Poetry Reflection

I don't believe I have ever taken the opportunity to write poetry in a different manner other than attempts to rhyme words or replace them with more charged or vivid words.  For this exercise, I had a few thought in my mind a few days before, but when it got down to write the poems, I did everything backwards.  I grabbed several different blank pages and drew various images and a few keywords of what I wanted to write about.  Then I simply looked at the pages and began to organize my thoughts, line by line.  I enjoyed this because, it feels as if the poem wrote itself.  I had a few ideas with organization and other significant points I wanted to include, drew them or wrote in the words, and every thing else fell into place.  If I do have a class of my own someday, I would like them to attempt to write poetry in this manner first, just to learn of different methods of inspiration.  

About my first piece, I realized I talked about the second in a comment reply, so I won't repeat myself and avoid redundancy.  

My first piece is about having two chose between a family life and the life of a revolutionary.  The poem is also structured to represent the founding of America by the 13 stanza lines, in connection with the 13 colonies which rebelled against England, depicted on the US flag.  In the poem itself there is also the reference to red, white and blue colors.  Each specific path was strewn with items representing each lifestyle.  Red brick, white picket fence, Dandelions, to represent the family home life and American dream.  Manuscripts, concrete and iron to represent activists who are politically charged by propaganda, only to eventually be incarcerated and secluded from society.  The twice demise in the second path refers to an emotional death which is also found in the first path, as each traveler laments what their life could have been; the second being the death of their ancestry.  Since the first path, leads to raising a family, thereby ensuring a bloodline.  

Playing with Poetry

The first of these pieces took me more time than it should have, while the second should have perhaps consumed some more.  In all, this was an enjoyable exercise.

Rebellion and Residence

Two paths diverged into redwood

The traveler considered each

Divined as best a mortal could

And sought to see beyond reach

Each path led to a certain death

One paved with tranquil brick

Dandelion, and white fence

The other twice over demise

Paved with concrete, iron

Blue manuscript, free yet confined

One path grows the noble tree, Chose by those unmarked by time

The other path chose by those of equal esteem

Unmarked, or recorded under rebellious infamy 

Poisoned Rebuttal

me like you steal for them

up against giants monsters

at me plague why       

does this to them

Poetry Explication - Final Draft

Antony Garcia

English 495 ESM

Professor Wexler

2/16/2013

My Most Precious Epitaph:

Explication of “Jenny kiss'd Me” by Leigh Hunt

Relatively simple in form and rhyme scheme, Leigh Hunt’s “Jenny Kiss’d Me,” can seem to be fall into a part of what was considered “The Cockney School of Poetry,” categorized as works written off by critics that could never be taken “seriously” (Mullen 332).  Hunt was heavily criticized because he lacked a “proper” upbringing being “lowbred,” Hunt himself recollected that “his first memory was of a cell,” as his father was in debtor’s prison and faced continual financial hardships (Mullen 328).  Thus Leigh Hunt was dubbed the “wit in the dungeon” facing hardships which “would keep him acquainted with a cell” (Mullen 328).  Stigmatized, Hunt would inevitably “fail to meet certain standards” and secure “his status as a second-rate poet” (Stewart 26).  However, regardless of Hunt’s upbringing and how apparently basic his work may seem, to write it off as amateur reveals only a first reading of the piece.  Although apparently generic in form, diction and scheme, “Jenny Kiss’d Me,” is first read as a love poem, however, a thorough reading can reveal themes of struggle of finding and keeping  love against the conflicts of time, financial stability, health, and death. 

