A Fixed Idea Analysis by sophia https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr MYP5 English en-us 2018-11-29 22:10:36 UTC 2018-12-03 06:58:40 UTC hello@padlet.com A Fixed Idea - Amy Lowell - 1910 sophia_graf https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309581141 What torture lurks within a single thought
When grown too constant; and however kind,
However welcome still, the weary mind
Aches with its presence. Dull remembrance taught
Remembers on unceasingly; unsought
The old delight is with us but to find
That all recurring joy is pain refined,
Become a habit, and we struggle, caught.
You lie upon my heart as on a nest,
Folded in peace, for you can never know
How crushed I am with having you at rest
Heavy upon my life. I love you so
You bind my freedom from its rightful quest.
In mercy lift your drooping wings and go.]]> 2018-11-29 22:16:34 UTC https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309581141 Poetic Device 1 sophia_graf https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309581586 Rhyme...
"This is the one device most commonly associated with poetry by the general public. Words that
have different beginning sounds but whose endings sound alike, including the final vowel sound and everything following it, are said to rhyme."
In the first octet, the rhyme scheme ABBA is found, aka Enclosed rhyme in iambic pentamater. 
  • Invokes feelings of recollection due to the loop back to a rhyme 3 lines ago
In the last sestet, ABAB is found with a continuing common vowel noise of the short "e" for A and a soft "oh" for B
  • Soft letter sounds create the sense of being tired or wishing
  • ABAB can be considered childish to some, but in this case it shows deep thought and a cyclical message surrounding her ideas
]]> 2018-11-29 22:18:06 UTC https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309581586 Poetic Device 2 sophia_graf https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309581645 Contrast...
"Closely arranged things with strikingly different characteristics"
... within the octet and sestet (first eight and last 6 lines)
  • The first eight have a general sentiment of nostalgia. It focuses on unpleasantries that can't leave the brain, and even if the thought contain some positive elements, its repetitions becomes dull.
  • The last six reveal that her love is over and it is hindering her life.
There is contrast between her initial sentiments of pain with the final ones of relief and pleasure. This illustrates for the reader the emotion journey and transformation the speaker underwent.
]]> 2018-11-29 22:18:18 UTC https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309581645 Poetic Device 3 sophia_graf https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309581760 Stanza Forms..
 "The names given to describe the number of lines in a stanzaic unit, such as: couplet (2),
tercet (3), quatrain (4), quintet (5), sestet (6), septet (7), and octave (8). Some stanzas follow a set
rhyme scheme and meter in addition to the number of lines and are given specific names to describe them, such as, ballad meter, ottava rima, rhyme royal, terza rima, and Spenserian stanza"
 In traditional Italian sonnets the octave always ends with a conclusion of one idea, giving way to another idea in the sestet. This is the case with this poem, as her ideals change through the two groups, and solidifies the concept of her emotional development
Rhetorical Question...
"A question solely for effect, which does not require an answer. By the implication the
answer is obvious, it is a means of achieving an emphasis stronger than a direct statement."
This is found within the line "What torture lurks within a single thought". While it does not have a question mark, it still poses the question: can the extent of her emotional turmoil over an idea be put into words? In short, no, it is necessary for further analysis by the reader, which builds their comprehension.]]> 2018-11-29 22:18:39 UTC https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309581760 Connotation sophia_graf https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309582242 In the first octet:
  1. what torture lurks within a single thought = her ex-fiancee was a love of her, but he sneakily cheated on her, as inferred by the lurk.
  2. When grown too constant; and however kind, = The emotional pain she experienced was an ongoing factor of her life
  3. However welcome still, the weary mind = she may be willing to take him back, but would be hurt if she did so
  4. Aches with its presence. Dull remembrance taught = her fond memories have become mundane and bland
  5. Remembers on unceasingly; unsought = She does not want these ideas or her ex-fiancee any more
  6.  The old delight is with us but to find = He once was a source of delight, but like something old, it does not function.
  7. That all recurring joy is pain refined, = Past memories that are happy bring her pain because she could begin to miss him.
