P6 Poem Discussion. by Stephanie Faucette

Jordan, Riley, Jacelyn, Greenley, Gabby

steph_faucette — 2024-04-10 13:23:54 UTC

Kristina, Annaleise, Amelia, Macie, Molly

steph_faucette — 2024-04-10 13:24:46 UTC

Caroline, Marie, Moria, Hannah

steph_faucette — 2024-04-10 13:25:10 UTC

Neila, Lilly, Hadley, Emma

steph_faucette — 2024-04-10 13:25:39 UTC

Kristina

2024-04-10 14:01:26 UTC

I love how the author is writing from the table cloths perspective on its “life.” The author relates the table cloths journey to that of a human, in a way, reminiscing on all the good memories made and going from young to old. I thought the mention of “for Sally Sellers” was a very heartwarming, informative touch, which let us readers know that this is written for a textile artist who creates art-quilts. My favorite quote was, “Please someone cut a square and put me in a quilt,” because the tablecloth wants to continue helping people by salvaging rundown cloth to use to comfort people. This whole piece expresses the Sally Sellers point of showing diversity, equity, and inclusion, by addressing the inequities and teaching empathy.

Hannah Crochet

2024-04-10 14:07:19 UTC

I liked the message behind "Dirge without Music". She acknowledged that death is inevitable, yet she "does not approve" and she is "not resigned" (Millay 16). The repetition of those 2 verses emphasize that she feels strongly against her impending death. She feels as if death is not the proper place for the people, she surrounds herself with. I noticed that she says, "into the earth with you", which is a euphemism for dying and being buried (Millay 5). Overall, I liked the poem, but it took me more than one read to find the purpose of the poem!

Gabby

2024-04-10 15:20:24 UTC

I loved this poem because it just made me feel so good inside. It inspired me to be the good i see in society. Throughout the poem, the author utilizes the phrase ¨when in doubt.¨ This repetition is followed by different ways of being a good person. The overall message of the poem is when in doubt, be kind. My favorite quotation is "when in doubt, err on the side of generosity" because it just is so realistic and very good advice.

Jordan

2024897 — 2024-04-10 15:40:32 UTC

I liked how each stanza in this poem started with "When in doubt" emphasizing the importance of not hesitating in life. She also brings the idea that we should never have regrets in life and to always follow what your heart is telling you. I thought line 29 was interested where she says, "When in doubt, / Make life's major mistakes." This was my favorite line because the speaker is trying to tell the audience to never look back on their choices in life, and that we only have so much time to live, so we should make the best of it.

Riley St. Amant

2024-04-10 15:49:21 UTC

I loved this poem because of the positive message it shares. When repeating the phrase "when in doubt..." (Cisneros) in each stanza, the speaker shares that she understands that life is not always perfect and that as humans we experience doubt. She strategically organizes her poem to include an experience of doubt and a counteraction to help overcome the feeling. She provides realistic examples of daily life where we might experience doubt and grants advice on how to diminish it. Overall, I think that this poem has an uplifting tone that helps to provide the reader with a sense of hope and that good actions ultimately can always triumph evil thoughts.

Marie Pecquet

2024-04-10 17:42:17 UTC

In "Dirge Without Music," I liked how the author used the repetition of the line "I am not resigned" when speaking of death. She initially uses this quotation in the first line of the first stanza and closes the stanza in the same way. Millay acknowledges the different events that lead up to death, all while being wary of when they might happen to her and to those around her. The repetition of this statement in lines 1, 4, and 16 demonstrate that while the author knows that everyone will eventually pass, she hasn't accepted this fate yet for herself. I feel as if the message that the author is trying to convey through this poem is that it's okay to not be okay with the thought of you and others you care for to eventually die.

Greenley Duplantis

2024-04-10 18:04:11 UTC

I liked this poem because of its carefree tone. It displays a love and appreciation for life. With every sentence starting as a command such as "pay attention" and "carry a handkerchief", it would seem like the poem's tone would be commanding (14,17). However, the tone comes off more as lighthearted advice to a friend, which was surprising but enjoyable. The final line, "Everyone wins", implies that we should enjoy single moment in life and be kind to others (37). I love that the author says life is not a competition, but instead, it is a journey we all go through together.

Amelia

2024-04-10 18:26:36 UTC

I liked the poem because it is related to aging and growing older. I also saw similarities to academic burnout which is where a student tries so hard in school and feel like all of their attempts are fruitless. The poem also shows how even though a person is worn out they still would like to make a gift of themselves like a tablecloth "cut and put in a quilt". I like the author's perspective that even though a person may be physically, or mentality worn there is still a chance for them to be repurposed like a tablecloth that becomes a quilt to "keep a child warm".