At first reading “Jenny Kiss’d Me” has a simple form and lyrical rhyme scheme, composed of a single stanza of eight lines and scheme of ABABCDCD, reminiscent of a pop track one can pick up on a top 40 radio station.  Form at first glance, also seems direct and simple, but is actually broken down into several chronological stages of romance by every two lines, starting a new stage after an indentation; these stages are further detailed below.  The spelling in the opening line is notable, “Jenny kiss’d me when we first met,” as the word “kissed” is written without the “e,” indicating a causal tone and supporting a more lyrical-music approach in the reading (Smith 33).  The first two lines introduce the reader to Jenny and the speaker, who are possibly pre-adolescent, as it is revealed that Jenny “jumped from her chair,” unable to control her excitement (Smith 33).  This can also suggest the first stages of love, as it is still child-like and innocent and possibly even free of sexual complexities.  An agreement can be mitigated with Mullen, in regards to this work celebrating friendship, as the first stages of love start in that regard, but the progression of romance clearly evolves with the successive lines (Mullen 334).  Friendship is a part of romance, and inclusive in the work, but not principal.

The next successive stage of love is marked by the speaker and Jenny, marrying or living together, and have begun to grow old; in lines 3-4, the speaker personifies and chastises time as a thief, who steals the “sweets,” the physical attributes of beauty from Jenny, recording them on a list (Smith 33).  Recorded or the very act of recording one person at any given moment, has aged by the next day, and one day less beautiful than the day before.  Time steals the attractiveness of the young, the sweetness of being young and in love as the human form slowly withers and decays.

            Lines five and six further reveal the next stage of love, as the speaker reveals that he is “weary,” and shows some minor lament over not having prioritized the pursuit of wealth or for that matter having taken a higher regard for their own health, or even implying their own physical health and appearance, because of his love, or state of love (Smith 33).  This subtle mentioning of “health” and “wealth” may seem only as a elementary selection of diction for rhyme scheme, however Hunt during this time was considered the “epicenter of his times, which bring the Romantic and mid-Victorian ages,” specifically well known for social activism (Colby 415).  Although Colby does not press this connection, this activism, and “tirade against the Prince Regent” for which he was imprisoned for, set against an established backdrop of debtor’s prison tarnishing the family, certainly infuses the struggle of stability possibly the struggle against capitalism and the bonds of the nuclear family and physical well being of the nuclear family (415).  The speaker further indicates he is “sad,” as both Jenny and the speaker have grown old and have deteriorated in health, this further implicates that Jenny has succumbed to time and has passed away (Smith 33). 

The first two lines implies a young state of love and uncontainable energy, the next two lines, mark the thievery of time, and how it takes days away from the individual, leaving them with less of a fortune of time.  Lines 5-6 have a tone of lament over never having earned great wealth or recognition, or never having focused on the speaker’s own beauty and health.  Although the speaker laments all these aspects of the decay of the human form, lost opportunities, experiences and ultimately a lost love, the speaker has no regret over the decisions made in choosing to remain and nurture his love and relationship with Jenny.  In the final lines, lamenting over all other things missed or lost, are all minor in comparison to having received the love at one time of the revered Jenny, or in the least, having lost opportunities and other experiences, it was all worth having received a single kiss. 

Although simple in form, tone and scheme, Hunt creates a work imbedded with thematic struggles which have created conflicts between man and woman, and how they will form a bond and yet still find a way to navigate the realities of the world while maintaining that bond; “the reader’s doubtful conception of the value of Hunt’s poetry is a central part of a proper appreciation of it” (Stewart 25).  Life, death, health, beauty, recognition and wealth are all captured an encompassed in this very simple love poem which is culturally universal, as the name “Jenny” can easily be replaced with any other name, or also “she,” and still capture the same experiences and trials each couple would face in a lifetime, particularly the male.  Indeed it is the last two lines, 7 and 8 that not only culminate the certainty of the speaker’s affection for Jenny, without hesitation and regret, but also are akin to a final epitaph on a tombstone; throughout the lifetime of the speaker, no greater achievement completed or not pursued, is of any greater achievement than that of having found Jenny, and having received her love and that single kiss. 

Works Cited

Colby, Robert Alan. “The Selected Writings of Leigh Hunt.” Victorian Periodicals Review

38.4 (Winter 2005): 414-17. Project Muse. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.   

