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Post by Ms. Knarr on Mar 29, 2012 10:15:54 GMT -5
“I have been a stranger in a strange land” By Rita Dove b. 1952
Life's spell is so exquisite, everything conspires to break it.
Emily Dickinson
It wasn't bliss. What was bliss
but the ordinary life? She'd spend hours
in patter, moving through whole days
touching, sniffing, tasting . . . exquisite
housekeeping in a charmed world.
And yet there was always
more of the same, all that happiness,
the aimless Being There.
So she wandered for a while, bush to arbor,
lingered to look through a pond's restive mirror.
He was off cataloging the universe, probably,
pretending he could organize
what was clearly someone else's chaos.
That's when she found the tree,
the dark, crabbed branches
bearing up such speechless bounty,
she knew without being told
this was forbidden. It wasn't
a question of ownership—
who could lay claim to
such maddening perfection?
And there was no voice in her head,
no whispered intelligence lurking
in the leaves—just an ache that grew
until she knew she'd already lost everything
except desire, the red heft of it
warming her outstretched palm.
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Post by dannyreilly on Apr 13, 2012 21:32:57 GMT -5
I think the overal meaning of the poem is explaining the feelings of trying new things. The author talks about "being there" and almost describes it as dull. This is when the girl decides to wander around and experiences the desire of wanting to know new things. It was just a tree with "crabbed" branches, however the girl still has the desire to touch it.
I overall thought the poem was okay. Not very interesting and didn't flow. Also I didn't like the fact that the girl was intrigued by such a simple object such as a tree. If she was looking for new things why would a tree catch her eye. Also, I wish the author would have explained why the tree was "forbidden.'
Why is "Being There' capitalized? Why did the girl know without being told that the tree was forbidden? In the second stanza it mentions a "he," who is it?
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Post by chrismarrie on Apr 14, 2012 13:46:38 GMT -5
1. Similar to Danny's opinion, I thought this poem was describing people's urge to to what they are told not to do. It shows our curious nature, and our disregard for authority. In the poem it says how there was no question it was forbidden, yet she proceeded to touch it. One of lines says "she knew she'd already lost everything except desire," showing how the desire had completely taken over. Even if she knew inside that it was wrong, she was at the point where she almost did not have control.
2. I did not really like this poem. I think it was hard to understand and as Danny said, it did not have my interest either. The author seemed to talk about things that did not fit into the main idea of the poem, such as the universe and something about chaos. I would have enjoyed reading it alot more if it was on point and she was clear with her thoughts.
3. (Question 1) I think "Being There" is capitalized because that was just apart of Emily Dickinson's writing style. From other poems that she has written she seems to capitalize random letters throughout.
(My question) What is the chaos that is referred to in the poem?
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Post by dylanzaliwski on Apr 14, 2012 14:02:14 GMT -5
1. I agree with Danny and Chris. Being curious and exploring the unknown is important to us because what we find may be life changing or have some kind of an effect on us. Curiosity is essential to us as human beings.
2. Though the writing style is odd and difficult to understand, it makes you think and try to understand make the meaning of the poem really is. I did like this poem because it is written a little differently than the traditional poem.
3. (Answering Question 2) The girl knew the tree was forbidden because of how it looked. The description,"the dark, crabbed branches bearing up such speechless bounty," shows that it is forbidden just by its looks.
(My Question) After seeing how the tree is described as "dark with crabbed branches", why would the author then describe the tree as a "maddening perfection"?
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Post by dannyreilly on Apr 14, 2012 15:07:13 GMT -5
(To Chris and Dylan) Both of your answers makes sense.
(To Dylan) I think she said it was a maddening perfection because of her desire for it. IT was perfect because she wanted it but maddening because it was forbidden.
Do you think that she ended up touching the tree? or passing by it?
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Post by connorjmckeon on Apr 14, 2012 15:50:31 GMT -5
1. I agree with Danny, Chris, and Dylan. The poem is about humans' curiosity and trying new things. The poem starts by describing normal life for the woman, who lives a wealthy lifestyle. It goes on saying she ventured out of her normal environment and into an unknown world. This brought new opportunities that she took advantage of. The woman venturing off and touching the tree that is said to be forbidden shows her, and everyone else's, curiosity.
2. I like that the poem acknowledges our curiosity as humans, but also the allusion to Adam and Eve. Similar in the two stories, the woman is faced with temptation in the form a tree. Also, the man is in the stories, but absent when the woman faces temptation. One could interpret this as a modernization of Adam and Eve. Readers can relate to the woman venturing out of her everyday life and environment more so than walking around in the Garden of Eden.
3. Answer Danny's third question: I think "he" is her husband or boyfriend, but his relation isn't so important. I think the author put that part in to show further that this event is not ordinary. Without "he" there, the woman does what she wants, instead of what she usually does.
My question: What does the author mean when she says the woman "lost everything"?
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