  8.  Become a habit, and we struggle, caught. = She was entangled with him and truly loved him, but now that he cheated, she has nothing and is struggling, caught off guard because she trusted him.
  9. You lie upon my heart as on a nest, = lie could mean either laying down or deceitful words with the intent of hurting her. He lied to her about being faithful. He lay upon her heart as he covered it with himself and weighed it down.
  10. Folded in peace, for you can never know = her Bostonian man was likely not sorry for his actions and was at peace with his karma.
  11. How crushed I am with having you at rest = rest could be transformed into sleeping, as he was sleeping around with other women.
  12. Heavy upon my life. I love you so = Being cheated on is one of the worst things I can imagine, especially from some one devoted by marriage proposal. This was a heavy event on her life and hurt her.
  13. You bind my freedom from its rightful quest. = her freedom could be her chance to love again, and his memory is stopping her from doing that.
  14. In mercy lift your drooping wings and go. = She is at the point where she has to beg for his memory to leave her mind and spare her any more pain.
]]> 2018-11-29 22:20:18 UTC https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309582242 Voice sophia_graf https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309582429 This poem is in present first person. It is also reflecting upon a past life event, which does not need to dictate the tense of voice, but may help. The speaker is some one, presumably female, as they have stronger romantic sentiments and a weaker heart, who was hurt by a cheating spouse. In the general culture of movies and pop culture, men are more likely to cheat, leading me to further believe the speaker is female. The tone is at first a pained remembering almost nostalgically and backstory of the origin of her pain, and then transforms into a longing for relief from the pain.]]> 2018-11-29 22:20:58 UTC https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/309582429 Poet Info - Amy Lowell sophia_graf https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/310110758 Born 1874, died 1925
  • Lived in Brookline, MA
  • Had a prestigious family
  • Her great-uncle, James Russell Lowell, was a nineteenth-century poet
  • Brother was a President of Harvard
  • Younger cousin, Robert Lowell, was also a poet
  • "A flamboyant woman whose behavior belied her upbringing in a proper and prestigious New England family, she flouted convention with her proto-feminist poetry and unabashedly public persona."
  • Was thought to be in a lesbian relationship with Ada Dwyer Russell, who supported her from 1914 until death
“Amy Lowell.” Ways of Talking : Poetry Out Loud, Poetry Foundation and The National Endowment for the Arts, 2018, www.poetryoutloud.org/poems-and-performance/poets/detail/amy-lowell. 
]]> 2018-12-01 23:21:17 UTC https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/310110758 Vocabulary, reference, allusions sophia_graf https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/310110789 Vocabulary:
  • Recurring: happens often
  • Unceasing: without stop
  • Unsought: not wanted
References: 
  • No mention of any place, except within her mind and soul
Allusion: 
  • Who is this poem about, and why does she feel exhausted with their presence?
    • A Bostonian man fell in love with her, but he ended up cheating on her. This could easily be some one who was toxic and was holding her back from being truly happy
  • What is a fixed idea?
    • Could be the popular psychiatric diagnosis at the time of idee fixe-- an idea that had that preoccupied her forever until it was fixed in her brain. It also could have been an idea that she fixed so it would no longer impede her
  • What is her rightful quest?
    • Literally, she left for Egypt almost immediately being cheated upon by the man in 1897-1898. This poem could have been written in hindsight in 1910
    • Figuratively, her quest could have been to heal emotionally from the pain she endured
]]> 2018-12-01 23:21:44 UTC https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/310110789 Denotation sophia_graf https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/310110803 This one idea is preoccupying and painful
When the idea has been there for this long a time, no matter how nice it should be, its not, and its hurting me
Old memories continue playing, even though I do not want them to
The once nice idea has turned bad, and when I think back on the good times, all that is felt is pain
The more I become enamored with you, the harder it is to pull away
You are weighing down my soul and it's preventing me from doing what I need to, so please, leave.]]> 2018-12-01 23:22:19 UTC https://padlet.com/sophia_graf/qguavmxu0kxr/wish/310110803