Poem Analysis: Journey By Tiara Anderson

The poem A Step Away From Them by Frank O’Hara has five stanzas written in a free verse format with no distinguishable rhyme scheme or meter. The poem uses the following asymmetrical line structure “14-10-9-13-3” while using poetic devices such as enjambment, imagery, and allusion to create each stanza.

The Sapphires illustrates the ways in which the stolen generation continues to have repercussions against the indigenous community. The stolen generation was a period of time where children were violently snatched from their families and forced into houses and institutions that lied, abused, and humiliated them. When the children were taken away, relationships were ripped to shreds as the children lost their sense of belonging alongside their beliefs. This loss in connection left unresolved conflicts and impaired relationships that by the time they reunited years later, the resentment towards each other had built and the argument was brutal enough for the relationship to become inrepairable. The Europeans brainwashed the childrens

We grow on stories. Stories we tell, stories we hear. The private and the public one just like our stories and the others’. As social animals, these stories we hear and tell link us. Thomas King’s book, The Truth About Stories: A Native narrative, tells us all kind of stories. The book defines stories as being multifaceted and varied, as “dangerous and wondrous” (p.9), “all we are” (p.32), as a way to create our own path (p.25), or as medicine, that can cure or injure depending on how it’s told (p.92), and so on. Through his book, King teaches the reader about Indigenous stories, as well as very personal and human stories that illustrate the very concrete notions of Indigenous issues to the reader.

Katherena Vermette’s novel The Break, is centered around a sexual assault. Through the perspective of eight narrators the story unfolds over the day leading up to the attack, memories triggered by the assault, and the recovery of all those involved. The novel’s two strongest themes are a juxtaposition of gender disparity and the strength and resilience of the women and girls involved. Gendered performance is common throughout the book, for both men and women, although the focus is on the female characters. This essay argues that the gendered performance of the characters is due to Linda Nicholson’s biological foundationalism as explored in Interpreting Gender (1999). The differences in reactions between the men and women of the story are not

People have the need to always prove their self worth to everyone. In the poem The Leaving, Brigit Pegeen Kelly demonstrates how an individual’s environment and expectations of others encourages a person’s actions. In the poem the girl is so dedicated to her work that she’s willing to stay late even when her father doubts her. The speaker takes on the challenge to prove to her father that she can complete her task, and she successfully proves to him that she can do it. By proving her self worth to her father, the speaker faces new challenges along the way that test her own thoughts and decision making which ultimately determines the pursuit of her hard work.

“Why have hope?”, is the question raised in the poem “Drifters” by Bruce Dawe. Bruce Dawe’s poem explores how change can damage a family 's relationship and cause them to drift apart. This poem has underlying and straight forward themes depicted about change. Straight forward depiction is the physical movement of the family from place to place and not everyone is in favour of this change. The very first line of the poem, “One day soon he’ll tell her it’s time to start packing”, supports the inevitable change that no one else has a say in except the man. This highlights the power imbalance in a patriarchal house hold. The underlying depiction is the fact that the family is drifting apart because of this change. This is conveyed through the mother choosing to ignore the children and packing aimlessly almost as if she’s following a routine. This idea is reinforced by the repetition of ‘and’ as well as the listing effect which creates a sense of routine.

Belonging is the pivotal axis around which human life revolves. Genuine poetry reflects directly or indirectly an awareness of the social problems of a country. Belonging and poetry, Miss Lawlor and my fellow students is one of the most curious combinations and this is what we see in the genre of poetry produced by the Australian poets in the 1960’s when……... Bruce Dawe was a vernacular poet known for his extraordinary empathy with people which characterises his poetry and gives a voice to the ordinary Australians. Throughout the poem Life Cycle Dawe represents belonging as having a strong link to sports through the skilful use of biblical allusion and colloquial diction. Throughout the poem Drifters Dawe represents belonging as that

The poem “A Story” by Li-Young Lee depicts the complex relationship between a boy and his father when the boy asks his father for a story and he can’t come up with one. When you’re a parent your main focus is to make your child happy and to meet all the expectations your child meets. When you come to realize a certain expectation can’t satisfy the person you love your reaction should automatically be to question what would happen if you never end up satisfying them. When the father does this he realizes the outcome isn’t what he’d hope for. He then finally realizes that he still has time to meet that expectation and he isn’t being rushed. Through shifting points of view, a purposeful structure, and settle choices in diction the author adds

