Poetry Assesment by Sofia Cancellieri

The Poem

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 16:33:29 UTC

It is a green hollow where a river sings
Madly catching on the grasses
Silver rags; where the sun shines from the proud mountain:
It is a small valley which bubbles over with rays.

A young soldier, his mouth open, his head bare,
And the nape of his neck bathing in the cool blue watercress,
Sleeps; he is stretched out on the grass, under clouds,
Pale on his green bed where the light rains down.

His feet in the gladiolas, he sleeps. Smiling as
A sick child would smile, he is taking a nap:
Nature, cradle him warmly: he is cold.

Odors do not make his nostrils quiver;
He sleeps in the sun, his hand on his breast,
Quieted. There are two red holes in his right side.

The Poem

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 16:35:04 UTC

Traveler, your footprints

are the only road, nothing else.

Traveler, there is no road;

you make your own path as you walk.

As you walk, you make your own road,

and when you look back

you see the path

you will never travel again.

Traveler, there is no road;

only a ship’s wake on the sea.

The Poem

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 16:36:02 UTC

One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

The Poem

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 16:36:50 UTC

We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon.

My analysis

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 16:37:37 UTC

I thought this poem was very moving in the sense that we are all searching for a place in the world and finding one is as if you are fulfilling your true purpose. The feelings and emotions presented in this poem are meant to showcase this. The poem made me in particular feel hopeful of my future. I am very early on in my life, as it has barely started yet, so it is quite normal for someone like me to be uncertain or uneasy about what life has in store for them. I think it would help a lot of people if they knew the messages this poem conveys. People who feel trapped, lost, or insubstantial to make it through life would benefit well from the reassurance of what is waiting for you will come to you. You must only remain patient and unshakable to prepare yourself for the journey ahead. And keep those virtues for when your purpose does come to you.

My Analysis

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 16:38:12 UTC

There are endless ways one can find their purpose. You just have to have an open, creative mind, accept where you're at, and go from there. As I mentioned before, America provides privileges and virtues that not a lot of countries give. In America, you are free to make your own choices. You are not owned by anyone, your life is yours to live. All you need to do is put in some hard work of your own, and you can really accomplish anything you set your mind to. The type of person you are will impact the type of life you lead. You can choose to be smart and hardworking or you can be just the opposite. Whatever you decide, your future is up to you.

My Analysis

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 16:38:44 UTC

This poem teaches us the biggest most important of things with the fewest amount of words. You can use your own imagination to decode whatever the vague cipher is talking about. When a poem is perfect it needs no critical thinking. You are able to think of it yourself and it takes you to a place you never thought you’d be. For me in particular, winter has always signified a time when I can be at peace with just myself. In a way, the season itself is poetic. Every detail, no matter the size, contributes immensely to the flow of nature. It makes me feel like my contribution to the world doesn’t have to be big, but I know it will make the world what it is, beautiful.

My Analysis

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 16:39:26 UTC

I personally have not experienced any form of alcoholism or severe violence issues in my life, and I am grateful for it. But that does not mean I haven’t seen what it can do to people. It takes someone who could have been something great in their life, and turns them into a cold, hopeless shell of what once was. From the moment we enter this world, we are plagued with decision after decision that will define you for the rest of your life. More often than not, our choices are influenced by the life going on around us (i.e. what is considered “cool”). But you don’t have to be an addict to be cool. You don’t have to be rich, poor, straight, gay, white, or black, to be accepted by your peers. It all depends on what your true, unshakable mind wants to do that defines you as a person. And that alone will always make you cool.

Image and Analysis

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 16:52:55 UTC

I thought this image reflected the peace and wholeness that comes with choosing the right path in life. In the poem, the author writes, "Smiling as a sick child would smile, he is taking a nap," which implies that the soldier is happy and content with where they are now. Their life has lead to this exact moment, and they are happy with the things they've experienced and accomplished. Later in the poem, the author reveals a crucial detail, "He sleeps in the sun, his hand on his breast, quieted. There are two red holes on his right side," The soldier is indeed laying asleep in the valley, but they are dead or dying. The soldier knows that whatever comes next will likely be the last, and they are ok with that. Because they chose the right path, and are now reaping the benefits.

Image and Analysis

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 16:57:43 UTC

I chose this image to portray the literal paving of a road for themselves to walk on. The trail would otherwise remain blocked, and nobody would be able to move on. The man is alone in this image to signify how you are in this alone, "Traveler, there is no road; you make your own path as you walk," The author is imploring its readers to put in the work if they want to succeed in this life. You will face obstacles on your journey, but you must keep treading along. There will be those who try to pursuade you to put down that shovel, but you must block them out. In the face of adversity, one must keep a bright face on and the negative thoughts out.

Image and Analysis

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 17:43:57 UTC

This image displays the imagery in the poem. The warm lights contrasting with the cold white of winter makes for a very aesthetically pleasing image. Stevens uses so much descriptive language, you feel like you're really there; seeing, smelling, and listening to your surroundings. Stevens obviously has a deep and true love for the season, as he writes "And have been cold a long time to behond the junipers shagges with ice, the spruces rough in the distant glitter of any misery in the sound of the wind," I felt that Stevens was silently implying he had been cold for such a long time, that he eventually developed a sixth sense that allowed him to appreciate the season more in depth than the normal person would. By writing about someone who has been cold for a long time, it can be percieved figuratively as well. Maybe he's not talking about someone who likes winter, but rather someone who has spent a lot of time at a company, with a certain person, in a certain situation. After a while, one would become more immersed in their surroundings and he able to pinpoint more of an exact description than others.

Image and Analysis

sofia_cancellieri — 2024-01-30 17:47:21 UTC

The image above shows the word cool surrounded by all these drugs, alcohol and death symbols. I felt it was meant to depict how society has now deformed what it views as neccessarily "cool". We have somehow associated violence, death, and addiction with someone we see as popular. Brooks writes, "we thin gin, we jazz june, we die soon." to remind society that all those qualities more often than not lead to death. When you're young, your mind is so easily manipulated to think a certain way. You may not realize that society has infultrated and polluted your ideas. But by the time you realize it, it is too late.