Street People

Hayden Myrick
Jernigan
AP Literature
29 March 2011
“The Guest Ellen at the Supper for Street People”
Author, David Ferry, uses the character of “Ellen” to symbolize women as a whole. Ellen witnesses unspeakably obscene events while not knowing or possessing a way to escape. She feels trapped within her body as a woman; more specifically, her body as a prostitute. The title associates Ellen with “Street People” which relates to the lifestyle of a prostitute. Ellen stays “poor day after day in the same body” and “witness still to some obscene event.” These lines highlight her inability to escape no matter how hard she wants to. Day to day life turns monotonous in its hopelessness and obscenity. Prostitutes seem to always hit rock bottom, and remain at the bottom, unable to climb back up the ladder to self-respect and self-love. Ellen’s beginning a prostitute seems to spawn from an event of sexual abuse involving by “her father’s body.” This event continually plagues her and manifests itself in her day-to-day life as an ongoing acts of sexual disrespect and abuse.
Examining Ellen’s emotions more closely gives insight into the victim of sexual abuse. She feels tormented by her own un-cleanliness. In the fourth stanza, Ellen feels like “A prisoner of love, filthy in her own torment.” The skewed and perverted sense of love her father cursed her with when he abused her affects her more and more daily. She feels like she experienced a sense of “love”, but unclean love. Stanza two gives the guests and Ellen a “Cassandra-like” sense. They continue witnessing and hearing the “obscene events” but cannot do anything about it. Nobody comes to their aid; therefore, they are trapped in the society and lifestyle of Street People.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Hayden Myrick
Jernigan
AP Literature
21 March, 2011
“Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”
From the second stanza to the fifth stanza in this poem, Dylan Thomas impersonally describes the inevitability of death and mans tendency to run from it. “Wise men at their end know dark is right” but they “do not go gentle into that good night.” Classified as a “good night”, death carries no morbid or negative connotations within the poem, yet the subjects cannot help but run from it. This highlights human’s disposition to fear unknown and mysterious subjects. Deep down, individuals know that they must endure death’s unknown journey. There exists a reality (acknowledged or not) that comes with death that is more human that living. Life’s exists so that humans may die and embark on their true journey in death.
The first and last stanzas in the poem develop a deeper, more personal level of communication. At the beginning, the author seems to implore the reader to refrain from entering into death. He mirrors the same attitude that all the characters of his poem exhibit; therefore, completing the underlying theme of humans tendency to resist death. In the final stanza, the author begs for his father to continue to fight for life. Although he knows that man’s destiny is death, he cannot bear to watch his father give into death. To see him seemingly “lose” the fight to death, the author cannot bring himself to witness.

My Hometown

Hayden Myrick

Jernigan

AP Literature

9 March 9, 2011

“My Hometown”

            “My Hometown” describes a seemingly small town that rests “near the Missouri River.” Based on the first two lines, the town acquired its name after the epic writer Homer. Homer’s fame spans centuries. His literature continues to touch the lives of readers, even after so many years. The author, Donal Hefferman, compares her hometown figuratively and literally to the great author. In addition to holding “Homer” as its name, it also carries the same connotations Homer carries. A pioneer among writers, Homer typically symbolizes a master: the ideal writer. There exists no equivalent equal. The author insists that their town carries the same legacy. Its strength to “outlast the depression” gives the town eternal qualities. The last four lines symbolize the “free” and rebellious youth. Sex in a car resembles youth in revolt along with freedom of spirit. The town shows the changing of culture, but with a readiness to accept the changes that come.

            This poem creates feelings within the reader that compare to the carefree nights of summer. Reminiscing past memories while experiencing and anticipating new experiences make the poem emotionally charged. The image of the pickup truck serves as a vessel that launches the town into a new generation. The poem seems to continue even when it ends. The pickup truck will inevitably become one of the memories of the past and new memories will become the present. In this way, the poem, as well as the town, hold onto time and continue eternally.

