why aint you dead

“Wanda Why Aren’t You Dead” by Wand Coleman is a short poem depicting a scene between Wanda and supposedly another person. Although most seem to view this poem as a mental battle, I feel that this poem represents a scene in which Wanda is mocking a man that has been criticizing her. From her language, I get the sense that she is a very strong woman, hence I feel she would not be in such a mental state as to be yelling at herself. Coleman uses repetition, criticizing diction, and varying tones to portray this one sided argument.

Although this poem is represents a one-sided conversation, there is great emphasis on the other person, Wanda. The repetition of ‘Wanda’ at the beginning of every sentence plays a great importance in this poem, for it shows that all the attention (or all the blame) is on her. The speaker focuses solely on Wanda, her living standards, her looks, and any other flaws that he can pick on. The repetition of ‘Wanda’ forms an annoying tone, as if he is purposely trying to pester her. The repetition of phrases such as “if i were you were you were you” also creates an annoying tone, for it seems as though this man is mocking her.

Coleman also uses very harsh diction to portray the state in which Wanda is living. From the poem we can gather that Wanda is a lower class, overweight, black woman, with children. This man is clearly degrading her by asking her why she can’t “afford to move out of this hell hold” or if she’s “into chains”. The diction is playfull, but there is most certainty a harsh undertone. When he says, “you’re joking. girl, you crazy”, it is apparent that he is trying to make her feel inferior, as most men do during an argument. With this nonchalant tone, with a underlying criticism, he is able to take charge of the argument in a very obvious way.

The key element of this poem was the change in tone. Throughout the poem there seems to be this annoying, teasing, tone. However; at certain points throughout the poem one can see that although this is not meant to be harmful teasing, there is something serious growing as well. Coleman creates this tone first of all using harsh diction, showing that this man, whoever he may be, is taking his teasing a little too far. The repetition of the sentence “wanda why are you so angry” and the last line “why aint you dead”, shows that this argument is more serious than it first entails. The man’s ego has clearly gotten in the way of this argument, forcing him to lose his temper.

Overall, Coleman’s use of repetition, diction, and tone create a playful poem with a slightly disturbing undertone. It is hard for one to assess the seriousness of this poem, but we all know that it is there. The sheer distinction between this man and woman angers my feminist side, a reaction that Coleman seemingly wanted to provoke within her readers.  

If this was my poetry exam, I would...

Read the poem and annotate: Note any prevalent patterns in structure, diction, imagery, syntax, metaphors. Try and see if the overall poem relates to some greater concept.

• In Gary Snyder's Old Pond, he uses a specific and unusual structure. Divided into two stanzas, both follow the pattern of Setting and Action. The isolation of the line 'Splash!' is also an interesting aspect of the poem, for it gives the poem a dramatic ending. A final ending. 
• What does structure add to the meaning of this poem?
• What is the significance of the isolation of the lines "up through time" and "dives in the water"?
• The setting uses very descriptive diction, for each noun is always preceded by an adjective. The images depicted by such diction as "blue mountain" and "white snow" are very calming. The images he presents are very natural and peaceful, as are the descriptions of the following actions. 
• What does the use of descriptive diction and peaceful imagery contribute to the poem?
• The use of alliteration: "hemlock half" and "raged rocky" add to the flow of his descriptions, making it sound very sing-songy. This related to the fact that he is describing a bird's call, relating content to sound and rhythm. 
• Is rhythm an important aspect in this poem?
• Snyder uses many short sentences in this poem, with simplistic descriptions and observations. The short, choppy syntax he uses creates a very structured tone. By structured tone, I mean that the reader follows every action as it is occurring, as if they are watching it themselves. The use of short sentences gives this feel for it is describing them as they occur, with no prevalent analysis of  his own.
• Why does Snyder chose to create this effect in his poem?

I would most likely structure my commentary in the form of stanza-to-stanza, or even line-to-line analysis, focusing on each line and how it presents one of the aspects listed above. I would have a body paragraph for each of the important line/lines/concepts presented in each stanza. I would then relate back to these concepts and my own analysis in the body paragraphs of other stanzas.

I would then write a conclusion summarizing all the points mentioned in my commentary regarding literary techniques, and try to come to an overall conclusion as to the reason behind the use of these techniques. I would then state this conclusion. Historical background of the author would be helpful here - but since we don't know anything about the author my conclusions will have to be based upon assumption.  


Camille Paglia's poem went into an extensive analysis on the poem, one which I would have never been able to conjure up upon first glance of the poem. Gary Snyder's poem is quite simplistic, hence I would not assume such a deep meaning in his words. At some points I feel that Pagalia's analysis went a bit too far in-depth, for I feel that some of her critiques, although extremely intelligent, were very far fetched. It made me wonder why a poetry in it's simplest form cannot just be simple, and has to have some deeper meaning. I like that she organized according to the organization of the poem itself. Being quite short, one would assume that structure plays an important role. Therefore, the organization of a commentary in correspondence to it's structure was very smart and easy to follow. Her references to Snyder's life provide great insight regarding his poem, comparing the raw curiosity regarding nature to his curiosity as a young boy. I really enjoyed reading her analysis on the first two lines of the poem, for it provided great insight. The observations she made are those that most would take for granted. Both creative and logical, Paglia's observations describe the process of perception that Snyder portrays in his first two lines. Most would not realize the sheer impact that nature's beauty had on him; however, Paglia gives an intelligent break down of the meaning behind his words. I thought her analysis to be very in-depth, giving me clarification on the depth of such a simplistic poem. I would have never analyzes Snyder's simple and fun lines with such logic and reason the Paglia did, and for that I found her analysis very refreshing. 