Hunt, Leigh. Ed. Philip Smith. “Jenny Kiss’d Me.”  100 Best-loved Poems. New York: Dover

Publications, 1995. Print.

Mullen, Alexandra. "The Lost Romantic." The Hudson Review 59.2 (2006): 327-34. JSTOR.

Web. 16 Feb. 2013.

Stewart, David. “Leigh Hunt’s Accidental Poetry.”  Essays in Criticism 62.1 (2012): 25-40.

Oxford Journals.Org. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.   

Poetry Explication - First Draft

Good evening classmates,

This is a copy of my first draft, I find including and posting it important since I would have hoped someone could have taught me about the freedom of writing multiple drafts when I was in high school.  But it didn't quite work that way, so for now, here is my first draft, and then final, although there will be many drafts in between.  If there are any middle or high school students, that perhaps are reading this, just sit down and write.  As many times as you need to, just sit down and empty your mind on paper, you are completely free to change words, misspell, move paragraphs around, change your thesis, topic sentences, etc etc etc.  Just sit down and write!

Antony Garcia

English 495 ESM

Professor Wexler

2/16/2013

My Most Precious Epitaph:

Explication of “Jenny kiss'd Me” by Leigh Hunt

Relatively simple in form and rhyme scheme, Leigh Hunt’s “Jenny Kiss’d Me,” can seem to be fall into a part of what was considered “The Cockney School of Poetry,” in which Hunt was written off by his critics and referring to his works it was “hard to believe that anyone ever took…seriously” (Mullen 332).  Hunt was heavily criticized because he lacked a “proper” upbringing, and in FACT WAS CONSIDERED LOWBRED, Hunt himself recollected that his first memories at THE AGE OF 3, was that of prison, AS HIS FAMILY WAS IN DEBTORS PRIOSON.  Thus Leigh Hunt was dubbed the “WIT OF THE DUNGEON,” and was more familiar with a “PRISION THAN A PEN.”  His works were further criticized as SIMPLE lacking A MORE THROUGHOH DICTION AND FORM, but, conversely the contrary can also be argued.  Although simple in form and scheme, “Jenny Kiss’d Me,” is first read as a straight forward love poem, however, based upon the writer’s personal injection IN TO HIS WORKS, a more throughout reading can reveal themes of finding and keeping love against specific struggles such as capitalism, health, time and death. 

At first reading “Jenny Kiss’d Me” has a simple form and lyrical rhyme scheme, composed of a single stanza of eight lines and scheme of ABABCDCD, reminiscent of a pop track one can pick up on a top 40 radio station.  In the opening line, “Jenny kiss’d me when we met,” the spelling of the word “kissed” is notable as it is written without the “e,” indicating a causal other than a more formal tone, and supporting a more lyrical-music approach in the reading (SMITH PAGE).  The first two lines introduce the reader to Jenny and the speaker, who are possibly pre-adolescent, as it is revealed that Jenny “jumped from her chair,” unable to control her excitement (SMITH PAGE).  This can also suggest the first stages of love, as it is still child-like and innocent and possibly even free of sexual complexities.  Lines three and four move on to another stage of love, implicating that both the speaker and Jenny have now become married or at the least live together, and have begun to grow old; the speaker personifies chastises time as a thief, who steals the “sweets,” the physical attributes of beauty from Jenny, recording it on a list of time (SMITH PAGE)  Recorded or the very act of recording one person at any given moment, is the next day, aged by one day, and one day less beautiful than the day before.  Time steals the attractiveness of a young body, the sweetness of being young and in love and the human form slowly withers. 

            Lines five and six further reveal the next stage of love, as the speaker reveals that he is “weary,” and shows some minor lament over not having prioritized the pursuit of wealth or for that matter having taken high regard for their own health, or even implying their own physical health and appearance, because of his love, or state of love.  The interesting word in these two lines is “sad,” as this would indicate, as both Jenny and the speaker have grown old and have deteriorated in health, it seems that Jenny has succumbed to time and has passed away. 

