SPECS & SLIMS- for the poem Still I rise, By Maya Angelou

SPECS & SLIMS

‘Still I rise’ by Maya Angelou

The poem ‘Still I rise’, by Maya Angelou tells a story about a relationship that has just ended. The male antagonist has broken up with the female protagonist and she does not know what she did wrong. The poet it trying to understand what she has done wrong by asking questions ‘Does my sassiness upset you?’ After the question, she then goes on to explain why she thinks that there is nothing wrong with her. Then in the middle and towards the end of the poem, she says that even though the roughness between her and her ex-lover, she still rises ‘Still I rise’ The message that Ms Angelou is trying to convey is that even if the world seems like it is going to end, don’t give up, and come back strong again. Wipe away any tears that you might have, and walk tall and strong. Just like the person in the poem did, leave behind all the stuff that he said or did to you and rise into a fresh new day ‘Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear, I rise.’

The poem creates many emotions from beginning to end. At the start, the poem makes you feel sad and hurt because the poet is trying to put the image of someone that has just broken up with their ‘thought to be love of their life’ and how he lied to her and how he treated her. But then it starts to feel like your really upset, and the reader will start to feel sympathy because she doesn’t know what she has done wrong. But moving on, she starts to feel proud and confident in herself because she knows that she can and will get over the little speed bump in her life.

This poem is made up of several free verse stanzas, but does not feature enjambment. In the poem, the poet has used many personal pronouns which has helped to give the poem the personal affect and makes the emotions stronger because you can feel what she wants you to be feeling in the words of the poem. ‘Still I rise’ consists of many descriptive words and phrases which helps emphasizes how she is growing strong and ready to come out and strike again. For example, the first line ‘You may write me down in history’ does not actually mean to literally write about her as or in Australian history, or about her lovers history, but the real meaning is that; we may have had something together, and you and I both, even though are not seeing each other any more, will still have memories of one another. This poem also uses a lot of imagery to describe how she is feeling and how she relates what she is thinking into things that we can imagine and then feel. The poetic techniques of similes can be found in the poem ‘But still, like air, I’ll rise,’ and ‘But still, like dust, I’ll rise,’ these similes create the imagery of air and dust everywhere slowly or sometimes quickly rising up to the sky. This is stating that sometimes it might be easier to overcome and get over something, but sometimes the process is slower and takes time, therefore slow to rise. The poet has used many rhetorical questions to ask what is wrong with her. But then goes on to explain how even if those things are wrong with her, or if it even affects him, how she still moves on and ‘rises’. This poem is always recited in a steady pace, until stanza 9, when the reader slows to say ‘I rise, I rise, I rise.’ This adds affect to the poem by emphasizing what the whole poem is trying to tell you. The poet has also used the repetition of the words ‘I rise’ and this helps to remind the reader of the message and of the meaning of the words.

In summarization, ‘Still I rise’ by the poet Maya Angelou is successful, as it conveys the meaning of the bad relationship and how even after tough times, she still rises. She has made this poem a success by using the poetic techniques of Imagery (similes, imagery, rhetorical questions) and Language (word choice, personal pronouns).

Variations on the word love

SPECS AND SLIMS
“Variations on the word love” by Margaret Atwood

The poem “Variations on the word love”, by Margaret Atwood talks about the different meanings and types of love. It records the different ways people act out of love. Margaret Atwood relates about motherly love in stanza 1, to loving your partner in stanza 2. In the poem, the theme changes from explaining the different meanings of love, to speaking about love with 2 people. The poet is trying to say that there are many different meanings of love, but then goes on to speak about love with two people. The poet is trying to say that there are many different variations or levels of love. She is also trying to tell the reader that she thinks that the word ‘love’ is used too often, and that it is starting to loose its meaning. The feeling of this poem is of course, love. How you feel about love is different for everyone, and the reader will find that the emotions in the poem changes because the two stanzas talk about two different loves. Stanza one is talking about love as a whole and with many people, while stanza two talks about the love between two people. Atwood’s poem is a free verse poem. It uses many personal pro nouns throughout the poem, which makes it more meaning full. The poet is trying to make it sound like she is talking to the reader. The poet also uses many unusual word choices. For example when she uses the word ‘vacuums’ she does not mean sucking up dirt, but how love is like a vacuum. The poem is written in blank verse. It does not rhyme, but by the poet trying to talk to the reader, it makes the poem different to if the poet was just talking. The poet uses many personal pro nouns throughout the poem which adds to the personal affect, the poet has also used enjambment and imagery to create for her poem. This poem is not very appealing. It just doesn’t click, but by the poet using a lot of imagery and enjambment, it enhances the way the reader feels so that the emotions that are coming forward are stronger. By using personal pro nouns, the reader can also relate to the poem.

The Surfer by Judith Wright: A poetry Analysis

The Surfer by Judith Wright describes an event of which a surfer is out in the sea having a fun time, taking everything in that happens to him. When the sun starts to set, and it becomes twilight, the reader gets the image of the roughness of the waves. It describes the surfers day at the beach. The message that the poet is trying to portray is the ocean waves that is harmless in the daylight, but when it gets dark, it’s a whole new world. The poem is told from an onlooker to the scene, watching the surfer going out in the waves and then how he comes back and sees the violence of the waves. This poem is convincing of the theme and message because of the descriptive words that are used. Within this poem, the mood shifts from one of joy at the surf, “as he is in the water, with delight,” to caution, “turn home… last leaf of gold vanishes,” As the poem ends, the mood is much more sombre and illustrates the danger of the ocean “grey wolf, sea lies snarling.” The structure of the poem is a three stanza free verse. This best conveys the change in mood from one of joy and closeness with the sea to that of caution and danger; some affective words that the poet has used to create different meanings are some such as ‘hawthorn hedges”. This describes the roughness on the surfers face, and the hawthorns hedges more prickly in the summer. The poet also uses the technique of personification, “twilight wind splits the waves”, this creates the image of the sun setting as it is going to the darkness and the waves start to become unknown and ferocious. The whole last stanza is a symbolism of the waves at the end of the day. In this poem, there is no rhythm because it is a free verse poem. This is when the poem does not end at the same place every line or phrase. Rhyme can be found throughout the poem, “curve and serve.” Alliteration is showed too, “Mortal, masterful…” this shows the waves and how the surfer and the onlooker are feeling. There is no direct speech used in the poem. The poet wanted to tell the reader that the surf is dangerous and that some things that we think are fun and safe, end up being more dangerous then we ever would have dreamed of. This message was clear and the impact of the imagery made the poem more enjoyable to read.