Poem "Crab" - Response

In the poem, “Crab,” Sharon Olds suggests that human mothers are just like mothers in nature. In the poem, the narrator remembers when she was a child and how her mother would feed her crab. The poet uses contrast, simile, and flashback to develop the theme.

Olds uses contrast to develop mothers’ struggles. In the beginning, the narrator says, “She’d drive down to the edge of the Bay, tiny woman in a huge car, […].” (Lines 3-5). This quote contains contrast because her mother, a tiny woman, is driving a huge car.

It makes the reader feel sympathy for the narrator’s mother, as she had to struggle to get the crab to feed her children. It helps the poet create the theme by showing that human mothers struggle, just like mothers in nature. Not only does Olds use contrast, but also simile.

Olds uses simile to develop mothers’ skills. In the middle, the narrator says, “a mound of crab like a cross between breast-milk and meat.

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[…], upright flakes white as the flesh of a chrysanthemum, but the best was the claw, she’d slide it out so slowly the tip was unbroken,” (Lines 15-21).

This quote contains simile because the crab is being compared to a cross between breast-milk and meat use the word like. Another simile is when the flakes are compared to a chrysanthemum using the word as. It makes the reader feel a sense of awe towards her mother because of her skill. It helps the poet create the theme by showing that human mothers require skill to feed their children, just like how animals need skills to hunt or fish.

Not only does the poet use simile, but also flashback.

Olds uses flashback to develop that mothers will do anything to feed their children. At the end, the narrator says, “I look back further and see her in the kitchen, shelling flesh, her small hands curled--she is like a fish-hawk, wild, tearing the meat deftly, […].” (33-37). This quote is flashback because the narrator remembers when her mother would skillfully shell crabs in the kitchen.

t makes the reader feel respect towards her mother because she cares about her children, enough to fight for it. It helps the poet create the theme by showing that human mothers would do anything to feed their children, just like other animals.

Sharon Olds has revealed that human mothers are not completely different from mothers in nature, but are actually very similar.
i carry your heart with me - Response

In the poem, “i carry you heart with me,” E. E. Cummings suggests that love is the source of life. The poet uses figurative language, personification, and metaphor to develop the theme.

Cummings uses figurative language to develop the narrator’s love. In the beginning, the narrator says, “i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)” (Stanza 1, Line 1). This quote contains figurative language because the narrator cannot literally carry her heart with him. Instead, it means that the narrator loves her no matter where they are. It makes the reader feel the narrator’s love for her because he loves her everywhere.

It helps the poet create the theme by showing that the narrator loves her. Not only does the poet use figurative language, but also personification. Cummings uses personification to develop his love for her. In the middle, the narrator says, “and whatever a sun will always sing is you” (Stanza 1, Line 8). This quote contains personification because the sun supposedly sings, which is something it cannot do, but humans can.

It makes the reader feel the narrator’s affection for her because the narrator is saying that if the sun could sing, it would sing about her. It helps the poet create the theme by showing the narrator’s love for her. Not only does the poet use personification, but also metaphor. Cummings uses metaphor to develop how love and life are related. In the middle, the narrator says, “(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;” (Stanza 2, Lines 10-11).

This quote contains metaphor because the root, bud, and sky represent life, but the root of the root, bud of the bud, and sky of the sky are all metaphors for love. Love is the root of life. It makes the reader feel a sense of understanding because a new insight of how love and life are related have been given. It helps the poet create the theme by showing that love is the root of life.

In conclusion, E. E. Cummings has revealed that the source of life is love for another person.

Expressing My Feelings

In the poem, “Expressing My Feelings,” Rwan Ji suggests that people can only express their feelings when they are alone. In the poem, the narrator cannot fall asleep, and plays the lute to soothe himself. Later, he realizes that he will still be alone. The poet uses assonance, metaphor, and first person perspective to develop the theme.

Ji uses assonance to develop that he is agitated. In the beginning, the narrator says, “In the night I cannot sleep I rise and sit to play the singing lute.” (Stanza 1, Lines 1-4). This quote contains assonance because the word “night” and “rise” both have the “I” sound in them. It makes the reader feel sorry for the narrator because he is agitated and is probably tired. It helps the poet create the theme by showing that the narrator expresses his agitation. Not only does the poet use assonance, but also metaphor.

Ji uses metaphor to develop that the narrator is alone. In the middle, the narrator says, “A solitary wild goose calls in the wilderness.” (Stanza 3, Lines 9-10). This quote contains metaphor because the goose represents the narrator, alone, solitary, and stuck in the wilderness. It makes the reader feel pity for the narrator because he is stuck in a remote location. It helps the poet create the theme by showing that people can be alone. Not only does the poet use metaphor, but also first person perspective.

Ji uses first person perspective to develop the narrator’s feelings. At the end, the narrator says, “Fretting and pacing, what is it I expect to see? With sadness and grief I am alone.” (Stanza 4, Lines 13-16). This quote is from the first person perspective because the word “I” is used. It makes the reader feel sympathy for the narrator because he is sad and alone. It helps the poet create the theme by showing that the narrator expresses his feelings of sadness and grief while he is alone.

Rwan Ji has revealed that only when a person is alone, can they express their true feelings.

Frog Haiku

The poem, “Frog Haiku,” by Matsuo Basho, begins with a tranquil image, an old and motionless pond. It makes the reader feel the same as the pond, calm and tranquil. However, that feeling is quickly disrupted and changed when a frog jumps in, creating noise and ripples, making the reader feel agitated and anxious.

By Issa Kobayshi

In the poem, “By Issa Kobayashi,” the first line instantly captures the reader’s attention. It makes the reader wonder what the blessing is and what it will do. The next two lines contain imagery and metaphor. Snow from the Pure Land, a metaphor for Heaven, falls down onto the quilt, a metaphor for Earth. It makes the reader feel surprised because the reader expects the blessing to be something big, but instead, is as simple as snow falling.