The first two lines implies a young state of love and uncontainable energy, the next two lines, mark the thievery of time, and how it takes days away from the individual, leaving them will less of a fortune of time.  Lines 6-7 have a tone of lament over never having earned great wealth or recognition, or never having focused on the speakers own body, beauty and health.  Although the speaker laments all these aspects of the decay of the human form, lost opportunities, experiences and ultimately a lost love, the speaker has no regret over the decisions made in choosing to remain and nurture his love and relationship with Jenny.  Lamenting over all other things missed or lost, are all minor in comparison to having received the love at one time of the revered Jenny, or in the least, having lost opportunities and other experiences, it was all worth having received a single kiss. 

Although simple in form, tone and scheme, Hunt creates a work imbedded with thematic struggles which have created conflicts between man and woman, and how they will form a bond and yet still find a way to navigate the realities of the world while still maintaining that bond.  Life, death, health, beauty, recognition and wealth are all captured an encompassed in this very simple love poem which is culturally universal, as the name “Jenny” can easily be replaced with any other name, or also “she,” and still capture the same experiences and trials each couple would face in a lifetime, particularly the male.  Indeed it is the last two lines, 7 and 8 that not only culminate the certainty of the speaker’s affection for Jenny, without hesitation and regret, but also are akin to a final epitaph on a tombstone; throughout the lifetime of the speaker, no greater achievement completed or not pursued, is of any greater achievement than that of having found Jenny, and having received her love and that kiss. 

Themes

Capitalism vs love?

Social/personal health vs. love?

Time vs. love?

Death vs live (love)

Rhyme scheme

Cover also

Formal and literary elements

Figurative language

Sound devices

Use of white space

Line length

Punctuation

Speaker

Voice/tone

Audience

Two sources MLA

Poem Explication Rough Draft

Good evening class mates,

I took English 101 three times before I passed it.  For whatever reason when I started junior college, I was simply not ready to commit to school, I believe that college would be too difficult for me, as all my teachers made it sound like almost an unattainable, expensive luxury-rather that was my interpretation.  It took a girlfriend to escort me to class like a prisoner being taken to road to lay concrete.  The third time around I truly enjoyed my experience.  Since I was a child I always loved to write, but family discouraged, and school hammered away at form, or rather, the three paragraph essay.  “You like to write, wonderful, but you can’t just write, you have to write my way.”  Again, perhaps that was my interpretation of what I heard.  So sitting in English 101 for the third time around, our professor hands out one of two “life changing” essays, “Shitty First Drafts.” 

“Shitty First Drafts,” was about writing very shitty first drafts, emphasizing that no one would grade them, no one would look at them, no one would care about them, except you, the writer.  The fundamental driving point was to simply sit and write everything that would come to mind about the piece or project that you are writing on, and then revise as many times as you need to.  I found this liberating,  and it was part of what led me to decide to become an educator.  To inspire and to let lose the imagination of any student who finds joy-or has difficulty with writing.  Write it out first, write it all out, then clean it up from there.  I don’t remember the story exactly, but I believe it was Michelangelo who was asked how he sculpted so well, I understand he responded with something close to, “The sculpture is there within the block, I just take a chisel and whittle away to let it free.” 

                Here is my first block, I’ve only removed a few pieces.   

Jenny kiss'd Me

 

JENNY kiss'd me when we met,

  Jumping from the chair she sat in;

Both jenny and the speaker are young possibly pre-adolescent, as it is revealed that Jenny jumped out of her chair, unable to control her excitement.  This can also suggest that love in its first stages is still child-like, possibly innocent and even free of sexual complexities. 

                 

Time, you thief, who love to get              

  Sweets into your list, put that in!           