Dawn

Hayden Myrick

Jernigan

AP Literature

February 28, 2011

“Dawn”

            “Dawn’s” structure as a Petrarchan poem adds to the effect the poem on the reader. The rhyme scheme exhibited through the poem intensifies certain nouns and verbs that require emphasis in order to create the proper emotional and sensory feelings that the author, Ella Higginson, strives to create. For example, in lines 1 and 4, the words “three” and “dreamily” connect to create an airy sense of time and beautiful disorientation. The rhyme they share further relates them; therefore creating tremendously more vivid sensory feeling. The volta as the rooster crows and at the end of the poem when the “crimson shaft of dawn” pierces the dreams of the dreamer. The poem does not possess a definite problem that gets resolved. The dreams of the individual experience an ending, just as they do every morning. The volta cannot be avoided; therefore making it common, nonetheless important.

            This poem invades the deepest feelings of the subconscious; the feelings that a dream creates. The ghost-like images and settings relate to the reader in ways other poems cannot. Dreams make known a humans deepest subconscious secrets and desires. The scene portrayed in the poem relates to all humans. All experience this same kind of dream state when they awake and remain connected with the outside world but still in touch with the world within their mind. 

Childhood

Hayden Myrick

Jernigan

AP Literature

February 23, 2011

“Childhood” by Margaret Walker

            Recounting her days as a young African American, Margaret Walker describes a sensory memory that occurred during her childhood. She lived in Alabama during some of the most intense years of racism. In this Petrarchan sonnet, Walker uses the octave to set up the Volta that occurs in the sestet. The first eight lines seem to disregard any racial tension directed at blacks. One may assume that the miners of Caucasian descent, but she does not directly state this. The continual use of red imagery suggests that race should not matter. Whatever color skin lies beneath the red dust does not matter. All races possess the same capabilities to accomplish the same work and tasks. Walker embraces her heritage indirectly by refraining from wishing she could change her skin color. The red covering suggests that all races possess equal chance of enduring ridicule and discrimination. The only true way to avoid racism completely is to cover one’s skin with a false, unnatural color.

            The Volta appears in the second half of the poem. Here Walker moves from collective racism into the racism endured by blacks. The “low cotton country” symbolizes the cotton fields in which countless African Americans spent their days working for menial wages. The workers live in “rotting shacks” and constantly deal with “famine, terror, flood, and plague…” These conditions described seem all too common in early twentieth century America. The bitterness within the blacks still remains. Hatred still remains. The comparison between the black skin and the red dust creates conflict within the reader. Its seems that the miners were free to walk about town, looking unnatural in red clay, but the blacks continue to endure the discrimination that the “red men” do not experience. 

"The Unknown"

Hayden Myrick

Jernigan

AP Literature

February 7, 2011

“The Unknown”

            This poem examines an event that occurred during Edgar Lee Master’s life. He speaks directly to the reader, addressing them as “aspiring ones.” This introduction into the poem acts as a word of wisdom or a warning to the reader. He describes himself as “reckless and wanton”, two character traits that few envy. As he wonders with a gun, Masters displays his recklessness by shooting a nearby hawk for no reason other than it happened to perch near him. Although he does not show much remorse, he shows no further signs of brutality. All in all, Master’s represents a troubled youth that feels caged in to his surroundings.

            One striking aspect of this poem appears as Masters begins caring for the bird he maliciously shot. The bird does not die, but sustains a broken wing. This broken wing symbolizes the bird’s inability to get away. The entrapment of the bird builds when Masters puts it into a cage. As soon as he puts the bird into the cage, Masters attempts to nurture the bird by feeding it. This completely contradicts his previous action of shooting the bird. At the end of the poem, Masters feels a deep connection to the bird’s situation. He wishes to “offer him the friendship of on whom life wounded and caged.” Master’s feels the same way the bird feels. He feels trapped by the world. The world crippled and caged him so he, in return, crippled and caged a creature that he could control and relate to. 

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