Tracey Lindberg’s novel Birdie is narratively constructed in a contorting and poetic manner yet illustrates the seriousness of violence experience by Indigenous females. The novel is about a young Cree woman Bernice Meetoos (Birdie) recalling her devasting past and visionary journey to places she has lived and the search for home and family. Lindberg captures Bernice’s internal therapeutic journey to recover from childhood traumas of incest, sexual abuse, and social dysfunctions. She also presents Bernice’s self-determination to achieve a standard of good health and well-being. The narrative presents Bernice for the most part lying in bed and reflecting on her dark life in the form of dreams. The dreams are presented in different time frames, beginning with Bernice travelling from Northern Alberta to Gibson British (BC) in search of her fantasy teenage love, Pat John, who she considers to be a “healthy, working Indian man” (7). Pat John plays Jesse in Beachcombers a TV show that was aired on CBC (p.7). The novel then goes back to Bernice’s childhood traumas of incest, sexual abuse and social dysfunctions. The dreams are structed in poetic forms and precede almost all the chapters in the novel and here and there throughout the novel. For example, chapter two begins with “She feels a caress on her cheek, a cool hand on her

Once the poem “History Lesson” was written numerous poetry foundations celebrated it for many reasons. “History Lesson” not only makes an impact on literature today it has also impacted people also. This poem inspires people and moves them to the point to where they can find a personal connection to the poem itself and to the writer. Not only does it hold emotional value for those who were victimized and those whose family were victimized by the laws of segregation, but the poem is also celebrated for its complexity. The poem uses many techniques to appeal to the reader. In this poem the writer uses imagery to create logos, uses connotation convey ethos,

In the poem “A Story” by Li- Young Lee, the audience is introduced to the intricate relationship between the father and the son. There is an obvious internal conflict ongoing within the father’s thoughts; the father desperately wants to tell his son a story but cannot come up with one. The author highlights the altering views held by the father and the son through the use of shifting points of view and the intended structure. These two devices adeptly establish the poem’s profundity and intensity of emotions; moreover, it brings light to a common battle that evolving filial relations face against time; as innocence eventuates into maturity, parents inevitably feel helpless and nostalgic.

Aboriginal people in Eurocentric society struggle to gain acknowledgment and fair treatment in Canada through the use of diplomatic solutions. Maria Campbell’s “Halfbreed,” sheds some light, in this autobiographical view, telling of a woman and her struggles to belong, and gain recognition as an ethnic group (metis), growing up in Saskatchewan. The article, “Defining Indigenous space,” written by Ken Coates and Greg Poelzer, brings about the nature of First Nations and federal government relations, with respect to land claims and the political implications and legal processes that go along with political struggle. The first nations land claims were permitted disallowing the development

The 1970s were a rough year for African-Americans, still fighting for social and political rights in the United States. Consequently, women still did not receive equal rights. However, in 1972, “Congress approved the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution, which reads: ‘Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex’ (History.com Staff).” Out of the thirty-eight necessary states only twenty-two ratified it right away, it was relieving for the moment because the feminist advocates had been trying to be ratified since 1923. The First African-American woman elected into Congress was Shirley Chisholm. This moment opened doors for African-American women that they thought would never have a chance. Nevertheless, the poem Ego Tripping written by Nikki Giovanni dated back to 1972 where she expresses her power throughout the poem with the support of feminist statements. Giovanni reminds the audience of historical moments that lead up to the current conditions of the United States. Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why) was published with a bundle of poetry which is entitled My House, the book of poems had a common underlying idea that Giovanni is free to do what she pleases and live by her own set of rules (Masterpieces of American Literature Ed. Steven G. Kellman.)

“On the Subway,” written by Sharon Olds, is written from the perspective of what is presumed to be an upper class white woman, who finds herself on a subway with a lower class black boy. In “On the Subway”, Olds focuses on the controversial issue of racial conflict, and the theme of White v. Black. She does so by use of contrast between whites and blacks, by using harsh enjambments, powerful imagery, and by using the tone to convey the purpose.

How would you feel if someone could control what you were thinking? In “The Feed” written by M.T Anderson, everyone living in the community had a feed in their brain that was controlled by one large organization. Violet, the main character, suffers through a malfunction in her feed that changes the way she sees her society. Most people’s opinions can be changed when they have experienced the benefits and the disadvantages of something. Since Violet is aware of how life is with and without the feed, she becomes hesitant to believing that her community is being run efficiently. She realizes how her feed affects everything she does and how without it, she would be incapable. Based on her experiences, thoughts, and actions, I can infer that Violet