The speaker then chastises Time, personified as a thief who steals sweets, which suggests the physical attributes if that then beauty as a sweet, and placed on the list of time.  Recorded or the very act of recording one person at any given moment, is the next day, aged by one day, and one day less beautiful than the day before.  Time steals the attractiveness of a young body, the sweetness of being young and in love and the human form slowly withers, as time steals days , one by one. 

Say I'm weary, say I'm sad,                   5

  Say that health and wealth have miss'd me,     

This stanza implies weariness after the first stage of jubilee, further implicating sadness, it is possible with e passing of time after time stealing said days, the speaker eventually married and spent a lifetime with Jenny, but the n lost her to time. 

During their love, his focus was his love, jenny and as a result, success, and great health were not his focus and therefore he did not excel in those areas. 

Say I'm growing old, but add,     

      Jenny kiss'd me.

The first stanza implies a young state of love and energy unconstrained

The second speaks of time and how it steals days away from the individual

The third stanza speaks of having lost or never earned wealth and recognition, or never having focused on the speakers own body, beauty and health.  But although all the speaker laments all these aspects of the decay of the human form, lost opportunities, experiences and ultimately a lost love, the speaker has no regret and therefore has minor comparison of los or lamentation as all those things lost, are minor in comparison to having received the love at one time of the revered Jenny, or at the very minimum, a having lost opportunities and other experiences, it was all worth having received a single kiss. 

Reading it again now, “Jenny,” can easily be replaced by the name of any other woman.  Not necessarily specifically referring to a single name, but replacing the name with “she” would have a global affect for the reader, which is to reflect on the having, loss, and then reflection on the experience of love, even at the cost of other ideals which society holds valuable. 

Cover also

Formal and literary elements

Figurative language

Sound devices

Use of white space

Line length

Punctuation

Speaker

Voice/tone

Audience

Two sources MLA

Good evening classmates,

I couldn't help it, I just had to post both versions of "Maggie's Farm" for my creative rewrite of the lyrics.  

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW4y-9RoMFU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxHIVxz1K5M



I’m headed off to

The candy store for more

I’m headed off to

The candy store for more

I tell mom I can’t sleep, she’s snoring

Sneak through her purse for some change

Have my tricycle and sneakers

And all seven of my toy planes

Candy on my brain

Here comes mom, angry

I want more!

I don’t want those crayons, ma

I don’t want those crayons, gimme twizzlers and ‘smores

I’m headed off to

the candy store for more

Ma, I’m headed off to

the candy store for more

No, I don’t want any pickles

Keep your lemons and limes

Ok, yes I’m only seven

But momma I have to get mine!

Week 3 - Reflection

I must admit the third part of the in-class activity was very fun.  in my first semester of student teaching, I gave a few of these assignment throughout the semester and the students loved them, it kept them engaged, it kept them interested, it kept them happy, but I myself never completed one, and it was quite enjoyable.  Given the particular environment, this kind of assignment can be included at any level of education.  The first two parts of the assignment I have to admit, was rather difficult, but it did help in driving the knowledge in for overall long term retention, or at the very minimum it just ensure additional practice.  

After reading some of the drafts from my classmates, I am left a little disheartened, I am not the best student when it comes to interpreting, arguing, debating explications of poetry.  I can go through the formal functions of breaking apart a poem and looking at all the proper and more formal portions thereof, but I simply detest the act of doing so.  I find it almost repulsive, as the very act of doing so eliminates the beauty and for me, rids the enjoyment and pleasure of reading a poem.  While I know, and understand fully that these elements are necessary, I simple find it highly unpleasant, and if in fact I do have the privilege to teach at the secondary level, I only hope my students will not realize that I do not like that aspect of teaching poetry.  They are to discover their own pleases and disdain or literary works without undue and improper influence.  But of course, positive assistance always helps.  

