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For the poem you haven’t yet explored, share the intended audience of the speaker of the poem. Is it a specific person? A group of people? Who needs to hear it?

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For the poem you haven’t yet explored, share the intended audience of the speaker of the poem. Is it a specific person? A group of people? Who needs to hear it?

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Poem Title: weeping

The audience for this poem is to anyone who has lost someone close to them. It describes the feelings of your loved one not saying goodbye and the emptiness that fills you. I have perceived Gay's description of these emotions through a caterpillar becoming a butterfly and flying away, but its deeper meaning lets the audience relate through the knowing feeling of loss.

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For another, provide a profile of the speaker in whatever medium you’d prefer.

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For another, provide a profile of the speaker in whatever medium you’d prefer.

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Poem Title: to my best friend's big sister

The speaker in this poem is a 17-18 year old boy. He describes himself being in a strange and unknown situation where he is alone with his best friend's older sister. He describes the situation with metaphors and understands her actions with great thought. His emotions through the poem come across as dull and uninterested. His tone convey the idea that he is loathing the situation and desires to be somewhere other than with the older sister. This young boy repeatedly ponders the boy he used to be in his days of innocence, yet describes himself as having a "hairless and shivering warble of acne" and his "pubescent physique" undermining his thoughts of maturity towards himself.

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For another, explore your thoughts on the significance of the title.

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For another, explore your thoughts on the significance of the title.

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Poem Title: ode to sleeping in my clothes

The title of this poem holds deep significance with relation to the development of the poem. This poem begins with the lightness of the speaker detailing his love for sleeping fully clothed "even" with his socks on and sometimes with his hood pulled atop his head. The speaker then transitions to talk about slavery in the USA and the degradation of Black people. A metaphor used in this poem speaks to how Black people, in order to keep their life savings, buried everything they had "12 feet below the Norway maple" which is an invasive species in Canada. He relates this to the perception of Black people at the time and how they were not wanted or seen as human beings. The title relates back to this because the author understands the position he is in versus where his family of past generations were. He says he wakes up in the morning hardly ever giving a thought about his state and runs to get coffee but really he is running from "nothing". This poem and title fall perfectly in sync with one another and the title enhances and sews together the thoughtful ideas of this poem.

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For another poem, include a powerful line and the reason you find it powerful.

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For another poem, include a powerful line and the reason you find it powerful.

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Poem Title: catalog of unabashed gratitude

I want so badly to rub the sponge of gratitude over every last thing, which, yes, awkward, the suds in your ear and armpit, the little sparkling gems slipping into your eye.

To me, this line is very powerful because of its use of a simple metaphor for such complex meaning. When I first read this line I pictured a literal sponge filled with suds being scrubbed over every surface. However, when I reread it my interpretation and understanding of this line changed. I saw it as a sponge with "little sparking gems" being rubbed on a person and infusing them with endless gratitude. I saw these actions as ones of which every person needs. The idea that a simple sponge could pervade people with gratitude is beautiful. These purposeful words showed me a sponge filled with complexity and the grave use to which it could be put.

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...Opening Spotify...

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For one poem, select an image you find complements it. Add the relevant lines and try to avoid being literal.

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For one poem, select an image you find complements it. Add the relevant lines and try to avoid being literal.

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Poem Title: ode to buttoning and unbuttoning my shirt

I have the distinct pleasure
of slowly untethering
the one side
from the other
which is like unbuckling
a stack of vertebrae
with delicacy

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The poet I chose to explore is Ross Gay and his book catalog of unabashed gratitude. I chose to explore his poetry because I had never heard of him before, but stumbled across a poem of his that particularly stood out to me. He has published 7 books, 2 of which have been widely recognized as extraordinary poetry books. Finally, I chose to Ross Gay as my poet because many of his poems are great in length which is something I am not used to and felt would be a beneficial way to become more comfortable with understanding and interpreting poetry.