Hadley

2024-04-10 18:56:02 UTC

I really liked this poem because Brown singles himself out as different from others when it comes to dying. He begins the poem by saying that most people tentatively and reluctantly walk over the "bridge" between life and death, but then he establishes how he is different from other people. Brown says that he is "not crossing/ To cross back. I'm set/ On something vast." (9-11). I really liked these lines because it showed that having courage and confidence helps many through the darkest of times. Even if you are scared, believing in yourself can make things as scary as death seem easier. Brown conveys to the reader that he has courage in himself and because of that, this transition does not daunt him like it does others.

Caroline Tullier

2024-04-10 19:13:20 UTC

What I liked most was the protest against the indifference towards death. Millay repeats "I am not resigned" (1, 16) twice in the poem, and states that she "[does] not approve" (16) after describing the gentleness and silence that those are laid to rest with. She does this to highlight that all people are unique in their own way -- they all had their own quirks and features that become one with the dust after they die. I also loved the line "more precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world" (12). This further shows that life is far more precious than the most beautiful funeral could ever be.

Macie

2024-04-10 22:58:24 UTC

I liked this poem because I feel like it is personifying the quilt to express the emotion of love and the emotions of growing old. I feel like in this poem the table cloth symbolizes the feelings one may feel toward growing old. This part of the poem felt very sorrowful about not being able to help like it used to. Yet, I feel once the table cloth starts reminiscing on how being helpful made it feel I think it's beautiful that it still wants to help and be apart of something. It shows as humans that we want to continue to help others and stay connected. Even when one purpose we had ends we still want to find another which is shown through the metaphor "When I am frayed and strained and drizzle at the end Please someone cut a square and put me in a quilt That I might keep some child warm".

Lilly

2024-04-10 23:39:35 UTC

In this poem, I particularly liked how the poet painted a vivid picture of crossing boundaries and embracing the new experiences that come with change. Throughout the poem, I felt a sense of freedom and discovery of new opportunities that come when someone bravely pushes limits. A specific quote that resonated with me was when the author stated "I am more than a conqueror, bigger Than bravery. I don't march. I'm the one who leaps." (Brown 12-13). While Brown acknowledges how it is challenging to branch out and accept new circumstances, he harps on the message that he strives to be unapologetically bold and courageous amidst change.

Emma

2024-04-10 23:57:38 UTC

I liked the message of "Crossing" by Jericho Brown. I like how the author uses repetition and symbolism to build upon the poem's theme. I like how the author criticizes monotonous, unfulfilling work and encourages people to work towards a goal. I believe the last line really shows how the author rejects uniform solidarity when he says, "I don't march. I'm the one who leaps." When I picture marching, I picture military people dressed the same marching in the same path and following orders. Brown exemplifies how he is different by saying that he leaps instead of marching.

Jacelyn Keller

2024-04-11 01:40:08 UTC

I liked the message of how the journey of life is not perfect: it's about learning and making mistakes. As humans, we experience doubt often, highlighted by Cisneros repetition of the phrase "when in doubt" at the beginning of each stanza. This idea of doubt is relatable and down-to-earth, which I like. When in doubt, we can try to "absorb biographies to avoid life's major mistakes" (10) but eventually we will "make life's major mistakes" (12) anyways. While doubt can lead to mistakes, those mishaps highlight the importance of taking life one step at a time, growing and learning from decisions, good or bad, we make along the way.

Annaleise

2024-04-11 14:23:38 UTC

I liked this poem because its beautiful but realistic perspective on aging. The author uses an extended metaphor to show how her point in life is similar to an old, fading piece of cloth. The author feels like she is a "failure" because she cannot do things that she once could. But the author is content "The tasks I can no longer complete are balanced by the love of the tasks gone past." At the end of the poem, she makes a plea to put her into a quilt which reminds me of how humans have a desire to be remembered after they are gone.

Molly

2024-04-11 15:50:38 UTC

In this poem, I really enjoyed the extended metaphor of the quilt that demonstrates aging through life. The cloth feels upset at one point because it cannot do the things that it could once do when it was newer and younger. However, it then accepts the fact that it has gotten older and becomes content with being sewn into a quilt. I really like the way the author portrayed this idea in such a unique way because it shows that getting older does not always need to be a negative thing. My personal favorite quote was "That I might keep some child warm" because it shows that even though the cloth is older, it still wishes to make its life purposeful and useful to others.

Neila

2024-04-11 16:36:53 UTC

I liked how this poem gave a different and unconventional view towards death and the after life. While many poems we have read give an acceptance type of view towards death this takes action and wants changes to be made. His tone is uplifitng and motivating and gives the author a sense of being a changemaker. A quote that stuck with me was "I'm more than a conquerer; bigger Than bravery." (Brown), this shows his aspirations to make change and take action towards his life and afterlife.