Dinnertime.

Beat

There is silence in the forest

Beat

Heads flinch at the crack of a twig

The rustle of a branch

Beat

Hearts thud louder

And louder

Beat

There is a change of pace

Something’s coming

The roar of the jungle awakens

Feet thudding against the earth as we

Propel toward our enemies

The screeching

Screaming

The heart wrenching cries

The ripping apart of bodies

Bodies that were once

Filled with life.

The claws

The scratches

The scuttling

Beat

The forest is back to its natural state

Beat

Except now

No one notices the twigs

Or the branches

Beat

They’re eating

They’re eating what was once running

They’re eating what they heard crying

They’re eating a body

Which was once filled with life

Beat

Dinnertime. 

The Harlem Dancer

The Harlem Dancer is a short poem by Claude McKay about a scene in a bar. The title suggests that the location of this bar is in Harlem, a prevalent area during the Harlem Renaissance. Claude McKay was a writer of the Harlem Renaissance, and aspects of this era are prevalent in his poems, especially The Harlem Dancer. This poem is about a young prostitute, and McKay’s observations regarding her influence on the crowd. He uses imagery, metaphors, and diction to create a paradoxical setting in which this young prostitute performs.

The poem itself is much like a song, for it is written in iambic pentameter. It revolves around the beauty and sound of this prostitutes music, an element depicted in the style and form of the poem. Starting out in the first stanza, McKay’s use of imagery gives a visual description of the prostitutes grace and pose. By describing her “perfect, half-clothed body sway”, McKay gives a very different impression than if he were to have described her “hot, naked body shake”. The image he portrays with his choice of diction is one of elegance, an image not normally associated with a dancing prostitute in a bar.  He then compares her voice to “the sound of blended flutes blown by black players upon a picnic day”. With this metaphor, McKay depicts the soulfulness of her voice. He gives her voice meaning. There is a warm and comforting feel associated with the image of a picnic day, thereby giving the prostitute a very warm nature.

Likewise in the second stanza, McKay again describes her dancing “gracefully and calm”. He uses diction such as “form” to refer to her body, which is a much more artistic word in comparison to “body”. He describes her movements and overall figure with very delicate and feminine diction, creating an image that would normally contrast that of a bar dancer. The use of the metaphor following these descriptions, comparing her to a “proudly swaying palm”, also add to the gentle persona McKay is giving this dancer.

In the third stanza McKay presents a slightly sensual image, when he describes her “shiny curls” that “profusely fell”. The image of curls gives the dancer a sensual and feminine aura, rather than a trashy one. The following imagery truly shows the distinction between the dancer and her audience.

“The wine-flushed, bold-eyed boys, and even the girls,

Devoured her with their eager, passionate gaze”

These two lines I feel, depict the raw essence of this poem. It shows how the audience objectifies this ‘soulful’ and ‘elegant’ prostitute. Words such as “devoured” show how the audience sees her as a piece of meat, devouring her in unison with their sexual appetite. The description of “wine-flushed boys” give the crowd a rowdy persona, making the people seem inferior in comparison to the elegant and poised dancer.

The last two lines are in essence the most important of this poem. They tie together all the contrasting imagery of the poem, and express it in two lines. The rhyme scheme for these two lines is different from the rest of the poem, also adding to its separation and importance.  It depicts how McKay sees this dancer differently than the rest of the crowd, for he notices her “falsely-smiling face”, knowing that she “her self was not in that strange place”. 

Do not never change

Amiri Baraka's essay on language depicts the correlation between culture and language. His analysis on language and culture depicts the true conundrum we face when dealing with poetry. Poetry itself can be analyzed like a painting. Paintings - especially abstract paintings - can be analyzed to any level with regards to the viewer. It can be analyzed for brush work, color, shape, and tone. The analysis of such art depends on the viewer, and their mood regarding the poem. I feel this aspect of art, being the universal ability to analyze, is what Baraka is trying to describe with poetry. A person's mood when analyzing art is parallel to one's culture when analyzing poetry. Like described in the article, certain words or phrases could mean very different things depending on one's social status or cultural background.

Thereby lies the true beauty: its varying levels of depth and meaning. For example, during class I had to analyze a poem about a Hippo doing the jive. The author described the Hippo's movements as sensual and smooth. I understood this to be a statement about the ironies of beauty; however, one could just see this as a humorous image to give someone a good chuckle. The notion that one can never be wrong in analysis comes into play here, for one's various cultures and ethnic backgrounds could produce some very strange interpretations. This is what causes the universality and everlastingness of poetry.