Week 3 - In Class Assignment

Word Pairs of Alliteration

                Symphony sweet

                Dover delicately delivered the dishes

                Magically majestic

                Boo Boo the Bear

                Yogi yelled at the young yellow bird

                Red ribbons rant of revolution

                Six sickly serpents

                Boarding the boat

                The Haunted hall was hilarious

                Niche never reach the age of nine

Word Pairs of Assonance

                Open ocean

                Remember November

                The car is far

                A mild tempered child

                Various vacancies

                Ill cultured vulture

                Romance never had a chance

                The hall in the mall

                Was in debate at the age of eight

                Discuss the major fuss

Birth                      as a seed pushing through to reach the sunlight

Death                    Death withered the flower until the wind took the dust away

Graduation         an expensively braided noose                                  

Success                success shined as a luminous star

Failure                  the failure of the day darkened the light

Marriage              Joined together as the sands and the water

Divorce                 irreconcilable differences as the moon and the sun

Rebellion             pushed past the dam of oppression

I’m headed off to

The candy store for more

I’m headed off to

The candy store for more

I tell mom I can’t sleep, she’s snoring

Sneak through her purse for some change

Have my tricycle and sneakers

And all seven of my toy planes

Candy on my brain

Here comes mom, angry

I want more!

I don’t want those crayons, ma

I don’t want those crayons, gimme twizzlers and ‘smores

I’m headed off to

the candy store for more

Ma, I’m headed off to

the candy store for more

No, I don’t want any pickles

Keep your lemons and limes

Ok, yes I’m only seven

But momma I have to get mine!

Week 2 Reflection.....late

I have finally figured out how to post...a new post. 

This late reflection primarily focuses on my experience with the Deutsch book, which to be quite honest only reinforces my distaste for picking apart and analyzing poetry.  For some time, although I enjoy poetry, and I do enjoy seeking further understanding and interpretations from conversations in class, I do not like and rather almost detest picking apart scheme, structure, and the more formal elements that seem to take away from the enjoyment of the work.  Now, I understand this is my academic opinion of course, and speak only for myself, but many of the more formal elements simply break down a poem into aspects that, for me, take away a more open reading of poetry, allowing it to be interpreted different as many will interpret works in their own way. 

Of the many different   terms in Deutsch’s book, I only know a handful out of the entire alphabetized compilation of different literary terms.  It was quite aggravating.  How does Deutsch, or any other academically designated individual, know what the intent of the author was, or rather each and every interpreted intention by the author.  Why is it that each poem ever created must have a label as to structure or rhyme meter, what is the obsession as a society that everything must be labeled and every single work must fit into a specific box of style or time.  I wonder if there ever was an author, artist, or poet, who said “no, I am not a post-modern, just because I was born in this decade and someone perceived  what they believe as a contemporary and classified sense of style, does not mean I belong in that classification.”  I know I would.  

Email Address

AntonyCGarcia@Gmail.com

Introducing Myself...

Welcome to my online journal!  Ever since I read "The Raven," in middle school, I have been fascinated with reading. Since then, reading and collecting a small library has become a hobby.  But the power of the written word has become my passion.  As someone who began student teaching, and reconsidered, I am still uncertain if I will have a high school class of my own, or seek other avenues of education.  Meanwhile, my free time is used to consider things like media technology and its impact in learning and the evolution of learning through network communications.  I had the opportunity to shadow a teacher who developed a simple prompt for her students, "If Dr. Martin Luther King had a Twitter account, what would he write?"  That one sentence engaged all students of various "levels," and each produced one-two full page responses for what they believed the Dr. would write.   They then shared their thoughts with the class, and seemed genuinely engaged.  In an age of so much technological access, how can our social classes be so fragmented in basic aspirations when history shows that people with less access, enabled changes that moved the world?  If I do have charge of my own classroom, these  are the questions and "calls to action" I would raise.  In these pages I will explore, share and hopefully contribute to the power of the written word, its influence in all forms of media, the arts, and its potential to change society.