Week 8: Reapers & My Arms

Reapers by Jean Toomer
This brief poem is written about people sharpening their scythes and cutting down the grass in the field. I had to look up what a scythe was and found that it is similar to a sickle just longer. Imagining the poor rodent caught in the path of the tool was a little sad and actually made the act of cutting grass seem sinister. What other poor animals have fallen prey to the reaping?

My Arms by Paul Guest
This poem is written about a man and his inability to use his own body to preform tasks. toward the end of the poem he mentions that the woman in his life can now help him with his daily occupations. I researched the author of this poem online and found out that he was born the same year as me (1983) and that he led a totally normal life until age 12. When he was 12 he was in a bicycle accident that left him a quadriplegic. After researching the author I reread the poem and was able to fully understand it.

Week 8: Chapter 5 & 7 3-2-1 Response

3. Chapter 5 speaks of the sound (and look) of sense and chapter 7 describes metaphors. The sound of a poem is the way it falls on the readers ears, the look is similar to the sound as it determines how the poem will be viewed when the reader sees it. The way poets use alliteration by repeating certain consonant sounds in their writing, can paint an audible picture for the reader to follow. Onomatopoeia usage in poetry is fun and can add sound effects and interest to the poem. According to the text, metaphors and figurative speech are a way to create a poems density and reveal how the poets mind works.  The different ways to use metaphors in poetry allow for more imagination in writing it.


2. Being able to change the way a poem is written visually can create interest from a reader. I never thought to change the way things are physically laid our on paper to change the way they were read. Using personification to make inanimate objects come to life is a fun way to make the reader feel the things you are describing about them.


1. A question I have for my peers is "Is it difficult to digest poetry written with a lot of metaphors?" I find that I have a difficult time deciphering the true meaning when too many are used in the poem.