Poem- "Vacation" by Rita Dove

[Ms. Knarr]

Vacation by Rita Dove





I love the hour before takeoff,

that stretch of no time, no home

but the gray vinyl seats linked like

unfolding paper dolls. Soon we shall

be summoned to the gate, soon enough

there’ll be the clumsy procedure of row numbers

and perforated stubs—but for now

I can look at these ragtag nuclear families

with their cooing and bickering

or the heeled bachelorette trying

to ignore a baby’s wail and the baby’s

exhausted mother waiting to be called up early

while the athlete, one monstrous hand

asleep on his duffel bag, listens,

perched like a seal trained for the plunge.

Even the lone executive

who has wandered this far into summer

with his lasered itinerary, briefcase

knocking his knees—even he

has worked for the pleasure of bearing

no more than a scrap of himself

into this hall. He’ll dine out, she’ll sleep late,

they’ll let the sun burn them happy all morning

—a little hope, a little whimsy

before the loudspeaker blurts

and we leap up to become

Flight 828, now boarding at Gate 17.

[jessicanoel]

1. In my opinion, Rita Dove meant to emphasize the peacefulness behind waiting. She thoroughly describes how it seems as if time has slowed down. Dove says, "No home, but the gray vinyl seats linked like unfolding paper dolls", which represents that when waiting you have no other place to be. She compares different types of people such a athlete and the business executive only to link everyone together at the end. As if they are forming a community which is Flight 828 boarding at Gate 17.
2. I am in favor of this piece of literature. Not only did Dove catch my attention, but she also kept me intrigued. Being an impatient person, I've never really looked at waiting as a peaceful. I've never stopped to think about waiting as a break in time. Everything is always very fast paced, Dove influences you to really enjoy the beauty of the little things in life.

Q1: What can you infer about the different people being linked together as "one"?
Q2: Do you think the people Dove describes are unhappy?
Q3: Do you think Dove is unhappy herself?
Q4: Do you think Dove is lonely?

[caileighidell]

1. I completely agree with Jess here in saying that Dove yearns for nothing but those moments where nothing is expected of you. Dove is perfectly content with just sitting and waiting in intolerable conditions for her flight as long as it means that she is not expected to be anywhere at a particular point in time. It is very apparent here that Dove enjoys the wait because she sees that moment in time as a moment of peace. In this moment of peace Dove is permitted to let her mind wander freely without consequence and not have a single care in the world.

2. I can fully relate to this piece because I, myself enjoy this moment at the airport as well. I thoroughly enjoy the feeling of not having to be anywhere with any expectations. Because I am such a busy person with a constant place to be or thing to do, I enjoy moments like this that can take me away from the hectic points in my life. For that singular moment in time I can just be with my thoughts without interruption. I definitely can relate to Dove in this aspect of life.

3.(answering question 3) I did get that Dove herself was an unhappy person but instead a busy person. I believe that Dove yearns for this simple moment of peace and expectation-less quiet because in that time she does not have to worry about all that she needs to accomplish.

4.(my question) *Could it be that the other people around Dove at the airport are experiencing the same feelings that she is while waiting for their flights?

[anniepirone]

1. I would also have to agree with Jess on the overall meaning of this poem. When traveling to other places for the holidays or any occasion, I tend to only think about the frustration and anxiety a traveler encounters. After reading this poem though, I have realized the peacefulness and serene environment that we are given, it's just up to us to make use of it. I would also have to agree with Jess on how Dove had emphasized the benefits of patience and waiting, and also how Dove had brought attention to the fact that all the travelers on the same flight form a community which is something I've never thought about. I also think that Dove was trying to convey to her readers that you can also reflect while waiting for your flight (ex:" to ignore a baby’s wail and the baby’s, exhausted mother waiting to be called up early" could help an individual reflect on how life is always moving on whether you want it to or not.. we begin our lives as youthful beings and eventually grow up to be where we are today).

2. I did like this piece of literature. I enjoyed this piece written by Dove because it made me realize that there is a benefit to traveling. Although one may not instantly realize it, waiting for our flight allows us to relax and just take a step back from our busy lives and think about anything. I also like how Dove had used such descriptive language to keep the readers intrigued in the poem. Dove's use of language had created a vivid mental picture in my head from the very first line to the very last word which is very important because if an author can't keep their readers intrigued with their work, they won't be as successful.

3. To answer Jess's fourth question, I do think that Dove is lonely. I think that Dove idolizes the airport because she's exposed to the realities of family life, and the hectic yet stressful lifestyles that come with it. Dove may not have a family of her own, which is why she feels that there's no better place for her to remain incognito and still have a first hand experience of how families function. When families know they are being seen and watched in public they make it a priority to show proper decorum. Whereas when families go out in public without expecting any company they are themselves , and they don't put on a show for anyone. Dove wanted to see the truth in society, not any acts or shows. I truly think that Dove is lonely and she to the airport to see the reality and truth from the communities formed as passengers wait to board their planes. To answer Caileigh's question, other people at the airport may feel the same way, and Dove has just put those emotions into words for them.
Q: Why do you think Dove had chosen to write about an airport and not any other location?