As I mentioned before with my example of a painting, a poem can similarly be analyzed for diction, tone, and structure, as a painting can be for brush strokes, color, and shape. Such tools of writing give analysis some boundaries, so that we have a universal understanding on how to interpret writing. By learning the different cultures of speech, we open ourselves to greater ability for analysis and understanding. The true purpose of analyzing a poem is to find the mysteries and secrets that the author embedded in his/her words. Words can be interpreted and meant in so many different ways, thereby portraying how language is  simply a puzzle for what we are truly trying to communicate. As Asim mentioned in his blog (http://asimlikesenglish.blogspot.com/), the conformity of such an aspect of language would lead to a 'death of poetry'. It would lead to the removal of confusion and interpretation between cultures, killing the essence of embedded themes and stories. Perhaps this would make things a lot easier for our understanding, but it would also destroy a universal art.

I also enjoyed reading Saumya's interpretation on this essay (http://saumya22.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/blood-of-the-soul/) for she compares Baraka as a modern day George Orwell. The correlation between this essay and 1984 has been discussed in many of my peer's blogs, and it was a comparison I had noticed - but not doted upon. Both Baraka and Orwell death with language as a way of expressing thought, leading to the conclusion that control of language could thereby control thought. Using TOK lingo, language is one of the main WOKs (ways of knowing) and therefore a limitation on language could seriously influence our knowledge. Whether it leads to the death of poetry and interpretation, or complete control of thought both authors show the importance of language on our culture. 

Blog Portfolio 3

1. Coverage

Here are the links to all the blogs assigned this quarter based on our readings and novels. There is a total of 10 blogs, all of which have been completed

Blog 1: Sartre’s Essay on Existentialism

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-yam-what-i-yam.html

Blog 2: ‘The Distraction Society’

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/do-you-have-bbm.html

Blog 3: A Hunger Artist

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/hungry-kya.html

Blog 4: Hunger Pastiche

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/ylayali.html

Blog 5: Knut Hamsun’s Christian Perversions

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/susceptible-souls.html

Blog 6: Hunger Mind Map

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/hunger-mind-map.html

Blog 7: Analysis of an Aspect of Metamorphosis (Part 1)

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/02/his-happy-makes-me-sad.html

Blog 8: Formal Interpretation of a Passage

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/02/interpretation-of-passage.html

Blog 9: Kafkaesque

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/02/kafkaesque.html

Blog 10: My Plan of Action (Essay)

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-plan-of-action.html

2. Depth

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/02/kafkaesque.html

For this blog I included a great depth of discussion. Not only did I include the New Oxford English Dictionary definition of ‘Kafkaesque’, but I also went greatly in depth with my own definition of what I thought it meant. I focused on four elements that comprise this ‘Kafkaesque’ nature, and used examples from both the movie ‘Kafka’ as well as ‘Metamorphosis’ for evidence.

3. Interaction

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/hungry-kya.html

For this blog I read several of my peer’s blogs before writing my own. I was fascinated by a lot of Monique’s and Nina’s ideas, and elaborated upon them in my blog (including links to their own posts). I talked about both of their ideas, and then shared my own in accordance to what they were saying.

4. Discussion

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/02/his-happy-makes-me-sad.html

This blog post seemed to have sparked a very heated discussion between my peers and I. The topic of Gregor’s submissive nature brought upon a debate about synthesized happiness, and whether that shows strength or weakness in a character.

5. Xenoblogging

http://whamiltonthegreat.blogspot.com/2011/01/knut-hamsun-pastiche.html#comments

Comment Primo: I was the first to comment on Wesley’s pastiche, and I discussed how well his writing correlated to Hamsun’s voice. I analyzed his paragraph quite thoroughly, noting how he captured the voice of the author very well, and pointing out certain words or phrases that didn’t flow very well with the rest of the pastiche.

6. Wildcard

http://poojasivhlenglish.blogspot.com/2011/03/waiting-women.html

With all of the books we’ve been reading about women and power, I decided to write a poem called ‘Waiting Women’. This was inspired by the passage in The Handmaid’s Tale that talks about ‘Falling Women’. Instead of writing about how women are falling, I wrote about how women are endlessly waiting for something, something that we continue waiting for even though we are unaware of what it may be. 

Waiting Women

It is the eternal conquest to stop waiting
To stop wondering when something'll happen
To stop caring when something doesn't

Why is it that we're waiting women
With every endless tick or chime of a mocking clock, we wait
With every cup of coffee that cools off, we wait
With the sound of rickety tires on a worn down driveway, we wait

But waiting my friends is not the same as anticipation
With anticipation comes excitement, comes lust, comes life
With waiting there is just a dull sense of nothingness
Of knowing you are alone
Of facing the endless path of accepting this loneliness

With waiting there is a certain death
Death of the mind, death of the spirit
Its not the death of two lovers encurled in a grave
Or death with meaning
Or death with passion
It is death of one's soul
Nothing more and nothing less

The only question we waiting women face
Is what are we waiting for?
Are we waiting for anticipation
Are we waiting for death with passion
Or are we meerly waiting for the next meaningless tick of a clock
For our cup of coffee to cool down
For that car to finally come down that worn down driveway?