[jessicanoel]

1. I like that idea Caileigh! Maybe she was even unhappy because she was overwhelmed with being busy. And I believe the answer to your question is yes. The other people in the air port could very well be experiencing the same feelings. The athlete or the business man or the families could all be restless to the feeling of time being slowed down because they are forced to wait and wait.

2. To answer your question Annie, I think she chose the airport because it is the perfect setting to get an idea across. She took a variety of people and was able to connect and relate them to each other through feelings. They were possibly experiencing the same feeling. She describes how they lose their ability to control themselves by saying, "before the loudspeaker blurts and we leap up to become Flight 828." I cannot think of a better example for a setting.

Q1: What do you think Dove's reference of an airport and linking different people together can be symbolism for getting away from something such a slavery?

[thomashaldeman]

1. I agree with everyone's ideas so far. Whenever I travel, I tend to get very impatient and just want to get to where my destination is. I think as a generation we have become a little spoiled and tend to forget the virtue of patience. Rita Dove wants us to realize that while waiting, whether it be for traveling or something else, you can find peace and relax yourself so you are not so overwhelmed.
2. I was not a huge fan of this piece. I think that the author tried to focus more on describing the place and the situation, rather than focus on the overall message she was trying to portray. I prefer a poem that is straight to the point without intricate detail. This piece had a ton of description which isn't bad at all, but I believe that it distracts the reader from the overall meaning of the piece.
3. To answer Jess' question, I think the Dove's reference of an airport and people coming together as a community can relate directly to slavery. Dove stated that the people on the flight come together as a community, just as how slaves come together for a common cause, which is to escape. You can't go through life without others, so I think that Dove wanted to tell us that no matter what you do in life, you will need support from a community of people.
My question: What would you say the overall "theme" or "meaning" of the poem is? What did Rita Dove want us to get out of her piece?

[mattstyczynski]

1. I agree with everyone and their ideas about what the poem might mean. I thought that Rita Dove took what was a mundane topic that everyone goes through when they go to an airport, and turned it into somewhat of an amusing poem. She seems to accent the idea of patience and that if you can wait to see what is around you, it can be amusing. For example she analyzed a businessman who was waiting for the same flight as her, she saw that he was holding his briefcase and knocking his knees, probably thinking what everyone else was thinking, when would they be called to board their flight. It is at the end of the poem where I seemed to get at the idea that if you are patient you will be rewarded, in this case their flight was called.

2. I enjoyed reading this poem very much. I thought that Rita Dove cleverly elaborated on a topic we all can apply ourselves to when we go on vacation. I got the feeling that Dove wanted us to get the concept of patience and that if we can obtain it, it can make a tedious and un-amusing situation into one that can be memorable for its simplicity, as well as make the time go by quicker. I also was curious to see if there was a deeper meaning behind this poem, such as could this be her interpretation of what Heaven may be like upon arriving there. All in all I liked the poem and was entertained by the author's illumination on a dull topic.

3. (Tom's question) I think the overall meaning of this piece is to have patience. I think Rita Dove wanted to inform the reader that when we can obtain patience, ordinary and annoying tasks, such as waiting in an airport, can become amusing and maybe even memorable. I also think she wanted us to enjoy the little things in life because if we just focus on the main events, we sometimes miss little things that are important. (my question) Why do you think Rita Dove analyzed all the people at the airport? Could it be because she was just bored or was she looking to find faults in them?

[adamzaha]

1. I think this poem means that there is a certain thing that links strangers together such as someone on a plane going to the same place you're going. If you look around you are bound to find some similarities between you and someone you have just met. Also, this poem could mean that waiting has a certain peace to it if you are not in a rush you can enjoy the peace and surroundings that you would otherwise not realize if you don't take special notice of them.

2. I liked this piece because it gave me a new insight on waiting and, if you just look around you could notice things about people that you would otherwise not notice. It also gave me insight on how everyone is linked together someway even if it is just being on the same bus or airplane.

3. Matt's question- I think she analyzes the people in the airport because she takes the time to look around and to take her surroundings. I don't think she means to find faults in them but instead tries to explain the people by their looks and their behavior.
My question- Do you think the paper doll reference is an attempt to show that they are linked together in some way?

[chrismarrie]

1. I agree with everyone's interpreations on the poem. I think it is all about peacefulness and waiting calmly. The author seems to have a confort in times of relaxation, where she can forget about any stressful or busy times in her life. Instead of people who sit there eagerly anticipating when they will be boarded onto the plane, she looked at a new side to it as she observes all of the different people who surround her.

2. I found this poem interesting because as Matt said, she took something that most would consider the most boring time of a vacation, and turned it into something interesting. It was amusing seeing her different observations and descriptions of the people around her. I also liked it because in my opinion, the author's message was about enjoying the little things in life such as simply sitting in an airport awaiting your vacation. Overall, I liked this piece.

3. (Tom's question) I think the theme she is trying to present in the poem is that you should take pride in little things. Peope such as the businessman or the bickering families are so caught up in everything that they don't take time to sit back and relax to think about what they should be happy about.
(My question) Is Dove trying to tell us that we all need that hour once and a while to reflect on things?